Mike "Pops" Klumpp

Writing is fun. Well, sort of. Creating the story, bringing the characters to life, imagining the settings and situations – these things are fun. Sharing the idea is fun. Telling people what you are thinking is fun. Writing and finishing is work. Just plain work.

My dear friend and poet Kemmer Anderson, graduate of Davidson, winner of the James Dickey award, among other accolades, was well published and well respected in scholarly pursuits. He was a mentor. He was a Milton scholar. He was a teacher at McCallie School in Chattanooga. He always pushed for one thing for me. “Finish!” he would say. “You have to finish.” Kemmer knew the push to get the work out published and shareable required finishing.

I am working to finish a novel Tanglewood. It requires that I step in and manage my time. I have taken to organizing my schedule around two hours of time writing. In the words of another writer friend Dave Louis, “Write just a page a day and at the end of a year you have 365 pages. That’s a book!”

The point is, you gotta do the work. So, what tools do you use to see that get done?

I have a few tools. One, I use a site called Basecamp. Basecamp is a project management tool that gives me calendars, check ins, Kanban, storage, and team communication.

I use Basecamp for my radio show. I store shows on the site to exchange with my producer in UK. We use it for chat and discussion. We use it for planning. We use it for evaluation and debrief.

I use the same with my personal media strategist and manager on a project called “Pops”. We plan, exchange ideas, and exchange files. We also use various tools on Basecamp to manage accountability, push productivity and keep a view on project progress.

Then, I use the tool for personal management. I have a to/do list there with daily requirements. I have check ins “Are you writing?” Basecamp asks me daily. In keeps me honest and focused.

Then I have a kinetic system I call the “Yellow Pad Management System”. It is a totally flexible daily record and time management system. I have taught it on four continents to select groups. I am happy to share my time management tips with you or your team.

70% of all people who reach their goals, write them down. 90% of all millionaires and successful people have a time management system. Why go against the odds when you can jump onboard. If you want to succeed as a writer, play along.

If you’d like to know more, you can contact Pops as goaskpops@gmail.com

We look forward to hearing from you. Happy Writing!