Can you remember where you were when the idea for Wimpy Kid popped into your
head?
Yes! I was in my apartment near Boston. I had been keeping a journal, which I filled with
cartoon drawings. I realized the format was appealing, and I thought that if I wrote for kids, I
might have a shot at success.
How painful, or funny, was it to drag up all of those middle
School memories of your own?
It was a lot of fun. I don’t have fond memories of middle school,
but I think bad memories can make for good comedy.
Where did you grow up and what was a being a kid like for
you?
AWARDS
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
was named Best Book
of the Last Ten Years
at the 2012 Blue Peter
Book Awards.
I had a normal upbringing. I think my stories are grounded in real life, and my childhood was
no different from anyone else’s.
Did you ever write a Diary? Sorry, a Journal?
I kept a journal in my late 20s to help motivate me to work on my cartoons. I wanted to be a
newspaper cartoonist, but my journals inspired me to become an author
instead.
Did you ever think you’d write (or draw) for kids? What were your
earliest, craziest ambitions?
I didn’t! I wanted to be a federal law enforcement agent at one time.
Who were some of the authors you read when you first got into
books? (And what was it you liked about them?)
I really liked Judy Blume, and my favourite book was Tales of a Fourth
Grade Nothing. I liked the main character, Peter Hatcher, because he
seemed like an ordinary kid I could relate to. And I liked the humor,
which was realistic and not outlandish.
Do you prefer writing or drawing?
I struggle mightily with both! I’m almost always under deadline for
something, so it takes away a lot of the joy I might have if I could write
or draw casually. I crave the satisfaction of being done with something
rather than being in the process.
Greg Heffley is not always easy to like. Have your grown to love him over the course of
writing books about his life?
Because Greg is close to my own personality, I don’t see him in the way I
see other characters. I think Greg is flawed, but in a realistic way that most
people are.
Do you think kids are the same the world over? That they have the same
hopes, fears and aspirations?
I think most kids are fundamentally the same. I’ve been surprised that my
books have done well outside of the United States, and it confirms the
feeling that kids are the same everywhere you go.
What was your tactic for surviving Middle School? Any tips?
I tried to stay invisible! Middle school wasn’t much fun for me. We had some bullying going
on, and the best thing to do was to stay out of their way.
Can you write and draw on the move? Or do you have to be at home, at your desk, total
quiet, no interruptions?
I do all of my illustrations on a computer tablet, so that makes it hard to draw everywhere I
go. But if I’m going on a long trip, I’ll bring all my gear with me.
How involved were in the film making process?
I was very much involved. For each film, I was on set for about half the
time, and I do a lot of work before and after the film gets made. But
during filming, I’m a bystander.
Just a few of Jeff Kinney’s Books:
A family road trip is supposed to be a lot of fun . . . unless, of course,
you're the Heffleys.
The journey starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong
turns. Gas station bathrooms, crazed seagulls, a fender bender, and a
runaway pig - not exactly Greg Heffley's idea of a good time. But even
the worst road trip can turn into an adventure - and this is one the
Heffleys won't soon forget.
Life was better in the old days. Or was it?
That's the question Greg Heffley is asking as his town voluntarily
unplugs and goes electronics-free. But modern life has its
conveniences, and Greg isn't cut out for an old-fashioned world.
With tension building inside and outside the Heffley home, will Greg
find a way to survive? Or is going 'old school' just too hard for a kid
like Greg?
Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley
Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is
proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to
take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of
the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another
hard-luck story?
Love is in the air - but what does that mean for Greg Heffley? A
Valentine's Day dance at Greg's middle school has turned Greg's world
upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he's worried he'll be
left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn't
have any prospects either, but that's small consolation. Then an
unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley
the odd man out.