I teach Children’s Literature at Minot State University. One of our recent novels we read was The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat, a Newbery Honor book from 2022. I’m also a writer, so I’m always interested when writers talk about their writing process. In a video we watched in class, Christina talked about finding time to write, and she said that she often works in 15 minute blocks of time, in between taking care of her family and working on her other projects. She said it’s a myth that writers need hours of free time to write–that whole novels can be written in those 15 minute chunks.

Time. That’s the thing writers (and other creatives) often struggle to find, especially if writing is not your only full time job. (If it is, hooray for you!) I teach, mainly writing classes, which take up a LOT of time n planning, commenting and grading student work. But I love my work and I don’t want to quit (even if I could afford to).

I also love to write and want to be published.

So how do I find time for those two time intensive things in my day?

I’m going to try the 15 minute idea. Even if I only have a short block of time (like now) I’m going to try to get a few words on the page. Who knows? Maybe I will finish my detective novel that way. At least, I can get some words on the page that probably wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go write.