writing habits – Stories Rule Press

What’s on Tracy’s Desk? (2025 Edition)

29 September 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

Fourteen years ago, I shared a snapshot of my writing desk—and a surprising number of you still remember it! That desk is still with me, but the world around it has changed: the landline is gone, the monitors have multiplied, and only Strider remains of the original furry trio. This year, I revisited that 2011 post with a photo tour of my current workspace, the oddball trinkets that inspire me, and a glimpse into how I really write now—recliner and all. Spoiler: dusty fantasy author chaos is alive and well.

Dictation vs. Typing: The Pros, the Cons, and Why I’m Sticking With My Keyboard (For Now)

16 August 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

After my fourth serious trial, I’m calling it: for me, dictation is dead—at least for now. The modest bump in words per hour just doesn’t outweigh the tech friction, location lock-in, and editing overhead. If dictation plus clean-up time gets you more net words than typing, go for it. But if you’re already a clean, fast typist, the numbers might tell you to stick with your keyboard.

Why Writing Feels So Damn Hard (Sometimes): It’s Not You, It’s Physics

5 July 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

Creative inertia is real. Whether you’ve stepped away from your novel for five minutes or five months, restarting always feels harder than continuing. It’s not a personal failing—it’s physics. Here’s how to beat the resistance and get back into flow, one “Just Start” at a time.

woman in a red dress reading a book while surrounded by dirt an cleaning equipment

If Your To-Do List Stresses You Out, You’re Doing It Wrong

28 June 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey, Uncategorized

Most writers think they’re breaking down their tasks—but if you’re still staring at “Revise novel” on your to-do list and feeling stuck, you’ve got a project, not a task. Here’s how to break your work down into do-able chunks that actually get done.

Puzzle-Piece Scheduling: A Writing Model for the Non-Marathoner

21 June 2025 / Tracy Cooper-Posey

What if, instead of waiting for those rare marathon writing sessions, you fit your writing into the cracks of your day—one or two hours at a time? Puzzle-Piece Scheduling is about breaking your writing into smaller chunks that still add up to real progress. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being consistent. Even short sprints can keep your story warm and moving forward.