The Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software - Review

This software, the perfect companion to The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing, proved to be very simple to use. I have tried several other types of writing software; I found them all rather confusing. Why do I say that this software is a companion to the book? Keeping track of a bunch of papers isn’t always easy. When you work out the sheets on your computer with the software, they are kept organized and neat for you automatically. This is a great time saver.

The Marshall Plan Novel Writing Software was not confusing at all. I would recommend reading the book first, then working with the software. There are teaching materials included on the software, but they do not go into near as much depth as the book does.

Your first task when you open up the software is to begin a new template. None of the many available tabs will work until you do this. Once you instruct it to start a new template, it automatically opens up with the preset novel length of 50,000 words. In a novel of 50,000 words, the beginning of it will consist of 10 sections, the middle will have 20 sections, and the end will have 10 sections. A blueprint is laid out for you so you know from which viewpoint character’s eye the scene needs to be told.

The blueprint is easy to follow and makes writing a novel simple, at least in the way it should be laid out. There is still some talent required to come up with an exciting plot to keep the readers turning pages.

The length of your novel can be reset by clicking on the appropriate tab (genre/length) and reset it to the desired length of your novel. Your action and reaction sections will automatically be reset to their new suggested order when you change the anticipated length of the novel.

In the action section, you will need to tell where and when the action occurs, what your lead character for the section is doing when the crisis occurs, what brings about the crisis, the crisis itself, and the lead character’s inability to undo or deny the crisis.

On the right hand side of the screen are plot tips, a character profile of the lead character, and a place to make notes for reference. Plot tips are provide to help you come up with an exciting plot. Will your readers take an interest in the crisis of your main character? Will it interest them enough to keep them reading? If the crisis you developed isn’t strong enough or exciting enough to last for the entire novel, ways to heighten your crisis and make it more exciting are suggested.

The section sheets were a great help to me when I began coming up with my story, but doing the sheets on the computer made me see that there needs to be more to my story. If I don’t have any more action, I will have trouble coming up with enough scenes to complete the book.

In the reaction section, on the right hand side of the screen there are also plot tips, a character profile, and a place for notes. Your main character must have a goal to reach with terrible consequences if the goal is not met. What will be the consequences if your character fails to reach his or her goal? Does your character have a valid reason for wanting to achieve this goal? What sort of things qualify as valid reasons? Love and justice are a couple of good reasons. Fear and hatred would also qualify as reasons.

Your character, though you want him or her to be extremely successful, cannot succeed in each and every thing that he or she attempts. In the blueprint, the appropriate times for your character to fail in his or her endeavor are planned out. Some failures will be worse than others.

The software sells for $149.00. A free copy of the software was sent to me by the publisher to review. I am going to use it to finish the novel I came up with the idea for when I reviewed The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing.

This software is not yet available through Amazon. I have provided a link to the Marshall Novel Writing website where it can be examined in more detail and purchased, if you so desire.