Every Writer starts somewhere different
Find Your Next Steps
Whether you've got an idea and nothing else, a draft that's stalled out, a full manuscript that isn't quite working, a book that's already published, or you just want direct, personal coaching — there's a program built for exactly where you are. Find yourself below.
Just Getting Started?
You've got a story idea (or three competing ones) but no outline, no plan, and no idea how a novel actually holds together.
Your Program:
Story Plan Intensive
Plot a rock-solid, scene-by-scene outline in 4 weeks.
Drafting?
You're in it. Chapters are happening, but it's slow, unfocused, or you're not sure the pages belong in the book.
Your Program:
First Draft
Write a fun, focused first draft that reads like a third draft in 6 months.
Have a Full Draft That Isn't Working Yet?
You made it to "The End", but something's off. You need revision-level support to carry it to a finished manuscript.
Your Program
Final Draft
Everything in First Draft, plus the extra layer of support built for the revision phase.
Published?
The book is out (or almost there), and now you're staring at the marketing wall, unsure what to do first.
Your Program
Signal Boost
Build a long-term book marketing system without becoming a social media machine.
Want Personalized Support?
Wherever you are in the process (starting, drafting, revising, or building your author career), sometimes you just want direct, one-on-one coaching built entirely around your book.
Your Program
One-on-One Coaching
Personalized, bespoke coaching from one of Canada's top writing coaches.
Need to Get Away From It All?
There's a reason writers have been doing this for a hundred years. Real distance from your routine does something a to-do list never will... it gives your attention back
Your Program
Barbados Writing Retreat
Join Kevin and a small group of writers on the Platinum Coast of Barbados.
Story Plan Intensive
You don't need more willpower. You need a blueprint.
Story Plan Intensive is a four-week guided course that walks you through building a complete, scene-by-scene outline of your novel — using the same nuts-and-bolts framework (The Machinery of Fiction) that's helped hundreds of writers finally cross the finish line.
Most aspiring novelists were never taught how a book is actually built — how genre works, how scenes chain together, how structure gives a story its backbone. So every new draft is reinvention from scratch. This is a craft problem, not a discipline problem. And craft can be taught.
What you walk away with
- A complete, scene-by-scene outline of your novel
- A clear understanding of your genre's conventions and obligatory scenes
- A mapped story structure with all four acts in place
- A fully developed protagonist with a reverse-engineered character arc
- A worthy antagonist whose goals create genuine narrative tension
- The confidence to sit down and write Draft One
Curriculum (4 weeks)
Two ways to take it
Independent Study
Self-paced evergreen email course — daily short video + weekly homework template. Start anytime, lifetime access. Best for writers who want to start today, on their own schedule.
Start Building My Outline — $147Live Cohort
Weekly live group coaching calls + homework feedback, same curriculum. Quarterly cohort dates. Best for writers who want live coaching, a cohort community, and direct feedback.
Join the Next Live Cohort — $297What writers say
"I was a pantser. Now I am a plotter. This course changed my writing life."
"I went from zero idea how to plan a story to having a completed outline for a great novel in a month. Now I can't wait to get writing!"
"At the beginning of the month, I had five scenes written and a vague idea of the ending. By the end, I had a detailed outline with 60 scenes! Having no formal writing training, I was worried I'd be at a disadvantage, but Kevin made me feel so welcome and so capable."
"I've never written a novel so fast or with so much support. Now that I've done Story Plan, I can't imagine starting a novel without it."
This is flexible planning, not rigid scripting. The goal is to free you from guesswork — not lock you into a formula. Most writers find their creativity actually increases once they stop second-guessing their direction.
First Draft
Write a fun and focused first draft that reads like a third draft — in 6 months or less.
You've got the outline (or the instincts) — now the job is getting words on the page, chapter after chapter, without losing momentum or confidence halfway through. First Draft pairs a 25-course training library with a private Slack community, two live calls a week, and a weekly positivity partner, so you're never drafting alone and never guessing whether a scene is working.
