MARK JOHNSTON 🍁 - Writing Process

My students (and some adults) ask how I write. I have no training whatsoever, so I'm sure there's lots I could be doing to be more creative or efficient. I'm sure my process will continue to evolve as well. For my first book, I literally just had a folder in google drive. I had an ideas file where I had the basic outline of the story and I would add things as I came up with them. Then I had a second file where I was actually writing the story. I would keep two screens open at all times and consult the ideas while I wrote the dialogue and narration, etc. I generally wrote in order, but I did write some parts at different times if the mood struck me. I would do any research and just put stuff in the ideas folder at the right parts. That worked okay for that book because I only had one character's point of view.

For my second book, I had a few goals going in. Multiple POV characters was the big one, and I knew I would need a better system. I still had my ideas document that had the general plot laid out and some specific ideas for specific characters, etc. The issue here was making sure I kept things in the right order and characters only knew about certain plot points at the correct times. I also wanted to space out the action for the reader a bit and ensure they would never have to wait too long for their favourite characters to appear.

For this, I laid out the chapters on my door with post-it notes. The notes have a single point on them that sums up the chapter, a chapter number (which I often changed) and who the POV is.

door with post-its for organizing chapters.

my basement office. two screens always open. I usually listen to/watch the news or sports while I write. you can see the post-its on the door as well.

This time I used a piece of software called Scrivener, which I really liked. Each chapter is a file with space for a synopsis and notes. It also lets you create character profiles and a million other things. Once you are ready to "compile" your work, you can export it in whatever format you like. It also lets you back up your work, which is great. I have been compiling occasionally as I write as a PDF and uploading that to google drive just in case. This software makes the book look great and will allow for easy ebook as well as actual physical copy creation later.

I also like this software because I have been writing out of order a lot more and it's easier to keep track of all that. Sometimes I get in a good flow with a specific character and want to write their parts for a while even though their chapters are spread out.

Scrivener. contents on the left, work in the middle and notes and other components on the right.

Once I am done the first draft, I reread and start editing. For me, this is actually an ongoing process. I tend to edit a lot as I write, but I also compile the book and read it on my phone or kindle. I then take screenshots of corrections I need to make. I also take notes in my ideas file for things I might want to add or change that will take more time. At the time I am writing this part of the site, I am almost done my first draft of the Travelers and I have 16 bullets points of things I want to add, change or that need double checking (for example, continuity issues). Some of these are short fixes and others will take some serious time to rework.

Once I am done editing, I will share the book with a few family and friends to take a look and offer recommendations as well. Then, I'll be done!

Things people want to know

How long does it take? I don't know. I wish scrivener timed how long you wrote. The truth is I often wake up at night and write stuff down to use in my writing, I think of stuff while walking my dog. I sit for two hours with my book open and end up just watching TV and barely writing a thing. I don't really have any way to track. I would estimate that it's about two hours / 1000 words all in - that's including images, editing, everything. To write a chapter (mine tend to average 1000 words) when I'm really cooking usually takes about 45 minutes - that's assuming I've done any required research and know what my general outline is.
Do you use AI? For Solar Umbrella, I only used AI to create the cover as my art budget was the same as my writing budget - $0. I used AI for the Travelers cover as well. I never quite get what I'm looking for, but the price is hard to beat. If I ever make money off my writing, I will definitely hire an artist. I'd love to have sketched scenes in the book as well at some points. I like when authors do that. I have also been using ChatGPT this time around, but only as a fancy thesaurus. I used thesaurus.com the first time, but I like the way I can say something like "other words for big, but more menacing" and ChatGPT gives a much more specific list. I also use it for quick facts ("what is the circumference of the moon?"), but that's about it. For really specific things like how fast a ringed shaped space station should rotate, I don't trust it, so I have been googling around for that sort of thing.
How many books will there be in the series? For The New Enlightenment, I think it will end with book three, which I have a lot of plans for, but have not started. I love Solar Umbrella and think it's my best idea for a story, but it's my first book and so it's the worst written. I think that's true, but it's also like a band where they always think their newest album is the best, even though people like the old stuff, so who knows. The Travelers is still my best written book, in my opinion, although it's the least read. Book three will definitely have a time jump to "old man Parker", which I think will be a lot of fun to write. For The Dragon's Peace, I think it could be a longer series for sure, but I might wrap it up with two. Generations, I have like four ideas for sequels, which are pretty obvious - getting to the planet, finding another ark, etc, etc. So, for sure, there will be a third book for The New Enlightenment and that's it. The Dragon's Peace sequel, Peace Through Fire is about midway at the time I write this (Jan 2026) and Generations, we'll see.
Do you like writing for adults better or for kids? I'm not sure. I think since I'm teaching kids right now in grade 7, I enjoy writing something they can read. The major benefit is talking with them about it, and pushing a love of reading and writing on them. They take my advice more seriously, I think, when they see I have actual books they can hold and read. I liked writing Solar Umbrella because a lot of my family and friends read it and sent pictures and talked to me about it. It was a lot of fun. People I hadn't seen since high school picked it up and sent me messages. People I play video games with gave it a read and let me know they liked it. It was great. So, I'll probably keep doing a bit of both. YA is fun because you don't have to be as serious with the science and stuff. Kids are more forgiving with that sort of thing, and don't mind the odd trope thrown in. They just want it to be fast, fun and have characters they care about. Writing for adults is more stressful as I know they will be looking at the numbers, the gravity rules, the sizes of things, the exact timelines, etc. I did like multiple POV's though, that was a fun challenge. Who knows?

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