You've got the story idea. You understand your characters. You know your structure. You're ready to write.

There's just one problem: You have no time.

Between work, family, obligations, and the seventeen other things demanding your attention every day, finding even thirty minutes to write feels impossible.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Your novel preparation means nothing if you never actually write the book.

But here's the hopeful truth: You don't need hours of uninterrupted time. You don't need a cabin in the woods or a trust fund. You just need a shift in perspective and some strategic thinking.

Let me show you how to make time for writing, even when life is absolute chaos.

Why Writing Doesn't Fit Into Any Box

Most of us organize our lives into clear categories:

1. Work (the stuff we get paid for)
2. Fun (the stuff we enjoy)
3. Learning (the stuff that grows us)

But writing? Writing falls into all three categories simultaneously.

It might feel like work sometimes. It's definitely fun (most of the time). And you're constantly learning while doing it.

This ambiguity is exactly why writing gets pushed aside. It doesn't have a natural "slot" in your day like your job, your workout, or your kids' bedtime.

So you have to create that slot intentionally. And that starts with getting your priorities straight.

Step One: Get Your Priorities Straight (No, Really)

I know this sounds harsh, but it's necessary: If writing matters to you, you need to treat it like it matters.

That means making choices. Sometimes difficult ones.

Every season of life brings new demands on your time and energy. In this season, if you're committing to writing a book, you need to say no to other things to say yes to writing.

This doesn't mean forever. This doesn't mean abandoning everything else you care about.

It means choosing your priorities for THIS season—whether that's one month, three months, or six months.

The Four Priority Questions

Grab a journal and brain dump your answers:

1. Why does writing this story matter to me in this season of life? (Get specific. "Because I've always wanted to" isn't enough. Dig deeper. Why now? What will finishing this give you?)
2. What other projects or tasks can I afford to put on pause while I write this book? (Maybe you don't reorganize the garage this month. Maybe you skip your usual TV show. Maybe you ask your partner to handle more household tasks.)
3. What would my ideal writing day look like? (Dream big here. When would you write? Where? For how long? What would it feel like?)
4. What are some practical ways I can rely on support from others to free up my time? (Who can help? What can you delegate? What can you ask for?)

Looking at your life in seasons rather than "forever" changes everything. You're not reorganizing your entire existence permanently. You're making strategic choices for a limited time to accomplish something meaningful.

The "I Don't Have Time" Problem

I hear you: "But I legitimately don't have time. My schedule is packed."

I believe you. I've been there. I am there most weeks.

But here's what I've learned: You don't find time. You make time.

And making time requires creativity and unconventional thinking. It means looking for time in places you haven't considered before.

Seven Unconventional Strategies for Finding Writing Time

1. Leverage Pockets of Time

Stop waiting for two-hour blocks of uninterrupted time. They're not coming.

Instead, embrace micro-writing sessions: 10-15 minutes while:

1. Your coffee brews in the morning
2. You're on your lunch break
3. Your kids are occupied with an activity
4. Dinner is in the oven
5. You're waiting for an appointment

Truth bomb: Most writers can write 200-300 words in 15 minutes. Do that twice a day, and you've got 500+ words. Do that for 30 days, and you've got a 15,000-word novella.

Those tiny pockets add up faster than you think.

2. Shift Your Schedule Slightly

Could you wake up 30 minutes earlier? Go to bed 30 minutes later?

I know, I know—you're already tired. But if writing truly matters to you, a small schedule shift for a limited season can make all the difference.

The key: Don't just add writing time on top of everything else. Replace something less important with writing. Maybe you scroll social media for 30 minutes before bed—use that time to write instead.

3. Delegate Everything You Can

This is where many writers (especially women, especially caregivers) struggle. We think we have to do everything ourselves.

You don't.

For this season, what can you delegate?

1. Grocery pickup or delivery instead of shopping
2. A house cleaner once or twice a month
3. Partner or older kids handling more chores
4. Meal prep services or simple crockpot meals
5. Saying no to social obligations that drain you

Yes, some of these cost money. But if writing matters enough, it's an investment in your dream—and your sanity.

