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Ep 499: Weird, nerdy, and totally delightful: our conversation with Kevin Wilson

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Oct 21, 2025

Guest

Kevin Wilson

In this engaging discussion, acclaimed author Kevin Wilson dives into his unique writing process and the family-centered themes in his fiction. He shares the inspiration behind his latest novel, Run for the Hills, touching on topics like found family and personal history. Wilson reveals how he blends humor and weirdness to create emotional depth, discusses his quirky setting choices—including a PT Cruiser—and reflects on his background as a reader. He also hints at his next project involving a teenage boy and a literature teacher. A delightful conversation for book lovers!

01:05:16

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ANECDOTE

Coalfield: A Mutable Fictional Anchor

Kevin Wilson invented a flexible fictional place called Coalfield that shifts to fit each story's needs.
He uses Coalfield as a personal, movable anchor across his novels to ground characters and setting.

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ADVICE

Teach Novels By Reading The First 80 Pages

Teach novel craft by closely analyzing the first pages rather than completing entire books in class.
Limit discussion to manageable sections to help students focus on structure and setup.

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ANECDOTE

Family History Sparked The Novel

The idea for Run for the Hills grew from DNA-test emails and family fragmentation in Wilson's life.
His wife's adoption and his mother's family history seeded the concept of biological and found family colliding.

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Kevin Wilson: How I Describe My Work

17:42 • 2min

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Teaching Novels by Reading the First 80 Pages

19:40 • 4min

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Why I Write About Family

23:22 • 2min

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Origin of Run for the Hills

25:27 • 3min

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Balancing Tenderness and Humor

28:20 • 2min

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Writing the Prologue and Farm Scenes

30:36 • 1min

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The PT Cruiser as a Central Setting

31:44 • 2min

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Coalfield, Tennessee: My Fictional Anchor

33:14 • 5min

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Recurring Ideas and Reusing Concepts

37:45 • 1min

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Why Women's Basketball Appears in My Work

39:02 • 2min

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Using Real Places and Personal Experience

40:50 • 2min

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What I Want Readers to Take from the Family

42:39 • 3min

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Why Mad Is the Novel's Point of View

45:26 • 2min

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Run for the Hills as an Epic Quest

47:25 • 2min

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Designing the Siblings' Personalities

49:40 • 2min

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Why the Father Remains Static

51:36 • 3min

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Creating Forward Momentum and Short Timeframes

54:59 • 4min

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Writing What Makes Me Happy

59:16 • 2min

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Being a Reader Before a Writer

01:00:56 • 2min

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Books Kevin's Enjoying on Tour

01:03:04 • 54sec

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What I'm Working On Next

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Now Is Not the Time to Panic follows the intertwined lives of two teenagers, Frankie and Zeke, in a small Kentucky town during the summer of 1996. They create a mysterious piece of art together featuring an enigmatic phrase, which sparks both fascination and panic among the townspeople. As their creation gains notoriety, Frankie and Zeke grapple with the unexpected consequences of their artistic expression. The novel explores themes of creativity, friendship, and the impact of art on a community. It delves into the anxieties and uncertainties of adolescence, capturing the intensity of youthful emotions. Ultimately, it celebrates the power of art to challenge perceptions and forge connections, while also highlighting the potential for misinterpretation and fear.

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One of our favorite things to do in our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club is connect with the authors we all love. Every so often we have the opportunity to share one of those conversations with all of you, too.

Today you'll be hearing from Kevin Wilson, author of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide selection Run for the Hills and a writer we've long looked forward to hosting in this space. Our conversation covers a lot of ground today, from Wilson's approach to writing his stories to topics like what it means to fit in, how weirdness impacts his writing style, and how a PT Cruiser ended up as a key feature in his book.

We kick off today's conversation with a bit of behind the scenes conversation between Anne and our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community manager, Ginger Horton. We wanted to give you some idea of what you're going to be listening to today. Whether you've read Kevin Wilson or not, we think you'll enjoy this opportunity to hear an author talk about their work and their process in a really interesting way.

Find the list of titles mentioned today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/499.

In addition to other major milestones, we're about to celebrate our 10-year anniversary of the Book Club. Today we share insights into what exactly we do in Book Club and why you might want to consider joining us in what we call the best corner of the internet. Find out more at modernmrsdarcy.com/club.

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