Is John Steinbeck's writing methodical

Definitely. Grapes of Wrath is woven by long chapters about the Joads' plight and short, stream-of-conscious chapters that explained the history and ideology of the nation during the Dust Bowl.

Of Mice and Men ends with similar images in the same location as it begins. This was definitely intentional.

Steinbeck describes his structure of To A God Unknown as a Sonnet. (I can't figure it out. You look into it!)

The Long Valley is a collection of twelve interrelated stories of the citizens of the valley.