4. Use Voice-to-Text Technology

You can write while:

1. Walking the dog
2. Commuting (if you're not driving)
3. Doing dishes or folding laundry
4. Exercising on a treadmill or stationary bike

Use your phone's voice-to-text app to capture brainstorming sessions, draft scenes, or work through plot problems.

Pro tip: Don't worry about perfect prose in voice drafts. Just get the ideas down. You can edit later. The goal is to keep making progress even when you can't sit at a computer.

5. Create Family Quiet Time

If you have kids, establish a daily or weekly "quiet hour" where everyone (including kids) does a quiet, independent activity.

Younger kids can look at books, color, or play quietly. Older kids can read, do homework, or work on their own projects.

Frame it as family time, not "Mommy/Daddy needs you to leave them alone." Make it a household routine everyone participates in.

Bonus: Your kids learn the valuable skill of independent play and respect for others' focused time.

6. Write During "Dead Time"

How much time do you spend waiting each week?

1. Waiting for appointments
2. Waiting for kids' activities to finish
3. Waiting in line
4. Waiting for meetings to start

Keep a writing app on your phone. Make those waiting moments productive.

Even 5-10 minutes of writing here and there adds up to hours over a month.

7. Join or Create a Writing Group

Accountability is rocket fuel for productivity.

Find (or create) a virtual or in-person writing group that meets regularly for short writing sprints. Even 30-minute sessions become incredibly productive when you're writing alongside others.

The combination of community, accountability, and focused time makes these sessions far more effective than scattered solo writing attempts.

The Writer's Creed: Your Daily Mindset

Here's what I want you to adopt as your mantra for this writing season. Print it out. Put it on your mirror. Set it as your phone wallpaper.

Say it daily:

"I am a writer and my story matters. Every word I put down is a step toward making my author dreams come true and touching lives in ways I can't yet imagine.

Even on hard days when time feels scarce and the world pulls me in every direction, I will honor my craft. I commit to my vision because my words have power—power to inspire, to heal, to provoke thought, and to change the world.

I trust that one day the impact of my story will ripple far beyond me.

Today, I choose to write."

Feel that? That's the shift from "I should write" to "I WILL write."

The Non-Negotiable Truth About Time

Here's what no one wants to hear but everyone needs to: If you truly want to write your book, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.

I'm not saying this to shame you. I'm saying it to empower you.

Because once you accept that writing is a choice you're making—not something that happens to you when the stars align—you take back control.

You stop waiting for permission. You stop waiting for the "right" time. You stop waiting for life to magically get less busy.

You decide that this season, this month, this week, TODAY—you're choosing to make it happen.

The Realistic Writing Schedule

What does this actually look like in practice? Here's a sample schedule for someone with a full-time job and family responsibilities:

Monday-Friday:

1. 15 minutes before work (morning pages, brainstorming, or 200 words)
2. 30 minutes during lunch break (500 words)
3. 15 minutes before bed (scene planning or revision notes)

Total: 300+ words per weekday = 1,500 words/week just from weekdays

Saturday:

1. 1-2 hours during family quiet time (1,000-2,000 words)

Sunday:

1. 30 minutes during meal prep (voice recording scenes or brainstorming)

Weekly total: 2,500-3,500 words

Do that for a month? That's 10,000-14,000 words—a solid novella or a third of a novel.

Do it for three months? You've got a complete first draft.

No, it's not glamorous. But it's real, it's achievable, and it actually works.

Your Next Step (Do This Today)

Right now—yes, right now—open your calendar and block out your writing time for this week.

Even if it's just 15 minutes a day. Put it in your calendar like you would any other appointment.

Then honor that appointment. Don't cancel on yourself.

When that time comes, put your phone on airplane mode, close unnecessary tabs, and write. Even if it's messy. Even if it's just brainstorming. Even if you delete half of it tomorrow.

Show up.

Because here's the thing about time: We find it for what we prioritize.

If writing your book matters—if this story burning inside you deserves to exist—then it's time to stop waiting for permission and start showing up for yourself.

Your story is waiting. Your readers are waiting (even if they don't know it yet).

The only question is: Will you choose to make it happen?

You've got the knowledge. You've got the tools. You've got the story. Now it's time to write. Start today—even if it's just for 15 minutes. Your future self (and your future readers) will thank you.