With articles from the likes of Orson Scott Card, Mary Kittredge, and Dean Koontz, this book covers everything from planning and plotting to marketing. Most of the various topics only have one chapter, therefore only one viewpoint, but the chapters are arranged in a working order - that is, they are arranged in an order that is similar to a writer's work on the novels.
Impressions: Though there is some very good information presented, I actually found this to be a somewhat mediocre book. For one, it doesn't acknowledge that different authors work differently and generally presents only one person's view on how to develop and work with each topic. The books I've found to be the most helpful are the ones that present varied optinions and give me more than one option to consider and try. Anyway, I picked this up when I signed up for the Writer's Digest Novel Workshop, and in that format it worked well since there is also the workshop's lessons and the correspondence instructor to give other ideas. As a stand alone book, however, I would recommend Writing the Breakout Novel over this one.
Update: I would like to add that The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing is also a better book for the novelist. I haven't opened the WD book since I finished reading it, but I've gone back to the Maas and the Complete Hanbook again and again.
