Strategic Authoring: Plan Like a Pro, Write Like a Rebel – Part 4

By Tammy Burke
Posted on June 17, 2025

Assess, Adjust, and Build a Writing Life That Lasts

Welcome to the final installment of the Strategic Authoring: Plan Like a Pro, Write Like a Rebel series! Over the past few posts, we’ve explored how to build a writing life that’s both intentional and creatively fulfilling.

We started by identifying your why, defining what success looks like for you, and reverse-engineering your story’s path (Steps 1–3).

Then we looked at how to create a creative container and develop strategic habits that support consistent progress (Steps 4–5).

Most recently, we talked about the importance of leaving room for rebellion and building meaningful support systems to keep your momentum going (Steps 6–7).

Now, it’s time to bring it all together with one final skill that will keep your process sustainable and your goals aligned: Step 8 – Assess and Adjust. Because strategy isn’t just about starting strong—it’s about growing with your writing life, one intentional shift at a time. And not only building a good system, but a great one.

Step 8: Assess and Adjust

Writing rarely follows a perfect path—it curves, loops, and it takes unexpected detours. And that’s not a flaw in the process. It is the process.

Growth—meaningful and lasting growth with constructive progress—does not happen by charging forward blindly. It happens when we take time to pause, reflect, and ask honest questions about what’s working for us and what isn’t. What we should keep and what we should shift. Without reflection, we are at risk of repeating patterns which do not serve us and drain our energy. Or worse. We can lose sight of the heart behind our story. We can give up.

So assessing with intention—crucially important. When we do so we can gain clarity and come up with our best plan of action because clarity comes the power to adapt and to move forward with purpose and motivation.

🔍 Why Assessing Matters

Your writing goals are your pathway to the very stars. They give you direction, motivation, and a sense of purpose. But—and this is important—they’re not set in stone. And why is that? Because your writing goals are meant to serve you and not the other way around.

Most of us are too well aware that life shifts… sometimes most unexpectedly. Your energy ebbs and flows. Projects take unplanned turns. And sometimes, the beautifully structured process that once felt perfect begins to chafe or fall apart.

First up – that does not mean you failed. It means you’re human. It means your creative process is alive and evolving with your experience, your story, and your season of life. Being able to recognize when something isn’t working—and having the courage to adjust—is not a weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s what keeps you moving forward with compassion, clarity, and resilience.

And Step 8 is about checking in—with your progress, your mindset, and your goals—so you can pivot with purpose instead of pushing through burnout.

Reflection is a self-care strategy, yes, but that has never been its only purpose. Reflection is also a professional strategy. There are huge benefits from scheduling time to evaluate what’s working for you and what’s not. This type of focus will help you refine your habits, re-align with your goals, and make smart, sustainable changes which will move you forward.

Storytelling is organic, yes? Well… our process needs breathing room as well.

✅ How to Assess & Adjust Your Writing Strategy

Here’s how to assess and adjust your writing strategy:

🎯 Set a recurring check-in for your creative tune-up: Every 4 to 6 weeks take time to pause, step back, and take stock of your writing journey. This doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. It easily can be a quick journal entry, a few reflective notes in your planner, or even a relaxed chat with your writing partner.

The thing that matters is making space to be present with your process. Treat this check-in as a conversation with your creative self. Light a candle, make tea, or take a walk—whatever helps you reflect honestly and gently. These moments of stillness are meant to give you space to move forward with intention instead of running on autopilot. I mean, it’s a very good idea to make sure you are on track.

Treating your reflection as part of the journey—instead of something you maybe might do when you’re stuck—allows you to better build and maintain a writing practice… one that grows with you and will always better serve you.
🎯 Ask the right questions: A powerful check-in starts with powerful questions, the kind that help you to get to the core of what’s working and what’s not. And remember… this is NOT about critizing or shaming you. This is about noticing patterns, listening to your inner creative voice, and staying aligned with your purpose.

Here are a few to guide you:

What have I accomplished so far? Celebrate what you’ve done—whether that’s drafting chapters, solving a plot issue, developing a character, or simply showing up consistently. Progress doesn’t always look dramatic. It often stacks quietly in the background. And, it’s important to celebrate your wins. Our big wins are built on the mountain of little wins.

