What goals do you have for the autumn season? According to my bullet journal, mine are simple:

• Don’t touch the MS for Project Arcade until Oct. 1!
  Research methods for revising novels (Sep 30)
  Read Story Genius
  Re-Read 2k-10k
  Google search for blog posts (Fiction University)
  Play Dragon Age: Inquisition for background and feel for Project Arcade (no deadline)
  READ PROJECT ARCADE (Oct 1)
  Make a revision plan for Project Arcade (Oct 4)
  Ask 3 people to be critical readers for Project Arcade (October 15)
  Make it up to 50 queries submitted for WITCHMARK (october 15)
  Revise Project Arcade, round 1 (November 15)
  Revise and edit Project Arcade, round 2 (December 15)
  Plan Winter 2017 goals (December 22)
  Reading Break (December 31)

This is pretty much in order. It also focuses exclusively on stuff I can control. For example, I wrote “query more agents to a goal of 50” because I can do that myself. “Find an agent to represent me” depends on other people.

I also have a lot of freedom with my plan. I have set deadlines, but they’re just for me, as I’m not under contract for anything. I am super comfortable with my deadlines, and if nothing happens to disrupt my plan, I’m going to have a contemporary romance ready to query when publishing re-opens in January.

The only problem is if something happens to wreck my beautiful plan, like say getting a response on WITCHMARK that means I have to hold off on Project Arcade. Then I’ll have to do it over, but honestly, that would be a nice problem to have.

How do you plan ahead for writing?