Being Quote by Jeff Kinney
“I'm not good at narrative; I'm really a gag writer, and that comes from being in the newspaper comic strip world for a while in college. What I do is I just write tons of jokes, then I sort them out in terms of quality and then pick the best of the jokes and then try to form them into a plot. If I get a good theme going, I feel lucky.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Book Talk, Jeff Kinney, 2015
He treats joke writing like a craft, sorting humor by quality before shaping a story.
In simple terms: He writes many jokes, picks the best, then builds a plot.
Key Takeaway
Use iterative refinement: generate, filter, then structure.
Themes
creativity
writing
humor
Mood
reflective
playful
Type
creative
inspirational
When to use this quote
- stand‑up comedy
- comic strip development
- novel writing
- content creation
Key Concepts
comedy writing
story structure
creative process
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide which jokes fit a narrative?
- What role does humor play in storytelling?
A Different Perspective
Too many jokes can dilute focus; quality over quantity matters.
