If there’s one thing we all share, it’s most likely a shortage of time. It seems that at almost every stage of life, there are more items on the to-do list—even if one of those items is to stop and breathe—than we can possibly cram into a day. Add authoring a book to that schedule, and something is invariably going to fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, all too often, that something that gets sacrificed is writing.

I’ve written about the importance of time blocking. We mostly don’t just find the time to write, we have to make it, especially if we’re looking to settle into our books for a couple of hours or more. That’s certainly the way I prefer to work. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t also seize the moments that open up. Often, it’s a matter of recognizing them and then making the most of them.

For starters, I always have my phone with me, which means I can dictate. On dog walks, if my thoughts turn to my writing projects, I’ll talk out my ideas into my calendar app. I know full well that I will potentially forget my inspiration by the time the pups and I are back at the car, and I certainly won’t remember the verbiage going through my brain. Once I get home, I cut and paste the notes in my calendar, clean them up, and I’m that much further ahead.

If I’m heading to an appointment or the airport, I make sure to bring a notepad or my computer. Those routine delays provide terrific writing opportunities.

When my schedule offers a 30-minute slot of free time, I’ll grab that as well, which is exactly what I’m doing right now as I write this blog post. I may not prefer these short bursts, but they’re easy to slide in, and that time mounts up. Especially since 30 minutes can often turn into an hour if you unexpectedly slide into the mood and your schedule allows.

In fact, planning to write for just half an hour is a great way to fool yourself—one of the tricks of the trade that helps me meet deadlines when I don’t want to sit at my computer. I just tell myself that I don’t have to write for a long time. Once I seize the moments and get started, I get absorbed, and before I know it, I’m back in the writing zone.