A very basic first draft of chapter 3 by October 3 2014. This leaves me 2 entire weeks to work up the rest of the draft. I can probably have it semi-together if I write about 2000 words a week for two more weeks. The reality is there will hardly be a discernible argument and there may be big gaps in the argument/evidence as well as excess material that ends up on the chopping block. I can live with this.

(Insert family trip here. Might set a modest goal, like writing a few pages on this one source that is the centerpiece of chapter 5.)

First draft of chapter 4 by November 19 2014. That is four weeks to go from nothing to a draft.

(Insert birthday and Thanksgiving here. Sanity check and recover mental stamina. Prepare to put in another solid stretch before x-mas.)

Expand, cut, revise chapter 5 into a functioning chapter by December 19 2014. Do able. Hopefully clarity will dawn about the entire dissertation? Send the whole thing to my whole committee, asking for feedback on select chapters from select committee members.

(Insert Christmas and New Year’s here. Take 2 full weeks off hopefully.)

January and February. Revise all chapters, write introduction and conclusion. This does not seem like enough time for revising, but that’s just how its gonna be. Note to self: try to make the first drafts not so terrible that I want to kill myself at this point.

Submit the whole hot mess to entire committee March 1 2015.

Defend April 1 2015.