Now with the publication of the 20th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Jeff Kinney shows no signs of slowing down – he's writing movie scripts, opening bookstores, and planning to rebuild his hometown.
Watching Kinney sign books is like a meticulous performance art. Backstage at a theater in Chester, where the author continues his UK tour, three folding tables are piled high with thousands of copies. Kinney rolls around in a wheelchair, signing as he goes. His concentration is total.
Today he signs copies of Partypooper, the 20th book in his blockbuster series. Each copy bears the tagline: “Over 300 million books sold.” To put that in perspective: Kinney has sold more books than Led Zeppelin albums. If you were — or had — a reading kid over the past two decades, Kinney is a rock star. And that’s most evident during the evening’s sold-out event, when he whips up a “custard pie” while 800 kids and parents squeal with delight.
Kinney’s plays are far from the usual signatures of authors. This is a performance with small actors and enthusiastic audience participation, where a mother almost falls over trying to do the “split”. Kinney himself says that he is not a naturally inclined person to the stage: “I am not the type of person who needs to be the center of attention. I am a writer. I chose this profession because I am an introvert. So it is strange to be on stage, but these days, if you are a children’s writer, you have to be able to be entertaining.”
Kinney, a former software engineer, originally created Wimpy Kid for the online gaming site Funbrain. Three years later, the first book was published and became an instant sensation, appealing to children with its relatable characters and copious amounts of humor. The book, readable as a brilliant observational comedy, appeals to children who don't want to get sucked into the thick, complex fantasy series.
Now 54, tall, with graying temples, Kinney is remarkably kind and normal. He could just seem like a good teacher or someone who manages a pottery shop.
Yet at this point in his career, Kinney feels elusive. Each new Wimpy Kid book is an event. The drive to maintain such a beloved series doesn’t weigh on Kinney: “I have a whole world to take care of, employees that depend on it, careers that grow out of it. I have to keep the engine running. I know that, but I wouldn’t call it pressure. It’s a nice place to be.”
Although the series has been around since 2007, Partypooper is as quirky and lively as the previous books, with a delightful darkness lurking at the edges of the story. Greg Heffley remains perhaps the “most beloved psychopath” in children’s literature; one scene in the new book shows him blowing out a funeral candle in a mad attempt to make a wish.
“Every year I ask myself big questions,” he says. “What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Three days ago I was trying to set my goals. Consistency and consistency in comedy is my current goal. I think a lot about Bob Dylan. I’m not trying to compare myself, but he keeps going. He’s a good role model.”
Kinney is the custodian of an entire franchise. In addition to his rebellious books and shows, he writes the scripts for Disney's Wimpy Kid movies (the latest, The Last Straw, came out in December). He says working in different mediums keeps the series fresh.
“My first books were just collections of jokes,” he smiles. “I wasn’t really interested in telling good stories. But when they were adapted for the screen, I started to learn about structure. It wasn’t until book 9 that I tried to tell a good story. And it wasn’t until book 12 that I started to understand the flow of the story. The first book I’m proud of for its narrative is book 19, which came out last year.”
Kinney also has a passion for urban planning. When the books began to take off, he used some of the funds to open An Unlikely Story bookstore in his hometown of Plainville, Massachusetts. When the store became a success, he decided to apply the same formula to the entire region: a beer garden, pizza restaurant, and public space.
When a series has been successful for so long, some authors feel dissatisfied. Kinney has recently been experimenting with his universe — with spin-offs and short stories. When asked by a reporter about an ultimate goal, he answers:
“At this point, I’m looking at the horizon,” he says slowly. “I had two goals: the 20th book and 300 million books sold. I haven’t thought beyond that. Now I have to ask: what comes next?”
There is no sign of retirement. “When you look at what I’ve created, it’s not so much a literary character as a cartoon character. Cartoon characters last a long time. I’m not ashamed of that. Look at Charles Schulz with Peanuts for 50 years.”
Kinney works with a methodical approach, obsessively journaling and using Systematic Inventive Thinking to extract jokes from the journals. This formula should keep Wimpy Kid alive for many years to come.
“It’s a privilege to have such a long series,” he says. “I know how lucky I am that I don’t have to introduce myself every time a new book comes out. Now I feel like an heir, and I like that. Look at Schulz or old Dr. Seuss – a little hunched over, with glasses. I’m getting to my final form.” /GazetaExpress/
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