The Works of Autumn Cox

The thing about making plans, is that they’re only good up until the first volley of arrows falls in battle. We can sit back in the leisure of our castles, pouring over maps, drawing diagrams, pushing around little painted blocks and flags and saying things like “We will draw up our frontlines here, while the cavalry comes around this bluff here, to cut them off from behind.” or “We’ve identified stockades here, and believe we can cut off the supply wagons easily”.

However, once the walls are behind us, the road passing beneath our feet, and the battle growing closer as the plans become ever more stale… Well, that’s when doubt starts to set in.

“Do I actually remember where that line of trees is located? What if we misread the map?” or worse, “What if the enemy isn’t where our scouts anticipate they should be?”

So much can happen, while we make plans, but we can’t not make plans, can we? A life without plans is just chaos. It’s just jumping from event to event, hoping to make the best decision you can, despite having absolutely no knowledge of the decision, let alone what consequences you might face.

What I’ve learned in the last year is that while the plans may get thrown out the moment the field of combat is entered, plans can still give hope of a positive outcome. When you dive head first into life, raw-dogging decisions without any consideration for the impact, it tends to go badly. But also, taking too much time to consider your options might mean missing out on a decision you absolutely would have selected, had the clock not run out, because you procrastinated.

So 2026, I’ve made some plans, but all of them are flexible. I have things I really want to get done:

• Publish book 2 of my Trilogy
• Publish a book of short stories that will be free to you, my subscribers, as an e-book
• Get more awareness out about both novels
• Potentially schedule some live events

I also have some things I hope to get done, but I understand they may take a back seat:

• Make progress on another book I’m currently writing: A dystopian survival horror novel
• Make some character art for the Mortal Scales Trilogy
• Other art projects yet to be shared… (stay tuned!)

The year has started, and the walls are officially behind me. I’m grateful to know I’m not alone on the road, and I will continue to keep you all informed as plans progress, and I reach notable waypoints along my trek.

Thank you for coming along. I hope you wore comfortable shoes!