VBT Writers on the Move Guest Kevin McNamee

Kevin McNamee is a writer and poet living in Yonkers, NY. He primarily writes for the children’s market. He has several children’s picture books published including If I Could Be Anything, The Sister Exchange, Lightning Strikes and The Soggy Town of Hilltop. These books are available at Guardian Angel Publishing, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble
or ask your local bookstore. Look for other titles coming soon by
Kevin including Lightning Strikes, What Is That Thing, My Brother, the
Frog, and more.

When Kevin isn’t writing, he spends his time playing hide and seek, at the insistence of his five year old daughter, and at his day job, at the insistence of his wife. When time
permits, Kevin also enjoys fossil hunting, home-brewing beer, and
gardening. He is currently engaged in an epic battle against roving
gangs of crazed squirrels who are digging up everything in sight. Kevin
notes that the squirrels are winning.

To find out more about Kevin, please visit his website at http://www.kevinmcnamee.com or visit his blog at http://www.kevinmcnameechildrensauthor.blogspot.com.

VS: Please tell us Kevin what you are most passionate about outside of writing.

Kevin: Outside of writing, I would say that I’m the most passionate about my family.

VS: That's wonderful. As you can see, The Writing Mama blog isn't just about writing, but my family and other writer's families
as well and how we balance it all. So with that in mind, Kevin what is
your most precious memory? It doesn't have to be about writing.

Kevin: Recently, I came home from work and I was completely exhausted. My five year old daughter wanted me to play our
usual games, tag, hide and seek, and some other game of her own creation
which involves me chasing her while she’s wearing a plastic
firefighter’s helmet and carrying a beach ball. But I was tired and
really wanted no part of it. But my daughter was insistent and I found
myself losing patience and I yelled at her. She climbed up on the couch,
threw her arms around me and said, “I love you Daddy. Now you can be so
happy.” I melted.

VS: That is a wonderful memory. Children really do have a way to remind us what is important. What is your most embarrassing memory?

Kevin: My most precious memory and my most embarrassing memory are the same, when I think of how selfish I was being.

VS: Wow, that was very honest of you. But don't feel you are the only parent like that. I find myself doing the same thing with my children. After I blow up, I stop and
realize they are only a child for so long and my writing can wait a few
minutes or a couple of hours. Work will always be there, but my children
will not. Now Kevin, if you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing
with your life?

Kevin: Right now, I still have a day job. Unfortunately, writing hasn’t been my means to self-sufficiency yet. I’m still trying
to find that balance between work/family/writing/everything else. It’s a
challenging juggling act, but so far, I’ve been able to keep all the
balls in the air.

VS: It is very hard to balance it all, however, the rewards are worth it. I think it is important for many new writers starting out to know you can't just quick
your day job. Two writing friends of mine just finally were able to say
that after having more than 4 books published with medium presses. So
what are your future goals for your writing?

Kevin: I’ve been focusing primarily on picture books and I would like to branch out to middle readers and Young Adult novels. I have two middle readers in various
stages of completion.

VS: I think it is great you are willing to try different genres in children's writing. Kevin, can you describe a typical writing
day for you?

Kevin: There’s no such thing as a typical writing day for me. I try to do something writing related every day. But what I’m doing
may vary. Sometimes I’m writing new material, sometimes I’m revising,
sometimes I’m critiquing, sometimes I’m researching, sometimes I’m
promoting. Due to the demands on my time, I’ve needed to adopt the
philosophy of doing what I can, when I can.

VS: Very valid point. I don't know many writer's who get to just block out X amount of time each day for their writing. I tend to
write in 5 to 10 minutes busts. I do all my editing late a night when
the kids are in bead and can't bother me. I need to focus so this works
great for me. Kevin, what writer most inspires you? Why?

Kevin: I would say that the writers that I meet both online and in person inspire me the most. They all share the same passion and dedication as I do. They understand the
struggles and sacrifices involved in being a writer.

VS: Well said Kevin. Now please take as much space as necessary to speak to my readers—what would you like them to know about
you and your writing?

Kevin: I think that writing for children carries a lot of responsibility and it’s a challenge that I try to rise to. The world can be a confusing enough place as it is for
adults, how much more so for children? If I can help children understand
the world around them and help them make sense of various situations
that effect them, that would be the most rewarding thing of all, for it
would be something that they could carry with them long after they have
put down my book.

You can learn more about Kevin at The Writing Mama at
http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/2010/11/vbt-writers-on-move-gues...