Meet Comedy Writer, Comic and Author Brian Kiley and his Debut Novel “The Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins”

 

Humoroutcasts Press is proud to release the debut novel of Emmy Award- winning comedy writer Brian Kiley. Brian Kiley has been a staff writer for Conan O’Brien for 23 years.  He’s been nominated for 16 Emmy Awards (He won in 2007). He’s appeared 7 times on the David Letterman show, 12 times on Late Night with Conan and 4 times on the Tonight Show and he has his own Comedy Central half-hour special. His jokes have been featured in Reader’s Digest, Prevention Magazine, GQ and the New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle. 

You can buy The Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins on Amazon in paperback or kindle. On May 12, 2018 at 3 PM, Brian will be doing a book signing at Book Soup in West Hollywood, CA.  We will be posting the flyer as well.  Follow Brian on twitter

 

Tell us about the beginnings of Brian Kiley?

I grew up just outside of Boston in a family of five kids.  I’m the middle child (the problem child). Luckily, my childhood was as bad as Rory’s.

How did you get into stand-up comedy and TV writing?

I started doing stand-up in college. (I went to Boston College) I used to write jokes when I was a kid and save them on note cards. I used to watch the Dick Van Dyke Show and I wanted to grow up to be Rob Petrie.

What prompted you to write a novel?  Where did the idea come from?

I was in a writing workshop and I wrote what I thought was a short story. The teacher said, “That’s not a short story, that’s the first chapter of a novel.” So each week I’d bring in a new chapter. I’m a writer for Conan and he had his falling out with NBC around this time. Then I worked for hours every day on Rory.

Is it more difficult to write novels or laugh out loud jokes for TV and stand up?  What has more pressure?

Writing for TV is a lot of pressure especially a nightly show because you have to produce every day and it has to be funny which may be the hardest thing in the world.  Stand up is harder than writing a novel because when you’re writing a novel you don’t have a drunk standing over your shoulder yelling, “you suck.”

What is the one thing you have learned about being a novelist that surprised you?

I guess what surprised me writing a novel was the dark places my mind would go and what ended up coming out of me.  I had no idea I was this disturbed. Okay, I had some idea.

What is it that you want readers to take away from your work?
I just hope people could relate to Rory and enjoyed the ride.  I think we all have crazy childhoods in our own way and we all make some awful choices in life.

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3 thoughts on “Meet Comedy Writer, Comic and Author Brian Kiley and his Debut Novel “The Astounding Misadventures of Rory Collins””

  1. How exciting! I can’t wait to read this and based on your interview, Brian, I know it is going to be funny and poignant. I grew up watching Dick Van Dyke, too. Some of the best comedy ever. Nice to have you joining Donna’s excellent line of up published authors.

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