Jeff Kinney Brings Hot Mess to Connecticut School

Arjun with Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney at Polson Middle School in Connecticut

Have you ever heard of the book series titled Diary Of A Wimpy Kid? Of course you have. Jeff Kinney, who created the series, is one of the most famous authors and cartoonists in the United States.

Kinney began to write about middle-schooler Greg Heffley back in 1998. Kinney created the character of Greg, who writes illustrated stories about his life and the awkward situations he gets into.

In 2004, an online version of the story was released, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid was born. Two years later, publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc. published the story in book form. Diary of a Wimpy Kid quickly became a New York Times #1 bestseller. Abrams also signed Kinney to create more books for the series. 

What trouble has Greg Heffley gotten into now?

“HOT MESS”

The 19th book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess, has just been released. On October 21, Kinney visited Polson Middle School in Madison, Connecticut, as part of his family-friendly book tour. 

At the school, which I attend, visitors could purchase signed copies of the new book, Greg Heffley plushies, other books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and some cool merchandise.

The event took place in the school auditorium, where Kinney introduced his book and entertained the audience with a hilarious performance put on by him and his team. Lots of kids in the audience were very excited and jumping off their seats laughing. 

During the busy evening, I was able to interview Kinney about his life and career. Here are highlights from our conversation, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

When did you become interested in writing, and what inspired you to become an author and an illustrator?

I always wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist. But that didn’t work out for me because my cartoons were rejected by newspapers. So, I had to find another way to get my cartoons into print. That’s when I started getting interested in writing, around 1998.

What challenges did you face while writing?

It took me a long time, almost nine years, to write my first book. These days, it’s always challenging to come up with new ideas, especially because I have written so many books. So it gets harder and harder, but it’s a fun challenge.

What helps you come up with your very creative titles?

In this one, Hot Mess, there is a presidential election coming up, and everybody is going a little crazy. So I wanted to come up with a title that fit the moment.

Are all of the books based on events that happened in your life?

Some of the stories are from my life. For example, in this book, Grandma has these famous meatballs, and whenever the family goes on a trip, she sends packs of meatballs. So that’s something that happened in my real life and happens in this book.

Who is the character Greg Heffley based on?
He is based on a messier version of myself. So, he is kind of like me as a kid. Of course, all of his problems are very exaggerated to be funnier.

What advice do you have for aspiring young authors?

You can’t be a good writer unless you are a good reader. So, you really have to read a lot, especially in the genre [category] you would like to write in.

When Kinney is on tour, he and his team put on a family-friendly, interactive show. 

Who is your favorite author?

My favorite author growing up was Judy Blume. She wrote Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and realistic, funny fiction.

Can you give us a little introduction to your new book?

My new book is about Greg Heffley’s mother. She has four sisters, and they used to go to this little beach cottage for their family vacation. They decide to try and recreate that family vacation by having five families together all in the same house.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?

I was a video game creator for a while, and I created an online role-playing game called Poptropica, which was a big deal at the time. I think I would have done that. I like creating those types of stories.

What are your hobbies?

I’d say the only hobby I really have is watching basketball. I’m a big fan of the Boston Celtics, and my favorite player is Jayson Tatum. Also, I kind of work for fun.

What are your future projects?

I’m working on two Wimpy Kid films for animated Disney+ movies, and I’ve got to start thinking of a new book pretty soon.

What is the most memorable comment you ever received from a young reader?

One time, a kid didn’t say anything at all. He just came up to me with his parents. He just nodded at me and got very emotional. I understood that this was a very special moment for him to meet me. It was special for me to meet him too.