The myth of ideal academic writing time persists. We all long to be in a quiet office, surrounded by books, with hours of uninterrupted time to craft elegant arguments. But the reality is very different. Most of us juggle teaching loads, administrative duties, family responsibilities and the general push and pull of just living. That’s bad news for writing, right?

Well yes. And no.

A lot of academic writing doesn’t have to have pristine blocks of time. Some scholars have learned to write in the margins of their days, building texts fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. They write a lot of text in fragments, snatched moments of time that they wrestle out of their schedules.

The fragmented writing mindset

The first step toward writing in fragments is abandoning the view that all good academic writing requires sustained focus. Some does, but not all. Hanging onto the idea of a big block of uninterrupted time can keep us paralysed, waiting for the perfect four-hour window that, like Godot, never comes. Instead of waiting, grab onto the idea that many academic writing tasks can be broken into smaller components that fit into available time slots.

Fragments of writing, fragments of time.

Think of academic writing as an assembly process rather than a single creative act. You wouldn’t expect a quilt maker to make an entire bed cover in one continuous operation. Or a gardener to complete landscaping a quarter acre in a couple of hours. Academic writing is the same. There are usually several writing stages you can identify in any writing project, with different types of work suited to different time constraints.

So here are five steps to help think about writing in fragments.

1 Segment tasks

Effective fragmented writing begins with understanding which tasks match which time windows. Quick fifteen-minute sessions are perfect for jotting down key points from recently read articles, doing part of literature search or organising some citations. Thirty-minute blocks work well for outlining sections, writing rough paragraphs, or editing previously drafted material. Even five-minute intervals can be productive for reviewing notes, brainstorming transitions or checking citations.

The key to segmenting is to maintain a running task list that categorises the work to be done by time requirement and intellectual demand. Then, when you have a brief window, you can immediately identify an appropriate task rather than spending precious minutes deciding what to work on. Good preparation transforms scattered moments into productive writing time.

2. Build a fragmented workflow

Start each writing project by writing a tiny text and then use it to create a roadmap – a detailed outline. The outline should break your argument into the smallest manageable pieces. Instead of “write introduction,” list specific tasks such as “draft opening hook,” “summarise key debates,” “state thesis clearly,” and “preview argument structure.” This more granular approach allows you to make meaningful progress even in brief sessions.

Keep a dedicated digital record or analog notebook for capturing ideas as they occur throughout your day. Academic insights rarely arrive on schedule, so having a reliable capture system ensures you don’t lose valuable thoughts between formal writing sessions. These ideas often become the foundation for more substantial writing later.

Develop transition strategies that help you quickly re-enter your work. End each writing session by noting exactly what comes next, whether it’s “expand the discussion of X’s methodology” or “find supporting evidence for this claim.” Good transition strategies get rid of the startup time that can eat up brief writing windows.

3. Find useful tools and systems 

Digital tools can enhance fragmented writing productivity. You already know that cloud-based documents allow you to access your work from any device – you can turn travel, hanging on the phone and sitting about in waiting rooms into potential writing time. Reference management software keeps your sources organised and accessible, while note-taking apps help you capture ideas immediately.

However,  a warning. Tool selection can become another means of procrastination. Simple solutions often work best. A shared document between your devices and a reliable citation manager may be all you need to write effectively in fragments.

4. Manage your inner saboteur

If you are used to longer work sessions, writing in fragments can feel pretty unsatisfactory at first. You don’t have the same sense of momentum that comes from extended writing periods. But instead you have the cumulative power of consistent small efforts.

When you start writing in fragments you have to trust that brief sessions compound over time. Small efforts accumulate. A paragraph written during a fifteen-minute break, a section outline drafted while waiting for a meeting, and citations organised in a gap between classes can add up to substantial progress. So noticing and congratulating yourself on the ongoing results of your smallish efforts is important.

And keep your perfectionism in check. Use brief windows of time to get ideas onto the page rather than crafting polished prose. Reserve refining, revising and editing for longer blocks when they become available, or spread them across multiple short sessions focused on specific elements like clarity, flow, or citation accuracy. Learn to love the rough drafts you produce during fragmented sessions.

And tell your nagging inner saboteur that fragmented writing can build strong writing habits. When writing is a combination of small writing fitted in where possible – but relatively often – alongside the occasional marathon, the writing work can feel less daunting and more manageable. If you use small moments to stay in touch with the writing, ideas flow more readily, arguments develop more naturally, and the entire academic writing process may well become less stressful.

5. Embrace the imperfect 

Academic writing in fragments means letting go of the dream of ideal working conditions. Your best insights might arrive during a morning commute, and your clearest arguments might emerge during moments between meetings. Or in the shower, on a run or cooking dinner.

Scholars who practice fragmented writing often find they’ve not only solved some of their time management challenges but have also improved their actual writing. When every minute counts, words become more precise, arguments more focused, and ideas more clearly expressed. Working within the constraints of a busy schedule rather than against it  may mean you find fragmented writing produces more accessible prose than the formal academic voice that often emerges from pressure-filled marathons.

In learning to write without perfect conditions, you may even find that you didn’t really need them in the first place.