I am always amazed at people who write novels without first plotting.  They freewrite and polish up the awkward sentences, add some transitions, and submit it for publication.  But if you look at a well crafted novel, it is more than storytelling.  It is about taking the reader to another place.  It is about braiding subplots and developing interesting and bigger than life characters.  

As you study good fiction writers, you can see how complex details can become.  Since books are written over time, it is easy for the writer to forget characters and their motivations, plot development, etc.  One tool I found useful is called ywriter4.  It is free.

Apparently, a computer programmer was frustrated by his inability to keep track of themes and character threads.  He developed a computer program  to do just that.  His program helps you track exactly what you develop, so that you can see where you’ve been and where you are going….It is a great tool and worth downloading.  So, if you have been using the pencil and notebook and still feel like you don’t have a grip on the overarching view of your novel, check this out.  http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter4.html. 

Also of interest on Simon’s site are a submission tracker; a track your minutes program if you are a freelance writer and need to track billable hours; and articles on Writing.  Visit his Resources for Writers page to see if his suggestions are something you might want to use.