Format
- 25-course training library — scene structure, pacing, dialogue, point of view, conflict and tension, character and villain craft, revision phases, and more — delivered as ~30-minute videos with sketch notes and transcripts, plus a companion ebook and bonus course
- Private Slack community, with a weekly positivity partner (the Confidence Continuity System)
- Two live calls a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 PM Eastern — a Q&A office-hours call and a hot seat editorial review call
- Group writing huddles and "share pages aloud" sessions
Pricing
Monthly
Month-to-month, cancel anytime. Best for writers who want the flexibility to stop anytime.
Start First Draft — $350/monthPay in Full
One-time payment, six-month membership. Best for writers who know they're staying and want the discount.
Pay in Full — $1,400What writers say
"The materials, community, and accountability greatly accelerated my writing process."
"I completed a 60,000+ word first draft in under 4 months. Highly recommend!"
"I was able to plan and complete a 100K-word first draft in 5 months — it was so much fun!"
Final Draft
The goal was never just finishing a first draft. It's finishing the book.
Story Plan got you an outline. First Draft got your manuscript's first draft done. Final Draft is about the step after that — supporting you all the way through to a completed, revised manuscript.
You stay in everything First Draft gave you: the Slack group, your positivity partner, the weekly hot seat calls, the Q&A calls, and full access to the training library. But revision asks for more constant feedback than drafting does — you're looking at finished scenes and asking "how do I make this better?" — so Final Draft adds a second layer of support built specifically for that phase.
Everything in First Draft, plus:
- A second weekly hot seat session — in a smaller group, so you're on the hot seat faster and get feedback more often, right when you need it most
- Quarterly one-on-one planning and assessment calls with Kevin — at the start, the 3-month mark, and the 6-month mark, to set goals and track your progress
- Monthly training — a new course from Kevin, or a guest expert speaker, added regularly
- A feed-forward partner — a more advanced version of the First Draft positivity partner: a smaller group of experienced writers who know each other well enough to give real, trusted feedback, not just encouragement
- Weekly group writing sessions — like having a gym buddy for your writing. Each week, a different member picks a day and time and invites the group to write alongside them
Pricing
Monthly
Month-to-month, cancel anytime. Best for writers who want the flexibility to stop anytime.
Join Final Draft — $450/monthPay in Full
One-time payment, six-month membership. Best for writers who know they're staying and want the discount.
Pay in Full — $1,800
Signal Boost
Most book marketing programs are built for marketers. Signal Boost was built for writers.
You did the hard thing. You wrote the book. Now you're staring at the marketing wall — you've posted, you've tried a promotion or two, maybe run an ad, but nothing compounds. Every week feels like starting from zero again.
That's not a discipline problem. It's a sequencing problem (nobody told you what to do first), an alignment problem (you've been handed tactics that feel salesy or fake), and a systems problem (nothing you're doing is designed to build on itself).
Signal Boost is an 11-module marketing system built on three things: clarity, momentum, and connection — not platform-chasing, paid ads, or becoming a different person online.
What's inside — 11 modules, 13 live sessions, 20+ tools
- The Book Marketing Mindset — reframing marketing as reader-focused, not convincing
- Conversion Engineering — turning your Amazon page into a storefront that converts
- Discovery Engineering — categories, keywords, and getting found by the right readers
- Platform Architecture — building the four pages every author site needs
- Messaging That Moves — applying storytelling skill to your own marketing
- Email Momentum — growing and using the one asset you actually own
- Strategic Visibility — getting featured on podcasts and platforms without cold-pitching
- The CRAFT Content System — turning one conversation into weeks of content
- Social Proof Strategy — an ethical, sustainable review-generation system
- Collaborative Growth — building a network of peer authors and partners
- Your 90-Day Action Plan — a sequenced, sustainable marketing rhythm (Stabilize, Build, Amplify)
Plus 9 bonus expert training sessions (10+ hours) from specialists in author marketing, cover design, SEO, and platform building. Includes 13 live coaching sessions with Kevin, 20+ worksheets/builders/templates, and lifetime access to all materials and future updates.
Is Signal Boost right for you?
