Secret Time Hacks of Creative Moms

"my novel was written in fifteen-minute chunks"

When I talk to other busy moms about how they manage to fit it all in, the thing that comes up again and again is time. Time is the scarcest commodity—we yearn for it, we hoard it, we cherish it, we mourn its loss. Even though I recently wrote a post about all my tips and tricks for claiming time for myself, this past weekend I found myself struggling to secure an hour or two just to get basic tasks completed.

Why is it always so freakin’ hard?!

This week, I reached out to several different writers (who are also moms) and asked for their advice: how do they prioritize and make time for their creative work? How do they stick with it when it would be easier to simply quit?

Start Small

Julie Vick

of Humor Me told me that “small chunks [of time] can add up to something big over time,” and I couldn’t agree more. When I first started writing, my daughter was four months old. That meant my writing time were her naps—which varied in length from about seven minutes to two hours. It got my butt in the chair, typing away!

May Cobb, author of many bestselling novels, also suggested small chunks of writing can get a lot done. “My novel was written in fifteen-minute chunks—and those paragraphs added up…. in a year… I had a novel. Never underestimate the power of stolen moments!” She also suggests using your iPhone Notes app: “even writing out little snippets helps to keep the story in your subconscious.”

The group I used to run back when the-app-that-shall-not-be-named was called Twitter, #MomsWritersClub, had members who mentioned writing during soccer practice or leaving themselves long voice messages while taxiing their children around.

Caitlin Kunkel

of Input/Output said she uses 750words.com (you write 750 words a day) and the Pomodoro technique (basically, a 25-minute writing sprint).

I’m personally a huge fan of the Pomodoro technique (named after a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato). Many apps exist for this, or you can use any timer, but the idea is to set it for 25 minutes (or however long), and during that period, all you do is work on your project. I find this helpful for two reasons: one, as Caitlin mentioned, you can do anything for 25 minutes. And two, when I’m say, revising (my least favorite part), it can feel endless. Being able to finish a session and say, “I did three Pomodoros” feels like progress when you might not otherwise have tangible way to describe what you’ve achieved.

DIY Deadlines (AKA Accountability)

So, you have time to write—but that might also be your time to decompress, to watch Grey’s Anatomy (again), to scroll on your phone, to just breathe. So how do you get yourself to the computer, even when you have the time blocked off?

Lisa Hides

, who posts as ihidefrommykids on Instagram and as Kinda Funny for a Mom on Substack, told me that writing is like running—her body needs the outlet… or “I become murdery” (the thriller author in me simply had to use this quote!). Lisa says that deadlines work well for her, because it creates accountability—she publishes her Substack every Friday at 9am.

If you struggle meeting deadlines that you impose yourself, both Lisa and Caitlin recommend external accountability, such as setting a date you send work to a critique partner or signing up for a class. “I know I won’t miss a workshop deadline… and that pressure helps me prioritize creative time, fight for it on my schedule, and insist that it has to happen,” Caitlin told me.

I’ve previously worked with a freelance editor, and she expected a chapter every day from me—that sure got me writing!

Leave Your House

Eva Langston

of Eva’s Newsletter for Writers recommends taking a retreat if you can. “The Mom’s Alone Time Weekend is advice I give to everyone.” She suggests going to an Airbnb. “Sometimes I used the time for writing, but sometimes I just replenished my creative well (and my sanity!) by reading, watching movies, doing yoga, taking long walks, going to dinner with friends, and basking in the glorious silence.” Honestly, just reading those words makes me crave a weekend of doing exactly that!

I have to add my own experience on writing retreats here. While I’ve never done a solo one, I’ve done two with fellow writing moms, and they are one of the best gifts you can give yourself. It goes beyond time for writing, though—for me, just waking up and having zero obligation to take care of anyone besides myself was magical. I didn’t realize how badly I’d needed a couple mornings off. To this day, I remember waking up to the patter of rain near the Puget Sound and drinking coffee staring out at the cloudy skies, the streaks of light over the water, and just breathing as I hadn’t breathed in a long time.

Even if a retreat seems out of reach for you right now, leaving the house for a couple of hours can physically separate you from your domestic responsibilities. I work from home, and I can’t tell you how often I walk into the kitchen to grab water or coffee and find myself annoyed at the stack of dishes by the sink—this is my work time I have to remind myself, no matter how annoying they are.

