W. L. Bolm

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Learning

A journal with the pages fanning out on a rough-hewn wooden table next to a pen and in front of a coffee cup.

How to Head Off Burnout

My natural state is to push myself. To compete with myself. To always strive to work hard and to keep getting better. In order to heal from burnout, and to avoid it in the future, I had to learn how to go against what I consider to be part of my nature. I had to learn when not to push myself.

A book with the pages fanning out next to a pen and a coffee cup on a rough-hewn wooden table.

Project Management for Writing: Tools

Recently, I was asked what online tools I use for tracking my writing. The answer is a little complicated.

A book with its pages flipping in front of a coffee cup next to a pen on a wooden desk.

Thwarting the Inner Censor

There are so many ways to make a writing process work, but the number one way to find what those are is to experiment freely and widely until the pieces fall together.

A book with the pages fanning out next to a pen and a cup on a wooden surface.

Project Management for Writing: Breaking It Down

A writing project is a set of tasks waiting to be completed. One of the most helpful tools I have in my writing toolbox is knowing how to break down any project and then estimate the amount of effort it will take to complete each task.

A book with its pages fanning out in front of a coffee cup on a wooden table.

Writing as Play

Writing can be a form of play. It can be a form of rest.

A small table set with a mug, two laptops, and some writing gear in front of a window with a winter forest view.

The Time and Place to Write

I am currently at a place where I feel like my professional and personal work are in balance.

A fanned open journal on a wooden table next to a pen and white tea cup.

Worth Doing Badly

"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly." This is one of my mantras, and it makes people feel all kinds of ways. But, as a serial perfectionist, repeating this to myself helps me keep moving forward, even when the possibility of failure seems overwhelming.