Hidden hours: Fun and creative ways to make more time to write
The new year is well underway. Have you been finding time to write?
I hear it all the time.
“I just don’t have time to write.”
Between work, family, responsibilities, and the countless distractions of modern life, writing can easily slip to the bottom of priorities—even for people who claim to be writers and strongly desire to be productive.
If you’ve found yourself already struggling during this new year, perhaps you need to change your writing habits and intentions.
Writers are creative people, so what if we also used our creativity to find HIDDEN HOURS for our writing? These creative tips and tactics can help writers find more time to write. They can help you uncover pockets of time you didn’t realize existed and turn them into meaningful writing moments.
Consider these ideas:
Embrace the power of small sessions
Many writers believe they need long, uninterrupted hours to produce anything worthwhile. While those longer sessions are wonderful when they happen, they aren’t necessary. Fifteen minutes can be enough to write a paragraph, sketch a character, revise a scene, or outline an article. These small efforts add up quickly.
Think of writing like filling a jar with coins. A few cents here and there doesn’t seem like much—until suddenly the jar is full.
Turn ordinary habits into writing habits
Attach writing to habits you already have. For example, write for ten minutes after your morning coffee. Jot down ideas before you go to bed. Write during your commute if you’re a passenger or use voice notes while driving.
By pairing writing with something you already do, you remove the need to find entirely new time. Writing becomes part of your rhythm instead of another task competing for attention.
Create a portable writing life
Writing doesn’t have to happen at a desk. Some of the best ideas arrive in unexpected places. Carry a small notebook, index cards, or use your phone. Capture snippets of dialogue, sensory details, or article ideas whenever they appear.
This approach is especially helpful for fiction writers developing characters and scenes, and for nonfiction writers collecting observations and story leads. When you sit down later, you’ll already have material waiting. (My favorite places to write? At local libraries and coffee shops; while having conversations with friends and family.)
Use creative time challenges
Turn writing into a game. Set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes and challenge yourself to write continuously until it ends. Don’t stop to edit or second-guess. This technique, often called a “sprint,” can produce surprising results.
You can also challenge yourself to write one page a day, one paragraph a day, or even one sentence a day. The goal is momentum. Once you start, you’ll often find it easier to keep going.
Reclaim hidden time
Take a look at how you currently spend your day. Even reducing social media or television by fifteen minutes can create valuable writing time. You don’t need to eliminate these activities entirely—just be intentional.
Many writers discover they have more time than they thought once they become aware of where their minutes go. (At the beginning of ever year, I resolve to use my time more wisely by analyzing my typical day. Write down every hour of a typical 24-hour day and label what you do during each hour; then try to locate hidden opportunities to write within them.)
Look forward to writing
Create an inviting writing environment. Light a candle, play instrumental music, or write in a favorite coffee shop. Make the experience enjoyable rather than something that feels like a chore.
When writing feels rewarding, you’ll naturally seek it out more often.
Redefine what “counts” as writing
Not all writing time involves producing polished pages. Brainstorming, outlining, journaling, researching, and revising all count. Fiction writers might spend time developing backstory or dialogue. Nonfiction writers might collect ideas, interview sources, or organize notes.
Every small step moves your project forward.
Protect your writing time
Even if you only have ten minutes, treat it as important. Let others know when you’re unavailable. Silence notifications. Close unnecessary tabs. Respect your writing time, and others will too.
Over time, these small, protected sessions build not only word count but identity. You begin to see yourself not as someone who wants to write, but as someone who DOES write.
Start today
You don’t need perfect conditions to be a writer. You need intention and persistence. Writing happens in stolen moments, early mornings, quiet evenings, and unexpected spaces. A paragraph at a time, a page at a time, your work grows.
If the beginning of the new year hasn’t gone quite as planned, it’s never too late to dedicate your time to writing. Try to incorporate some of these creative techniques, and see if you can get back on track.
Remember: time isn’t something writers wait for. It’s something you create—and it’s closer than you think.
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Cheryl Wray is the editor of “The Ready Writer” and the coordinator of the Southern Christian Writers Conference. She’s written thousands of articles over the years for newspapers and magazines, and is currently a contributing writer for It’s a Southern Thing and the cover story writer for ChristianFamily Publications, Inc. Her books on writing are popular with writers and students.