Yes, if:
- You've finished a book (or you're within 90 days of launch)
- Marketing feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something that requires becoming a different person
- You've tried things, but nothing builds momentum
- You want a system, not a pile of tactics that all claim to be essential
Not yet, if:
- You're still writing your first draft — finish the book first, the writing programs above are the right fit right now
- You're looking for a paid-ads course — Signal Boost is organic, relationship-based growth
- You want a quick hack to hit the bestseller list overnight
What writers say
"Before Signal Boost, I was questioning if writing was even for me because marketing felt like an insurmountable wall."
"Signal Boost opened my eyes to how complex marketing really is and gave me a place to start."
"I learned so much from Signal Boost! Not only did it increase my knowledge, but it gave me confidence."
One flat price. Everything in Signal Boost, lifetime access, no add-ons.
Join Signal Boost — $1,997
One-on-One Coaching
Personalized, bespoke coaching from one of Canada's top writing coaches.
Not everyone wants — or needs — a program with a curriculum and a cohort. Some writers want direct, weekly attention on exactly the book they're writing, wherever they are in the process. That's what One-on-One is for: outlining, drafting, revising a manuscript that's not quite there yet, or building an author career after publication. Kevin works with writers at every stage — beginners with no fiction background, published experts, and everyone in between.
Format: Weekly hour-long Zoom session with Kevin — $1,000/month.
Who this is for — real writers, real starting points
"I wasn't even going to publish it. I just wanted to say I could write a book — and then I went ahead and published it with Kevin's encouragement."
"You gave me, like, a PhD in writing. Instead of going to school, I just speed ran a PhD in creative writing."
"Not everyone I work with comes to me at the beginning of the project. Some folks just need help crossing that finish line."
Which Program Is Right for Me?
I don't have a book idea yet — is any of this too early for me?
Possibly, and that's worth saying honestly. These programs are built for writers who already have a story they're trying to build or finish. If you're still looking for your idea, the podcast and Kevin's books are a great place to start — and when the idea shows up, Story Plan Intensive will be here.
I have a draft, but it's a mess — do I start at Story Plan Intensive or First Draft?
Start with Story Plan Intensive. It's not just for blank-page writers — it's just as useful for diagnosing what isn't working in an existing manuscript and rebuilding it with stronger structure. Once you have a solid plan, First Draft is where you execute it chapter by chapter.
I have a complete draft, but I know it's not working — is that Final Draft or First Draft?
That's Final Draft. First Draft is about getting words on the page for the first time; Final Draft is the next step — everything First Draft gives you, plus the extra layer of feedback and support built for revising a manuscript that's already complete. It's designed as the natural next step after First Draft, so if you haven't been through First Draft yet, start there.
I'm published — do I need Signal Boost, or should I just book a call?
If you want a full, sequenced marketing system you can run yourself, Signal Boost is built exactly for that. If you want it built alongside someone, one-on-one, book a call — Kevin can help you figure out which format fits.
I already finished First Draft or Final Draft — what's next?
One-on-One Coaching is a great next step — direct, personalized attention on whatever you're working on next, without needing to join a new curriculum or cohort. Or book a free call and we can figure out the right next step together.
I don't do well in group programs — I'm an introvert.
Most writers say the same thing going in, then end up as podcast guests and retreat attendees. Virtual, small-group coaching tends to be the preferred format for introverted writers, not a compromise — and if you'd rather work one-on-one from the start, that's exactly what One-on-One Coaching is for.
What genres do you work with?
Commercial genre fiction — fantasy, horror, thriller, mystery, sci-fi, paranormal, gothic, and YA dark fantasy. Non-fiction authors have gone through the programs successfully too (especially Signal Boost and One-on-One), but this isn't the right fit for literary or experimental prose.
I can't afford it right now.
There's a place to start at every level of investment — Story Plan Intensive: Independent Study is $147, and the free guide is a place to start at $0. Start where you can, and see where it leads.
Ready to Find Your Next Step?
Pick the program that matches where you are, or book a free call and figure it out together — no pressure, no pitch, just a conversation about your book.
© Copyright Kevin T. Johns Writing Inc. 2026
Follow Kevin on social