John Milas

How did you become a writer? My childhood involved a lot of bedtime stories and library books and I was exposed to Bible narratives on a daily basis. The inundation of narrative was a foundational thing for me as I grew up, so I assume this is why I feel so compelled to tell stories now. But I'm sure a psychologist could figure it out for us.

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.). I am a loyal follower of Sol LeWitt's "Sentences on Conceptual Art" from a 1960s magazine called 0 To 9. I was introduced to the piece in a poetry workshop in grad school and now find myself deeply moved each time I encounter it, particularly the fifth sentence, which reads, "Irrational thoughts should be followed absolutely and logically." I draw influence from any artistic medium, including from works that I do not understand or that I do not personally enjoy. Anything can push you in the right direction. Aside from the books that helped me as I wrote The Militia House, I studied the feature film The Blair Witch Project, the documentary Combat Obscura, and a mid-series episode of The X-Files.

What are you working on now? I have been working on a collection of Kafkaesque stories about the Marines and I have a couple of novels that are based on some other unrelated life experiences that I'm getting started on, both of which are fantastical and/or speculative in nature.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? Honestly, I don't think so. I either choose to write or I choose not to write. I'm not sure I agree with the notion that a force of nature could stop someone from writing because then there's an implication that a force of nature enables someone to write. I think the truth is that writers need to enjoy writing, and if that's the case there will never be such a thing as writer's block; you'll just be writing to write, not because of some external standard you're holding yourself to. Also, it's okay to not want to write. It's not healthy to feel guilty about that.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received? When I was in grad school, the poet Mary Leader told me and my friends that the work itself, not publication or external validation, should be the writer's reward. I've considered that very seriously for years. A writer should be most excited to do the work. Following this advice will change your writing, for the better, more than anything else.

What’s your advice to new writers? Daydream as often as you can, even if you have to steal the time from yourself.

John Milas is a writer from Illinois. His short fiction has appeared in The Southampton Review, The Journal, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Militia House, is out now from Henry Holt.