“I was a little bit like Greg” – Interview with Jeff Kinney – Author of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ books

As ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules’ the second dose of wimpy kid fun on the silver screen gets ready to come down to our homes with a DVD release, the original creator of the ‘Wimpy Kid’ Jeff Kinney speaks to Dot Com Women in an exclusive interview.

1. Our first and foremost question, which I am sure everyone would like to know, is whether or not you wrote a diary as a kid and does ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ draw any inspiration from it?

I didn’t keep a diary as a kid, but I wish I had! I started keeping a journal in my 20s, to inspire me to work on my comic strips. But I realized the format could work as a hybrid text-and-cartoons book, and that’s where the idea for Diary of a Wimpy Kid was born.

2. Which of your characters from the movie ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ and its sequel, does most justice to the real Jeff Kinney when he was in school?

I think I was a little bit like Greg. Greg is the manifestation of some of my worst points as a kid and as an adult.

3. Tell us about some favorite memories from your own school days. Did any of them form the basis for any events pictured in either of the Wimpy Kid movies?

I had a pretty normal childhood, but of course some of the things that happened to me as a kid inspired events in the books and the movie. For example, I used to have a game with my best friend in which I’d throw a nerf ball at him as he rode by on a ten-speed bike. That morphed into a football and a Big Wheel in the books and movie.

4. Siblings always seem to have a love/hate relationship. Do you have any siblings? How has it been growing up with them?

I have three siblings. Yes, things could be tense when we were growing up, but we’re all very close now!

5. How did the Wimpy Kids books come to be?

I had wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist, but couldn’t break in to the business. So I decided to write books instead, and it worked out for me!

Download and Print Free ‘Wimpy Kid’ Activity Sheets for your Kids! Click on each image to view and print in original size.
BUG ACTIVITY	BACKYARD CAMPING	SUMMER SPORTS

6. Are there going to be more books in the near future?

Yes, we just announced the title of the new book, which is “Cabin Fever.” It comes out in the fall. I hope to do a few more books after that.

7. What do you like to do when you are not writing books?

I like to spend time with my kids and ride my bike in circles in the cul de sac. It puts my mind at ease.

8. What message would you want your own kids and all others reading this interview to be able to draw from the movie “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules”?

I’d like them to be inspired to create something of their own! Kids have so many tools at their disposal these days to create something great.