How I Learned to Write in the Margins of Life

The art of the steal

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

It wasn’t the first time I found myself scribbling dialogue on a napkin while waiting for my takeout order. 

The restaurant was buzzing with energy — chatter bouncing off walls, the clang of plates, and the sizzling of something delicious in the kitchen. 

But there I was, leaning against the counter, clutching a pen, hunched over the table. 

My thoughts were flying faster than I could catch them, so I grabbed the napkin and started writing.

That’s the thing about writing. 

It doesn’t always wait for you to have the perfect moment, the right ambiance, or that stretch of uninterrupted time we all dream about. 

For me, writing has become an act of stealing moments, slipping sentences into the cracks of my day, like secret treasures tucked away for later.

I love writing. But with life pulling me in a million directions, I had to find creative ways to feed that love. I didn’t have the luxury of dedicating hours to sit down in a peaceful room with a cup of coffee and “the perfect vibe.” So, I began learning the art of writing in stolen moments — capturing inspiration in the midst of chaos. 

I want to share with you how and why this approach has transformed my writing life, exploring the science behind creativity, and offering practical strategies to help you find your own hidden pockets of time.

The Science of Stolen Moments

For a long time, I believed in the myth of the “ideal writing environment.” You know the one — the quiet room, soft lighting, no distractions, perhaps a candle burning gently in the corner. But as I juggled work, family, and life’s endless demands, I realized that waiting for the perfect time was a surefire way to get absolutely nothing done.

Turns out, creativity doesn’t need perfect conditions to thrive. In fact, constraints can actually enhance it. Psychological research shows that limitations often lead to breakthroughs. Teresa Amabile’s work on the “incubation effect” suggests that stepping away from a problem — giving your brain a break — can often lead to creative insights. Ever wonder why ideas pop into your head while you’re in the shower or driving? That’s your brain working in the background, solving problems while you’re focused on something else.

Additionally, according to neuroscience, brief concentration periods interspersed with breaks are more efficient than prolonged ones. The brain thrives on balance between active concentration and rest. This is called “diffused mode thinking,” where stepping back allows the default mode network in our brain to kick in and process ideas in the background. That’s why those tiny, stolen moments can be so powerful — they give your mind the space to work in unexpected ways.

Identifying Your Prime Time

We all have natural rhythms when it comes to energy and creativity, and identifying your “prime time” for writing can make all the difference. Personally, I’ve discovered that my creative spark often strikes at the strangest times — while waiting in line, during my morning coffee, or even late at night after everyone’s asleep. It turns out that we all have different chronotypes, those internal clocks that dictate whether we’re early birds or night owls. Knowing your own chronotype can help you plan your stolen moments wisely.

Beyond that, I've come to rely on the concept of ultradian rhythms, which are our natural 90-minute cycles of peak energy and a dip. By syncing my writing with these rhythms, I can make the most of my high-energy windows. Micro-scheduling has become my secret weapon. Instead of waiting for a three-hour block of time to appear out of nowhere, I break my writing into bite-sized pieces, tackling tasks like outlining or drafting in short bursts.

The Tools of the Trade

Let’s talk about tools — because, let’s face it, writing in the margins of life requires being prepared at all times. My number one essential? A notebook. I carry it everywhere, and I mean everywhere. There’s something magical about pen and paper — the immediacy of capturing an idea, sketching out a scene, or jotting down a line that might be the cornerstone of a future piece. My notebook is my safe harbor, a place where I can quickly dock ideas before they drift away.

But let’s not forget the power of digital tools. My phone has become a lifeline for stolen moment writing. Whether I’m drafting in Google Docs, organizing notes in Evernote, or outlining a project in Scrivener, having these tools at my fingertips makes all the difference. I’m especially fond of voice notes. It’s like having a pocket-sized scribe, ready to capture thoughts while I’m walking, driving, or doing dishes. Sometimes, just speaking my ideas out loud unlocks a flow that typing on a keyboard can’t.

Embracing the Imperfect

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing in stolen moments, it’s this: let go of perfectionism. Writing in short bursts, scribbling ideas between meetings, or drafting a scene in the grocery store parking lot will not always produce polished work. And that’s okay.

There’s value in “micro-writing,” those small, seemingly insignificant bursts of creativity. Over time, they add up. One paragraph written while waiting for the train, a few sentences typed out during lunch, and suddenly, you’ve got the skeleton of an essay. The process might be messy, but it’s iterative, and each step brings you closer to the final product.

I’ve also found that these stolen moments aren’t just about putting words on paper. They’re about gathering inspiration. I’ve learned to observe the world around me more closely during these moments — catching snippets of conversation, the way light falls on a table, the emotions in a passerby’s face. Everyday life becomes fuel for the creative fire when you’re open to it.

The Cumulative Effect

The power of writing in stolen moments is cumulative. Each small effort builds on the last, and before you know it, you’ve created something meaningful. Writing doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. In fact, some of my best work has come from those tiny, fragmented bursts of time that seemed insignificant in the moment.

So, I encourage you to embrace the art of the steal. Look for those hidden pockets of time in your day, the ones that seem too short or chaotic to be productive. Trust me, they hold more potential than you think. Carry a notebook, download a voice app, or simply take a mental note. The moments are there, waiting for you to claim them.

Writing is an act of joy, discovery, and sometimes, unexpected magic. And when you learn to write in the margins of life, you’ll find that creativity can bloom in the most unexpected places — like on a napkin, while you wait for your takeout.

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