What slowed me down—or lit me up? Look at both your friction points and your flow moments. Did a particular scene drain you? Did a writing sprint bring unexpected joy? I know for myself that beginnings are hard so I give myself extra scrap paper time to get the creative juices going and I have a ritual the get my mind in the game when I sit down to start writing.

What lights me up is after a scene is all scaffold (I have the scene stage directed along with dialogue snippets and emotional beats in the rough order it should be in). Once I get the scaffolding down, I can pretty the prose, or at least, make it readable for more than just me. I find that to be where I get into flow.

So, recognizing both your challenges and your high points… working with both of these will help you refine your strategy for the future, whether that looks like pivoting, changing, or maintaining.

Are my current goals still serving me? Again, goals are meant to support you—not box you in. Ask yourself if your deadlines, word counts, or project timelines still feel right. If not, adjust. There’s strength in shifting course when your needs change. And remember you are master of your process, not the other way around.

What needs more support, structure, or flexibility? Make sure you are approaching this with honesty. Is there anything that you are trying to power through that might work better if you took a fresh approach? Would more planning help? And remember sometimes outline procrastination or analysis paralysis may mean you need less planning. Is there a habit that needs reinforcement or a routine that needs room to breathe? Remember, tweaking your process is perfectly good. And if you don’t get it 100 percent right, you just tweak it again until you find your sweet spot. Your process, after all, is meant to fit you.

🎯 Look at progress, not perfection Perfection is sterile and it’s a moving target to boot. Chasing it easily can make you feel like you’re never doing enough and that is demotivating. It can also put you in the “compare and despair” mindset, which is never good. Instead, shift your focus to progress.

Ask yourself: Am I further along than I was a week ago? A month ago? Have I moved forward in any way—creatively, emotionally, or even mentally?

Maybe you wrote more this month than last. Give yourself credit for that. Maybe you finally cracked that tricky plot twist or developed a character’s backstory in a way that clicks. Those things are heavy-lifting.

Maybe you didn’t write a single new word—but you stayed connected to your story, outlined future scenes, or rested when you needed it so you could return stronger. Hey, more heavy lifting. Figuring things out takes brain energy.

Progress isn’t always measured in word counts or finished drafts. Sometimes it’s learning something about your process, taking care of your creativity, or choosing sustainability over speed. Celebrate every step. Even if you believe it to be small. The act of noticing your progress builds confidence—and that confidence builds momentum.
🎯 Adjust goals with intention Goals are meant to guide you—not trap you. If your current goals no longer fit your energy, schedule, or season of life, it’s okay—and wise—to adjust them.

Maybe you need to extend a deadline, lower your daily word count, or put a side project on pause. That is NOT giving up. You are employing strategic thinking.

Consider intentional adjustments help you stay connected to your why while honoring your capacity. You’re not backing away from your dreams—you’re recalibrating so you can keep showing up for them in a way that’s sustainable and realistic. This allows you to continue forward. Not burnout or give up. It’s to give you the tools so you don’t have to react out of stress. You instead of the key to shift with purpose.

Consider: What do I need right now to keep moving forward with clarity and care? Remember adjusting doesn’t mean you’re off track. It means you’re a writer who listens, adapts, and keeps going with integrity. And this mindset will serve you far longer than any arbitrary deadline ever could.
🎯 Be kind, not critical Remember Step 8 is about insight, not shame. You’re not here to judge yourself—you’re here to learn. Every writing journey has its stops, starts, pivots, and pauses. What matters most is that you’re staying engaged, curious, and willing to listen to what your creative self actually needs.

🧰 Tools to Help You Strategize Smarter

Here’s a list of tools to help you track progress, assess your goals, and build a more efficient and sustainable writing system. Some of these I use. Some of them I don’t but I’ve heard of:

✍️ Planning & Tracking Tools

▶ Pacemaker – Create customized word count goals and track your pace over time. https://www.pacemaker.press/

▶ Notion or Trello – Use templates to organize tasks, plan writing sprints, or build scene cards and visual timelines. I have used both of these. Trello is good. Notion is, in my opinion, even better.

What are they?

Trello is a visual project management tool that helps writers (and creatives of all kinds) organize tasks, ideas, and workflows using a simple system of boards, lists, and cards. Think of it like a digital bulletin board where you can map out your writing projects from brainstorm to publication.

