Q: What kinds of things do you write?
PK: My son once quipped that, “My Dad can write anything except for free.” I always thought that was pretty funny – and the fact is, I’ve written for just about every medium and in almost every style. I started as an advertising copywriter doing a lot of radio and print ads, went on to produce gameday events for the Giants, became a live event and video producer for companies on both coasts and then finally went off on my own. I’ve developed a pretty diverse skillset and it serves me well when I’m working with my clients and production colleagues – people can tell that I’m not faking anything.

Q: What’s it mean to be a ‘professional writer’?
PK: To me, a professional is someone who does something – anything – on purpose. I can’t work a backhoe but I know some pros who can. Many people can’t persuade an audience to understand them, to agree with them, to laugh or cry or go into battle with them…but I can.

Q: What’s the most important quality in a good writer?
PK: You’d think it’s a great vocabulary or a way with words – and they’re both important. But I’ve found that listening – carefully and completely – is my most valuable skill. Cervantes wrote that ‘It’s not a man’s hand that writes. It is his understanding’. I strive to understand – my client, their audience, their goals, content and barriers, everything – and then I write.

Q: How does someone become a speechwriter?
PK: Write and make speeches. There’s no substitute for working through material and formats under pressure – for learning to judge audiences before, during and after the speech. I write and collaborate on about 50 speeches a year and I strive to make each one of them distinctive, impactful and effective – customized for the message, the moment and the messenger.

Q: What’s the best thing about being a professional writer?
PK: I love walking into an executive’s office for the first time and having him – and his team – look me over with genuine disdain because they’re positive that I’m a charlatan like the last hotshot they had in there. Almost every time I start with a new client they want to know how I work and at what part of the process I turn into a primadonna. I love it because I know I’m not snowing anybody – I really can write these speeches, these challenging videos, these make-or-break letters. By the end of the first meeting, I can see everybody relax, exhale, let their guards down. They can see I ‘get it’ – because I do…and then we set about writing the best message we can, together.

Q: What’s the role of a speechwriter – and why do people need them?
PK: Without question, the speechwriter’s role is to make absolutely certain that the speech is a success: that it reaches the audience, influences them in a positive way and delivers the information in a compelling manner that effects change. I work with each client in a different way – some are so busy that they need me to research, write, revise and coach every step. I love this – and these speeches are often very successful. Other times, clients have very clear ideas of what they want to say, they just don’t have the time to write it down. So I become a kind of really smart speech-recognition software. They talk to me. I listen. I ask questions. We work out the content. Then I go write their speech with their ideas, images, examples and pressure points… so they don’t have to.

Q: Your children’s books sold over 300,000 copies – how come you’re not the modern Seuss?
PK: Writing those books was a great experience for me and I’m really proud of them. But it was a long time ago – and in reality it was just another gig. I joke that I ‘used to be semi-famous’ – and I still get invitations to visit schools and libraries. A third grade wrote to me last year. I loved it. But I’m a pro – and I get a lot of satisfaction from making my living writing speeches, scripts and major business documents. On the other hand, if someone wants to hire me to write a children’s book, I’m ready to go.

Q: What’s your philosophy on writing?
PK: All writing is persuasive writing – it’s about convincing audiences and readers to believe you enough to listen, consider, agree and finally, to act. I talk to my clients about what they want their people to “think, feel, do” when we’re done…and I’m not talking about just one of those three. Great communications achieve all of them – we persuade the audience to think what we think, to feel what we feel and to do more than they thought possible.

Q: What’s the highlight of your career?
PK: I’ve had a lot of great moments that I cherish. Awards, ovations, book signings, big checks, perfect shows, all kinds of things. I’ve had a lot of my colleagues – other directors, producers and writers – give me great reviews. But I honestly believe I haven’t peaked and my best is yet to come…although when I worked for the Giants, I did go 2 for 4 in a pick-up baseball game on the field at Candlestick Park. That’s pretty hard to top.