This share is from one of my writing mentors…
I want to share something that came from a conversation with a fellow writer—a breakthrough that wasn’t my own, but resonated deeply with me. This writer friend has two jobs and is a mom. Finding time to write has been challenging, but she discovered something surprising: writing on her phone rather than on her laptop actually put less pressure on her and made writing easier. She found she could jot down ideas, dialogue, and even full scenes in those small pockets of time between meetings, tasks, or family responsibilities.
I often teach writers to treat their writing time as sacred—develop a “sacred writing ritual,” I say, to help you get into the zone every day. But for her, the opposite worked better.
Because she wasn’t treating her writing time as this sacred, formal thing—no candle-lighting, no timer-setting—there was less pressure to maximize every moment. For her, these stolen moments of writing time have been transformative, allowing her to continue doing what she loves within the constraints of her busy life.
If my friend’s story is resonating with you, here are some practical tips for making the most of those stolen moments in your busy life:
Create a portable writing kit. Set up a dedicated folder on your phone with everything you need: a writing app that works for you (whether it’s a simple notes app or Google Docs), a voice-to-text app (or recording app) for on-the-go brainstorming, and maybe a white noise app for quick focus. Consider setting up a “writing mode” on your phone that hides notifications and non-writing apps. (Here are some instructions for setting up Focus modes Apple and Android devices.) Apple: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-a-focus-iphd6288a67f/ios and Android: https://www.howtogeek.com/782433/how-to-use-focus-mode-on-android/
Keep a running list of small, manageable writing tasks. Whether it’s sketching out a dialogue scene, polishing a description, or brainstorming plot points, if you have these kind of tasks organized in a list, whenever you find those stolen moments, you’ll know exactly what to work on.
Make the most of “dead time.” Instead of filling empty spaces in your life with social media scrolling or games, use them for brainstorming, people-watching for character development, or talking through plot points using your recording app or voice-to-text app.
Embrace the fast-drafting mindset. Accept that writing on your phone might be messy, full of autocorrect mistakes, and imperfect. That’s okay. The goal is to keep moving forward, not craft perfect prose. (Download my free Fast Drafting Starter Kit here!)
Most importantly, practice self-compassion. If stolen moments are all you have right now, be kind to yourself. Instead of judging the time you don’t have, try to be grateful for and really savor the moments you do get.
Remember that writing in stolen moments might be a slower process than you’d like, and that’s okay. You’re doing the best you can with the time you have.
Sometimes life doesn’t allow for those perfect, hours-long writing sessions we dream about. But that doesn’t mean we can’t keep our stories moving forward, one stolen moment at a time.