Episode 511: Stop Planning Too Big or Too Small: How Q3 Goals Can Change Your Writing Trajectory Starting Now

Do you feel like your writing dreams are always stuck on "someday"? You're not alone. Many writers struggle to move from dreaming about their book to actually making progress—especially when life is full of other responsibilities.

In this episode of the Writing at the Red House podcast, Kathi Lipp sits down with Tenneil Register to pull back the curtain on the quarterly planning process used inside the Red House Writers Collective. This isn't about fancy calendars or color-coded spreadsheets. It's about a simple, practical framework that helps writers finally get traction.

The Create, Serve, Build Framework

Kathi introduces the three-part framework that structures each quarter in the Collective:

• Create: Focus on your bigger projects—your book, a speech, a paid membership. This is where the 30-Day 10K challenge lives, encouraging writers to produce 10,000 words on their work in progress.
• Serve: How are you nurturing your audience right now? This could be social media, newsletters, or podcasting—anything that builds connection before your book launches.
• Build: Growing your business and platform. This might mean attending a conference, developing a coaching practice, or pitching to media outlets.

Why Quarters Work for Writers

Writing is a long game—books take years. But a quarter is the perfect unit of time to make real, measurable progress. Tenneil shares how quarterly thinking transformed her approach: "What I was missing was traction. I wasn't missing topics. I wasn't even missing a platform. I was missing traction."

Making Goals Practical, Not Just Pretty

The episode offers honest advice about avoiding common traps—planning too small or waiting for the perfect cabin-in-the-woods writing retreat. Instead, Kathi encourages listeners to break big goals into daily doable steps. Even 333 words a day adds up to 10,000 words in a month.

Key Takeaways

• Start with just one goal for each month: Create, Serve, Build
• Break those goals into smaller, daily steps
• You don't need fancy systems—Post-it notes work just fine
• A realistic goal is one you can pitch in 30 seconds or less
• Progress beats perfection every time

Whether you're just starting your writing journey or you've been at it for years, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how to move from dreaming to doing. Listen now and start planning your next quarter with purpose.