Last week, I shared one reason care matters so much to the writing process. It matters that we take care of ourselves, especially during periods when writing feels difficult, and life makes it even more complicated.
During my time as a faculty member, I was caring for parents, caring for children, managing work responsibilities, and at times (trying to) care for my own health. Even with the best intentions and a strong desire to write, I couldn’t always write every day, nor could I consistently carve out long stretches of uninterrupted time.
Instead, I found myself writing between classes, in waiting rooms before appointments, or in the quiet moments before the rest of the household woke up.
I knew enough about my writing process to recognize that this wasn’t ideal for me. I’m someone who often needs time to warm up and settle into a draft before the words begin to flow. But there was also a point when I had to accept that ideal conditions weren’t available. The choice became simple: write with the time I had, or not write at all.
I’ll be honest: at times, this was frustrating. I wanted writing retreats. I wanted afternoons devoted entirely to a draft. I longed for more than fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. And I struggled during the weeks when life became so demanding that writing had to take a back seat. I’ve shared before, but I didn’t always give myself enough grace.
Part of the challenge was reminding myself that stepping away from writing is sometimes necessary. There are seasons when caring for yourself, your family, or your community has to take priority. Writing doesn’t disappear because you take a break from it. Often, the most sustainable thing we can do is acknowledge our limits rather than fight against them.
Writing in the moments between a full life is challenging, and it often asks us to adjust our expectations. But it is possible. If you’re in a season where many things are competing for your time and energy, there are ways to support yourself and your writing.
Below, I’m sharing a prompt and a practice that I’ve offered to other writers navigating busy seasons.
And if you’re looking for more support, my summer program, Write with Care, begins on June 22. It is designed for writers who want to develop sustainable writing practices while also caring for themselves. Participants have access to guided practices, resources, drop-in writing sessions, and a 45-minute coaching session to talk through a draft, project, or their writing process. If that sounds supportive, learn more.
A Prompt
This may seem obvious, but I think it’s worth paying attention to. So often I’ve sat down to write only to realize I’ve lost precious time looking for a charger, a notebook, a highlighter, or papers I meant to bring with me. These questions are to help you make sure you have the tools you need:
Do you have a space for your writing this summer?
Does your space have what you need?
And if you don’t have a dedicated writing space—or if you’ll be writing on the move—do you have systems that support that reality? I often wrote in my van and in favorite spots on campus outside my office.
Take a few moments to do an inventory. Make a list of what would help you write more easily: a tote bag for your laptop and notebooks, chargers, a folder for printed materials, or anything else that helps you transition into writing more quickly.
A Practice
Many productivity systems begin with calendars. Sometimes I do that too, and there are certainly situations where scheduling time to write is useful.
But when you’re already feeling stretched thin, starting with a calendar can sometimes feel discouraging. You see how little time is available and conclude that there’s not enough.
One practice I often recommend instead is keeping a writing log.
A writing log is simply a notebook, Google Doc, or other place where you keep brief notes about your writing sessions. You can track time or word count if that’s motivating, but the most important part is recording what you worked on and where you want to begin next time.
These notes don’t need to be detailed. A few sentences are enough:
- Revised introduction through paragraph three.
- Need to find a source on community archives.
- Next step: draft conclusion.
- Stuck on the section about methods.
These notes should make it easier to return to your work when the next writing window appears.
If you’re writing in “in-between” moments this season, I hope you’ll remember that meaningful writing doesn’t always happen in long, uninterrupted stretches. Sometimes it happens in carpool lines, between meetings, or twenty quiet minutes before bed.
Those moments count, too.
Full Circle Writing, LLC 
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