For writers, Trello can be incredibly helpful for:

Plotting your novel with scene or chapter cards you can drag and drop to reorder
Tracking your writing progress with lists like “To Write,” “Drafting,” “Revising,” and “Done”
Managing publishing timelines, blog schedules, or social media content
Storing inspiration—quotes, links, images, and research can all live on cards
Collaborating with editors, critique partners, or street team members on shared boards

Trello’s clean interface and visual layout make it ideal for writers who like to see the big picture at a glance while still tracking detailed steps along the way. It’s especially great for writers who want an intuitive, flexible way to organize their creative chaos.

Notion is a powerful all-in-one productivity and organization tool that allows writers to create a fully customizable digital workspace. It combines the functionality of note-taking apps, calendars, databases, to-do lists, and more. It makes a perfect creative hub for authors at any stage of their writing journey.

For writers, Notion can be used to:

📚 Build a story bible – Organize characters, plot outlines, timelines, settings, magic systems, and worldbuilding details in linked pages and databases
🗂 Track writing goals – Set daily or weekly word count targets, monitor project milestones, and visualize your progress over time
🧠 Collect and store research – Clip web articles, embed images, and keep all your inspiration in one searchable space
✅ Manage writing tasks – Use task boards, to-do lists, or calendar views to break down big projects into manageable steps
📅 Plan your publishing or content calendar – Keep blog posts, newsletters, launches, and promotions organized in one place
🌀 Brainstorm creatively – Use templates for mind maps, mood boards, or scene trackers to capture ideas and stay inspired

Notion’s true power lies in its flexibility—you can build a minimalist dashboard or a complex writing ecosystem tailored exactly to how you work. I use it extensively for my story bible, drafting, record keeping, book launches, author platform, social media and promos, and more. Plus, all the cool things I get to do with Apex-Writers too!

There are plenty of ready-made templates and when you get comfortable with Notion (there is a steep learning curve), you can easily design your writing dashboard to match your process—making it a central hub that keeps everything from inspiration to execution in one beautifully organized space. Places to look for templates — some are free and some are paid — would be on Etsy and on the Notion marketplace.

▶ Plottr – is a visual plotting and story‑bible tool created for writers—novelists, screenwriters, and more. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and (with a Pro subscription) via web and mobile platforms.

Build your story using a drag‑and‑drop timeline (card-style) and switch seamlessly to a detailed outline view.
Visual story mapping. You can create multiple plotlines (main plot, subplots, character arcs) in parallel. Use color-coding, custom tags, and filters to track structure and continuity.
Story Bible because you can store characters, locations, themes, research, and metadata in a centralized, organized database .
Templates & flexibility. Plus this program includes built-in templates like Hero’s Journey, Snowflake Method, Save the Cat, and genre-specific plans. Plus, you can also create your own.
Export options as once plotting is done, you can export to Word, Scrivener, PDF—or copy your outline into other writing software

▶ Dabble – Dabble (sometimes “Dabble Writer”) is an intuitive, cloud-based novel-writing tool designed to help authors plan, write, and organize their manuscripts in one place. I haven’t used this one but it looks intriguing. https://www.dabblewriter.com/

⏱️ Time Management Tools

▶ Forest App – Gamify your focus time by growing digital trees when you stay off your phone. https://www.forestapp.cc/
▶ Toggl – Track how you spend your writing sessions and learn where your creative time is going. https://www.toggl.com/

💪 Motivation & Habit Builders

▶ Habitica – Turn your writing tasks into an RPG game with rewards, streaks, and levels. I have used this one for a time but for me it didn’t stick but I can see how it would be beneficial to others. However, something slightly similar and more stream-lined. See the next entry.
https://habitica.com/
▶ Finch – This is a a self-care and mental wellness app designed to help users build healthy habits, improve emotional awareness, and boost motivation through a unique and playful experience. It offers mood tracking, guided journal prompts, breathing exercises, affirmations, and fun personality quizzes—all designed to boost emotional awareness and motivation. With its playful, low-pressure design, Finch is a great companion for writers looking to build mindful routines, stay grounded, and prevent burnout. It’s available on both iOS and Android, and has both free and premium versions.
▶ 4theWords – Battle monsters with your word count in this gamified writing platform. I haven’t used this one but I’ve heard good things about it.
https://4thewords.com/