Lisa said she blocks time in her family calendar to physically leave the house. My good friend and critique partner Sara Read regularly hits up her local coffee shop to work. She’s said that just getting away helps her focus and frees her of the responsibilities she faces at home.

Ask for Help

We as moms so often feel like we should be able to do this on our own. One of my favorite Substacks is Motherhood Until Yesterday by

Elena Bridgers

, and through her research she’s made it abundantly clear: we were not, as humans, designed to do it on our own.

Help can look very different depending on your situation—for me, it’s simply being able to send my daughter to school five days a week. This summer, it will be part-time summer camp to make sure I’m occasionally able to sit down and focus.

Eva says, “Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need and for what you want from the people who care about you.” I appreciate this so much, because often, the mere asking is the hard part—for your husband to take full responsibility for a Sunday while you work, for a parent to come babysit, for a friend to host a playdate. But you know what? If my friend reached out to me and asked if I could take her kiddo for a few hours so she could follow her passion, I’d say, Yes of course! I’d love to!

Let Go of Writer “Shoulds”

Julie Vick offered some great writing advice when she said to “let go of some of the standard writing advice… like ‘You have to write every day.’” She admits that she took years off from writing after her first child was born.

What she told me made me think about my friend

Sara Read

who once told me about life’s seasons. If you’ve just given birth—or overcome an illness—or are caretaking for someone else while they are sick—maybe that’s when you recognize that it’s okay to let yourself rest. To regroup. Maybe this is a season in your life where you get less writing (or even no writing!) done. That doesn’t you’re not a writer or that you’ll never write again. Or maybe, it’s summer break (hi, that’s me) and you’ve decided to be okay with getting half, or two-thirds, as much done.

This summer, I’ve decided I’m going to work a little less. I’m going to spend more time with my daughter, because I want to, and because, as a self-employed author, I can! I worked my ass off to put myself in this position, and I’m taking advantage of it.

Being a mom who is creative can be such a gift—but it’s so different than having a typical 9-5 workday (or, you’re doing it on top of that job!). Thank you to these amazing moms who have offered their favorite advice for being a mom and a creative.

In the comments, I’ll share the best writing advice I’ve ever been given—and I’d love to know the best advice you’ve been given, too, whether you’re a writer, a musician, or a managerial consultant. 😊

My Personal Hit List

I’m doing my last read through before I send Book 2 in my mom assassin series back to my agent. This is where I reread all my edits and make sure they’re working (and they mostly are!) and that the book still makes sense. I’m also finding little inconsistencies (like the coffee is still perking, how is she drinking it already?). I wonder how many times on average an author reads their own book…?

My cover meeting is next week (yes, it was supposed to be this week, but it got moved), and I am so thrilled to see what the fabulous art team comes up with. Something I’ve really appreciated about my editor and publisher is their desire to know what I think the cover should look like. I have lots of ideas (that I’ll share in a future post), but I also trust my team.

Additionally, my editor asked me to send some images of how I picture my main character, Nadia—and for once, I didn’t have a specific face in mind! I know certain things: dark hair, five-foot-seven-ish, athletic because she’s an assassin and a mom, and that shit is work. But I hadn’t thought so specifically about her face. Figuring that was fun! I’ll share images in a future newsletter.

Book Rec

Full disclosure: I’ve only read 20% of this forthcoming memoir. But friends, I read that 20% in two hours last night, ignoring the fact I really needed to pee, because I just had to keep reading. And it’s so in line with what we’re talking about today and also just so good.

If you’ve hung out on any of my social media (or read any of my books), you probably know I’m a runner (and so are literally all of my main characters, because like Lisa, I feel murdery if I skip my workout). Yep, I’m obsessed. And I love books about runners, because running, like so many things, is about far more than the actual act of running. It’s about deciding you’re going to do something (like, you know, run a marathon or write a book), the accountability of sticking to it (doing that 20 miler or, you know, writing that chapter), about friendship, about pushing through adversity, and even about being a mom…

This book includes all of that and more—it’s the sort of book I think any mom who has ever strived for something in the face of adversity will appreciate and see herself reflected in. May I highly recommend you grab a copy, and maybe even recommend it for a book club—it’s that good.

Pet Corner

My cats, every morning, begging to get outside, often before it’s even light out. I’m the mean mom who won’t let them out because we have coyotes.

I would tell you what Maggy is doing here, but I really don’t know. All I know is she really loves her “baby.”

I’ll see you in the comments to chat about the best writing advice we’ve ever gotten! Happy Friday! -Jessica