This step would be: Research.
Most writers, particularly novelists as well as biographers and journalists often spend more time in the actual research phase of their projects than in writing their final manuscripts.
This is because large manuscripts will easily get confusing if the author himself or herself isn't absolutely in command of his or her facts.
Complex plots, in a similar fashion than complex movie script plots will not be effective if the author has not ordered adequately all the research of any given project he or she is working on.
To paraphrase Edison; genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.