William Daniel (YOU’RE JOKING ME) – Author Interview & Invitation

Want to instigate some giggles from the kids? Allow me to introduce to you, William Daniel, the author of YOU’RE JOKING ME: JOKES FOR KIDS BY A KID. William is “a middle schooler, WWII enthusiast, and a competitive gymnast. He builds model airplanes and wants to be a pilot someday. He has an older sister, Maris, and a twin sister, Cayln, and is the younger by four minutes. As you can well imagine, he enjoys making people laugh, which he does for family, for friends, and at school. William lives in Colorado with his family and dog, Riley.”

I first met William at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference in Asheville, North Carolina last spring. It was there that I found out William would soon have a book published by Revell, a part of the Baker Publishing Group.

I knew you all would love to hear more about William and his writing journey so I invited him for an interview here on the blog. Plus, at the end of the interview, we have an invitation for you all!

Let’s Get to Know William Daniel

Welcome, William! Congratulations on your new book. Can you tell us why you chose to write a joke book?

I chose to write a book because I thought it would be nice to share my jokes with the world and to spread humor to keep things light in life. There is some dark humor in our world and I wanted to provide some good, clean humor for people.

What’s one of the fun things and one of the challenging things about being writer?

One of the fun things of being an author is the opportunities I get to share about my book and one of the more challenging things is keeping up with writing and schoolwork. I needed to stay on a deadline for my jokes and some days I wasn’t as creative as others. I know it’s important to stick things out to the end.

How do you come up with your jokes?

When coming up with jokes, I first form the punch line and then I form the question and answer. I think of words that I can use and then work backwards from there.

Who did you test your jokes on when writing your book? Was every joke you tested a success or did you have mixed responses? Like, did kids think a joke was hilarious, but some adults didn’t get it? Or vice versa? I know that’s how it is in my family sometimes!

I tested out my jokes on my family and they mostly gave the same response as each other. Most jokes went through to the book, but there were a few that I thought were good until I said them out loud. If I got blank stares, I knew that it probably wasn’t going to make it into the book.

Ha! I’ll leave the joke writing to you, because my made-up jokes get a lot of blank stares! How have you seen your parents make humor a part of your family—and why is that important?

My parents put humor into our lives when we’re eating together or traveling (funny things can happen then). It is important because a house without humor is much more tense and unexciting.

I know a lot of kids who are dealing with anxiety. How can jokes and laughter help them?

Humor can help kids with anxiety, especially social anxiety. Knowing a few good jokes can allow anyone to gain friends to help them get through it all. Humor brings out the best in people.

And, the book you’ve written will provide kids with plenty of wholesome humor to share. William, when you’re talking with others, how do you encourage them to use the gifts and talents they have?

I encourage others to use their gifts and talents by talking to them about what they enjoy and are passionate about and encouraging them to grow in their gifts. Once someone sees that they are good at something, it helps knowing that others believe in you.

I’ve heard you have a saying: “You’re never too young or too old to have humor in your life.” Will you explain this phrase?

The phrase you’re never too old or too young to have humor in your life is a phrase I use a lot as all people have problems that only humor can fix. We can all use some humor to lighten our load or bring a smile to our faces. Sometimes kids need to laugh. And adults do too so they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration is my father and grandfather as they’ve put humor in my life that I can give to others. They are funny people and I strive to bring humor to others like they have to me.

Where can our audience go to connect with you and purchase a copy of YOU’RE JOKING ME?

You can find me at these places:

Instagram: thewilliamdaniel

Facebook: thewilliamdanielauthor

You can purchase my book anywhere books are sold whether it’s Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Target online store, and Walmart online store. Thanks!

William, thank you so much for sharing with us! We wish you all the best with your book.

Since I love promoting wholesome books, especially for kids, I will be reviewing YOU’RE JOKING ME in early December. We’ll have a giveaway copy–so, stay tuned. In the meantime, here’s an appetizer for you:

What happens when a pony sings? 

He gets a little hoarse.

What happens when snowmen get nervous? 

They get cold feet.

William Daniel, YOU’RE JOKING ME

Also, dear readers, I want to let you know THIS Friday, November 11, 2022, I am going to William Daniel’s book launch party for YOU’RE JOKING ME. The ZOOM party takes place at 5:30 (MST), so that’s 6:30 (CT), and 7:30 (EST).

YOU are invited to come, too! Kids are encouraged to come as well. There will be jokes, games, and prizes. How fun is that? Will you join me? (Click on the link in the comments section if you want more information, or to sign up for the book launch party!)