Sometimes I miss the version of myself who could wander into a coffee shop with a laptop and lose three hours to a work-in-progress. In my current season of life (which, let’s be clear, I LOVE), “writing time” looks more like a 15-minute sliver between finishing my workday and heading to daycare pickup.
What I had to relearn after my son was born is this: You don’t need a whole hour to be a writer. You just need a window. And most of us already have more windows than we realize.
But because mom-life is nonlinear and noisy (so, so noisy!), those windows often feel too small to matter. We tell ourselves:
“I need to wait for the perfect moment.”
“I’ll start when things calm down.”
“I’ll write when I can really focus.”
Except…when is that?
Maybe it’ll come someday—I’m not that far into the motherhood journey, so feel free to let me know! But for now, instead of waiting for the perfect hour, I’ve learned to claim mere minutes.
And you can, too!
Pros of the 15-Minute Writing Session
1. It lowers the emotional barrier.
You don’t need to psych yourself up. You don’t need a ritual. (But you can have a quick one if you want it!) You don’t need to rearrange your house. You sit, you write, and fifteen minutes is over before your brain can talk you out of it.
2. It builds momentum faster than you think.
Real momentum is built in small, steady waves, not in the rare writing tsunami. A consistent fifteen-minute practice outperforms a once-in-a-blue-moon writing binge every time.
3. It trains your brain to switch modes quickly.
When your life is full of interruptions, “writing on the go” becomes a superpower. When you have fifteen minutes or lessYou learn to drop in fast, no matter where you are.
4. It dissolves guilt.
Fifteen minutes doesn’t take anything away from your family. And oddly, it adds something: you. The version of you who feels like herself.
I was listening to a Dr. Becky episode the other day, and she noted that, for us moms, sometimes just walking around the block by ourselves is the emotional equivalent of going to Paris for three years and leaving your kids to fend for themselves. I know even the smallest steps can feel enormous on the guilt front. Start with five minutes if you need to, and work up!
What You Can Actually Do in 15 Minutes
People wildly underestimate how productive a quarter-hour can be!
Here are just a few things you can do in fifteen minutes:
Write 3–7 sentences
Outline a scene
Capture a snippet of dialogue that came to you while folding laundry
Revise a single paragraph
Brainstorm chapter beats
Write a list of sensory details for a future scene
Move a story forward, even if by just a few lines
None of this is “small.” This is the real work. And if you string fifteen-minute sessions together over a month? That’s a full chapter. Or three essays. Or the bones of a short story collection.
Where to Find Your 15 Minutes (Spoiler Alert: They Already Exist)
If you’ve seen my survival guide for moms who write, you know I will NEVER tell you that you have to wake up earlier to make time to write. After all, we all know that no matter how early you wake up, the kids will wake up exactly three-point-seven minutes later. So instead, let’s focus on capturing the time you already have.
Here are a few of the places Inkwell members and fellow moms have told me they find writing time:
In the carpool line
On the bathroom counter while their kid takes a bath
At the kitchen table while pasta water boils
Instead of scrolling at bedtime (or before scrolling! You can have it all!)
While the baby naps on their chest (voice-to-text counts!)
At the vet, waiting for the doctor (I’m speaking from experience here!)
You don’t need to create more time. There are only 24 hours in the day, and no matter what some productivity gurus will tell you, you do actually need to sleep.
You just need to claim the slivers of time you already have.
How to Start Your 15-Minute Practice
1. Choose your window before the day starts.
You don’t need to schedule the exact time—just pick the moment:
“When the kids start their show…”
“When I park at school for pickup…”
“While the waffle iron is doing its thing…”
2. Decide what you’ll work on.
You don’t need a long plan (no time for that!) just a simple direction.
“I’m going to revise that one paragraph.”
“I’m going to brainstorm character motives.”
“I’m going to outline that climactic scene.”
Your brain loves clarity, and when you know what you’re going to do before your fifteen minutes start, you don’t waste a single precious second wondering what the heck to write.
3. When the window comes, start writing immediately.
No warm-up needed.
No perfect conditions.
Just begin.
4. Stop at 15 minutes.
(Even if you want to keep going.)
Stopping early builds anticipation, not burnout.
You Don’t Need More Time. You Need Smaller Expectations.
You’re not a less serious writer because your life is full. You’re not “playing small” when you “relegate” your creativity to the edges of the day.
You’re not falling behind. There is no “behind” in writing.
You are doing something profound: You’re writing through it.
And that is what makes a writer.
If you’re looking for more simple, mom-friendly ways to fit writing into real life, grab Authors with Crayons—my free survival guide for moms who write. It’s packed with creative mindset shifts and low-pressure recommendations designed to help busy moms craft a sustainable writing life.
It’s the perfect companion for your next 15-minute window.