🧠 Review & Feedback Tools

▶ Hemingway App – Check readability and clarity with a clean, color-coded interface.
https://www.hemingwayapp.com/
▶ ProWritingAid – An all-in-one editing assistant with grammar checks, pacing suggestions, and writing analysis.
https://prowritingaid.com/
▶ AutoCrit – An online editing tool specifically designed for fiction writers. It helps you improve your manuscript by analyzing your writing style, pacing, word choice, and more. Think of it as a smart critique partner that highlights issues commonly flagged by professional editors. https://www.autocrit.com

Of course, this is just a sampling of all the tools that are out there. You will find some tools you gravitate to and they really help. Others not so much. The main thing is discover what works best for you and your process!

Putting all 8 Steps together:

When all of these eight steps come together, you will not just be organizing your writing life—you’ll be empowering it.

You begin by identifying your why—the deep reason you create in the first place and that clarity becomes your compass when motivation fades or the path gets hard.
With that purpose in place, you define your destination—your version of success—whether that’s finishing a novel, building a writing routine, or sharing your stories with readers.
Then, you reverse-engineer the journey, starting with the end in mind and working backward to build both your story arc and your action plan. Basically you are building one intentional milestone at a time.
From there, you embrace a creative container, giving your imagination the structure it needs to thrive without overwhelm.
You craft strategic writing habits that respect your energy and your schedule, so that progress becomes consistent, not chaotic.
But even the best systems need flexibility—that’s why you leave room for rebellion, creating space for inspired detours, surprise twists, and off-outline brilliance.
You balance that freedom with strategized support, surrounding yourself with people and tools that offer encouragement, accountability, and shared momentum—so you’re never walking this road alone.
And finally, you assess and adjust, treating your plan as a living process rather than a rigid rulebook. You reflect regularly, refine with intention, and pivot with purpose.

These eight steps don’t just help you finish a draft—they help you build a writing life that is sustainable, joyful, and uniquely yours. One where creativity is nurtured, goals are achievable, and the journey feels just as meaningful as the destination.

Final Thoughts

This journey isn’t about rigid control—it’s about intentional creativity. It’s the balance of structure and spontaneity, discipline and grace. Step 8 reminds us that our writing plans aren’t sacred contracts—they’re living systems, which means they’re meant to grow and shift as we do. Your goals are not a finish line—they are your compass. You will realign many times AND that’s okay. When you take time to assess and adjust, you stay aligned with your creative truth. You get to build a process that honors where you are, not just where you thought you’d be.

Remember to check in with curiosity. Reroute with compassion. Celebrate your resilience—not just for what you’ve written, but for the courage it takes to keep showing up.

Because this isn’t just about finishing a book.

It’s about building a creative life that’s bold, adaptable, and deeply rooted in who you are as a writer.

Stories are powerful things. You can change minds and ease hearts. Make readers feel they are not alone. Give them courage. Insight. A way forward. And no one ever will write the stories that you will. And because of the amazing things a creative—YOU—can do, it’s important to have a process that will weather the slow days, embrace the inspired ones, and carry you forward—not just to the end of a draft, but through an entire career of meaningful creation.

You’ve got the tools. You’ve got the vision.

Now trust your process—and keep going!

This blog post is based on a presentation given on Apex-writers’ Strategy–one of its weekly zoom calls. To learn more about apex-writers, visit apex-writers.com

TF (Tammy) Burke is a YA fantasy author, journalist, and community builder passionate about weaving worlds where magic, resilience, and wonder collide. She’s the author of the Heart of the Worlds series, including the bestselling Faeries Don’t Lie and Faeries Don’t Forgive, with Faeries Don’t Hide releasing in late 2025.

A former newspaper journalist with over 400 published articles, Tammy blends a love of storytelling, folklore, and medieval history into her work. From local meetups to international zoom calls, she energizes audiences with dynamic author presentations.

She is also an admin, active host and content creator with the Apex-Writers group, an international writing community founded by New York Times bestselling author David Farland, and has served as president and conference chair of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG).