Determine the kind of writing you will be doing and begin making adjustments throughout your timeline to represent this decision. For instance, a research paper would require a longer research period but less creative time, while a short story would require less research time and more time spent brainstorming and making creative decisions.
Make a list of everything you need to do for your writing assignment. Include research, time to read your research and a secondary research period in the event that you require additional sources. Add the important completion dates for your assignment, such as the due date of a rough draft and the final due date for your paper. Include a creative brainstorming period, where you will consider your own thoughts regarding your topic. Finally, add an editing process to your list.
Draw a straight line on a piece of paper and mark your two most important dates at each end of the line: the date you were assigned the topic and the final due date for your work.
Divide your list of responsibilities into specific tasks and arrange them along your timeline based on your writing style. For instance, you may prefer to go through two brainstorming periods, one before your research phase and another after. Cut your list so that each responsibility is on an individual slip of paper. Arrange them along your timeline, making sure to give yourself enough time to complete each activity.
Determine if your timeline is reasonable according to your work ethic and the length of time you expect to need for each task. As an example, if your personal schedule prevents you from accessing the library more than one day a week, you may need to allocate more time to researching.
Write each assignment on your timeline, using specific dates for each activity. Place your timeline somewhere you can see it, refer to it and hold yourself to its limitations. Follow your timeline closely -- even if it means putting more work into your project on some days than others -- and learn from the experience for future timelines.