Brave New Bookshelf Episode 32: Balancing Creativity, Systems, & Technology With Elana Johnson

In this episode of Brave New Bookshelf, hosts Steph Pajonas and Danica Favorite sat down with Elana Johnson, an accomplished author and teacher who has seamlessly woven AI into her writing process. Known for her prolific career spanning multiple pen names, Elana’s journey from skepticism to mastery of AI is a testament to how these tools can revolutionize an author’s workflow. 

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Meet Elana Johnson: Prolific Author and System Builder

Elana Johnson is a powerhouse in the publishing world. Writing under three active pen names—Elana Johnson (Clean and Wholesome Beach Romance), Liz Isaacson (Christian Cowboy Romance and Family Saga), and Jessie Newton (Sweet Women’s Fiction)—she has published over 180 books in her career. With a current schedule of releasing 14-15 books annually, she expertly balances direct website launches and retailer releases.

Despite her impressive output, Elana attributes her success to well-structured systems that align with her lifestyle. As an empty nester and former typing teacher, she has mastered the art of writing efficiently in short bursts, relying heavily on strategic planning.

Her journey into AI began as a way to manage time-consuming tasks like outlining, blurb writing, and social media content creation. What started as small experiments with Sudowrite soon evolved into a comprehensive system incorporating tools like OpenAI Playground, Plotdrive, Notebook LM, and more.

The Evolution of Elana’s AI Journey

Elana’s relationship with AI started cautiously but quickly expanded as she discovered its potential:

Early Days with Sudowrite

Initially unimpressed with Sudowrite’s outputs, Elana used it sparingly for brainstorming when stuck on projects she wasn’t passionate about. However, this early experimentation helped her see how AI could spark creativity without replacing her voice.

Discovering ChatGPT

When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, Elana began using it primarily as a “glorified Google,” appreciating its ability to deliver concise research results without the distractions of traditional search engines. Over time, she expanded its use for tasks such as translation, formatting dictated text, and even training personalized chatbots for social media copywriting.

Integrating Fine-Tuning

After joining Future Fiction Academy (FFA) in mid-2024, Elana explored fine-tuning models like ChatGPT and Gemini to better match her unique writing style. This marked a turning point, where AI transitioned from being a helpful tool to an integral collaborator in her workflow.

Gamifying the Writing Process

One of the most inspiring aspects of Elana’s journey is how she gamified her interactions with AI: “Who’s going to be better today—me or the AI?” This playful approach reignited her joy in writing after years of high-pressure output

Systems That Work: A Peek into Elana’s Workflow

Elana emphasizes the importance of creating repeatable systems that streamline every stage of the writing process. Here’s how she integrates AI into key areas:

1. Outlining with Precision

• For genres like women’s fiction or mystery-heavy plots, she uses tools like Plotdrive or Raptor Write alongside frameworks like Jason Hamilton’s 24 Chapter Outline.
• She inputs detailed prompts describing genre conventions, tropes, and character arcs to guide the AI in creating structured outlines.
• Outlines remain “living documents,” evolving daily based on what she writes.

2. Character Development

• Using Notebook LM or custom Plotdrive buttons, Elana extracts character details from previous series installments.
• This ensures consistency across expansive family sagas while saving hours of manual searching through old files.

3. Blurb Writing Made Easy

• Elana follows a three-step prompting system: inputting characters/tropes, providing sample blurbs from similar works, and refining AI-generated drafts.
• By feeding in series-specific examples, she maintains tonal consistency across marketing materials.

4. Social Media & Evergreen Content

• Notebook LM helps pull teaser-worthy excerpts from completed books.
• By creating evergreen content (e.g., teasers formatted in Canva) during production, she avoids scrambling for new posts later.
• Her assistant uses Notebook LM extensively to streamline social media scheduling.

5. Dictation & Formatting

• To accommodate health challenges and maximize efficiency, Elana dictates chapters via phone apps and formats them using OpenAI Playground.
• This allows her to produce up to 15,000 words per day during intensive writing sessions.

Matching Tools to Tasks: Elana’s Top Recommendations

Elana has explored a variety of AI tools, optimizing each for specific tasks:

• Notebook LM: Best for extracting information from large documents (e.g., family trees, settings) or generating social media content quickly.
• Plotdrive / Raptor Write: Essential for organizing projects via custom buttons that store frequently used prompts for outlining and character development.
• OpenAI Playground: Ideal for translations, dictation formatting, and research-heavy projects.
• Google Gemini: Exceptional at generating witty dialogue for rom-coms, thanks to its conversational training on platforms like YouTube.

By leveraging each tool’s strengths—whether for outlining or dialogue generation—Elana maximizes efficiency without forcing any single model to do it all.

Key Takeaways from Elana’s Process

Elana Johnson’s journey is a powerful reminder that while AI is an incredible toolset, it’s ultimately your vision that drives each project forward. Whether you’re just starting or refining an advanced AI-assisted workflow, there’s no limit to what you can achieve by thoughtfully integrating these technologies into your creative process!

Remember these:

• Start with Your Pain Points: Identify the most tedious or overwhelming aspects of your workflow and experiment with AI solutions there first.
• Save & Reuse Prompts: Once you find effective prompts (e.g., for blurb writing), store them in tools like Notion to avoid reinventing the wheel.
• Customize Systems That Fit You: Borrow workflow elements that resonate while discarding methods that don’t align with your process.
• Gamify Your Workflow: Treat AI interactions as collaborative challenges rather than chores—this can make even mundane tasks exciting!
• Embrace Evergreen Content: Use tools like Notebook LM during production phases to continuously build reusable marketing assets alongside book drafts.

For more insights from this episode, visit the podcast website.