An Interview with Allen Miles
Who, Why, How, When, What... and Finally...
Who
Allen Miles is 31 years old and lives in Hull. He describes himself as “a caffeine-addicted six foot three stick insect with a bit of a cold.” He has spent fifteen years doing appallingly tedious jobs and drinking heavily with various disreputable characters such as notorious drug dealer Xavier Dwyer and local mafia-type John Dunham. His writing often focuses on tragedy, self-abuse and hangovers, drawing on memories of the many “lost weekends” of his twenties. Now reportedly a changed man, he spends most of his spare time trying to prevent his baby daughter from veering into “evil genius” territory.
What
What is 18 Days, without spoiling the end, because I've started it!
It’s the story of a young man who suffers a horrific event in his personal life and rejects his loved ones offers to help by barricading himself in his house and subjecting himself to a booze-fuelled spiral into the abyss. When he realises that one of his friends has a key to his house he flees to a sleazy hotel to hide, all the while being followed by a shadowy figure who is reporting his actions to an unknown party.
It’s a very dark book, downright harrowing in places but it was never my intention to deliberately shock or upset people. These things just come out sometimes.
Have you written anything else and what, where can we find it?
Many of my shorter pieces are on various websites and I’m in the process of compiling them onto my own site for anyone who’s interested. It will be ready in a couple of weeks and I’ll be sure to let my twitter followers know the address.
Are you working on anything else at the moment?
I’m working on a crime novel called Dick. It is taking ages because I have no discipline and the attention span of a goldfish. I love old detective films and stuff like Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane so its always been something I’ve fancied doing.
How
How did you come to write 18 Days?
I had a few prose pieces published on a website called Close To The Bone, which was run by a friend of mine, and a huge influence on my writing career, Darren Sant. These caused a wee bit of a stir at work. One day I was whinging about my job whilst walking to the car park after my shift with one of my colleagues, as I do pretty much every day. She turned to me and said “I’m getting fed up of you moaning now, it’s time for you to write something and send it off.” I was still a bit sceptical but eventually she threatened to stop driving me home, and I hate getting the bus.
How long did it take you?
5 days. Or should I say five ludicrously intense wine and red-bull fuelled sessions from midnight until I nodded off at about half four each morning.
Did you start from a germ of an idea and expand it?
I had the idea a while ago yet I’d never really fleshed it out. It was originally intended to be a short story but once I started I couldn’t stop.
Did you know at the start how your story was going to end or is it a surprise?
I wrote two endings. I think I picked the right one.
Did you plot the whole thing out or just start writing and see where it takes you?
I knew the start and I knew the ending. The middle bit was what I suppose you might call improvised, but I really enjoy writing like that, its how the characters actually take on their own identities.
How did you get 18 Days published?
I sent a speculative e-mail to a publishing house called Byker Books, at the suggestion of Darren, who had already had his own work published by them. They asked for three chapters via e-mail, which I sent. Then they asked for the whole thing. About a fortnight later the first two or three lines of an e-mail from Byker’s editor flashed up on my mobile, which said something like “I’ve read your novella. It’s a bit too literary and not really the sort of thing we’re looking to publish…” at which point I assumed I’d been rejected, threw a tantrum, turned my phone off and stamped around at work for the rest of the day like a cross between Elton John and Faye Dunaway. Only when I got home did I actually realise that the next bit said “…but in this case we’re prepared to go with it.” I was extremely happy, and celebrated by drinking a bottle of wine and watching a repeat of Minder on UK Gold.
Why
When did you first realise that you HAD to write?
I was very young. I have mentioned a certain book in every single interview that I’ve done, it was called A Pair Of Jesus Boots by Sylvia Sherry. I read it when I was about nine, and it was an incredibly atmospheric style of writing for a children’s book. It was the first time Id thought “I have to do this.” And to this day, evoking an atmosphere is the most rewarding part of writing to me. As important as character, narrarative, etc are, if I can put someone in a certain environment or mood with what I’ve written, then I’ve achieved what I set out to.
Who inspired you?
Irvine Welsh, George Orwell, Charles Bukowski, John Fante, JG Ballard, Knut Hamsun, Albert Camus, Cormac McCarthy, David Peace… I have been massively influenced by lyricists as well as writers, particularly Richey Edwards and Nick Cave.
Did you find you were a natural?
I’ve had no formal education in writing past GCSE/A Level, so if people are enjoying what I’m doing then I suppose I’d tell them that yes, it comes naturally.
When
When do you find you do your best writing?
In the small hours of the morning when I’m drunk.
Do you write every day?
No. I will have intense creative splurges that last a fortnight or so where I’ll write for hours every night, then I have long periods where I’ll not be able to finish a sentence. Most frustrating.
Do you always have a story on the go?
I’ll generally have an idea on the back burner but I have to wait till the muse strikes me before I can start working on it.
How do you find time for writing?
I drink cheap Red-Bull style energy drinks from Aldi and stay up until three in the morning.
Finally
What are you reading at the moment?
One Day In My Life by Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger striker.
Recommend a novel/novella/short story collection that the general public probably wont have heard of/read but should
I’d recommend The Stories of Breece DJ Pancake by Breece DJ Pancake, an obscure writer who wrote vivid and haunting stories of rural America. He shot himself at the age of 26. Or if you prefer something short and sharp, have a look at Darren Sant’s Tales From The Longcroft estate . Excellent crime writing (Totally agree Darren Sant is a great writer and all round top bloke! - AT).
18 Days is available to buy now here
Allen Miles is 31 years old and lives in Hull. He describes himself as “a caffeine-addicted six foot three stick insect with a bit of a cold.” He has spent fifteen years doing appallingly tedious jobs and drinking heavily with various disreputable characters such as notorious drug dealer Xavier Dwyer and local mafia-type John Dunham. His writing often focuses on tragedy, self-abuse and hangovers, drawing on memories of the many “lost weekends” of his twenties. Now reportedly a changed man, he spends most of his spare time trying to prevent his baby daughter from veering into “evil genius” territory.
What
What is 18 Days, without spoiling the end, because I've started it!
It’s the story of a young man who suffers a horrific event in his personal life and rejects his loved ones offers to help by barricading himself in his house and subjecting himself to a booze-fuelled spiral into the abyss. When he realises that one of his friends has a key to his house he flees to a sleazy hotel to hide, all the while being followed by a shadowy figure who is reporting his actions to an unknown party.
It’s a very dark book, downright harrowing in places but it was never my intention to deliberately shock or upset people. These things just come out sometimes.
Have you written anything else and what, where can we find it?
Many of my shorter pieces are on various websites and I’m in the process of compiling them onto my own site for anyone who’s interested. It will be ready in a couple of weeks and I’ll be sure to let my twitter followers know the address.
Are you working on anything else at the moment?
I’m working on a crime novel called Dick. It is taking ages because I have no discipline and the attention span of a goldfish. I love old detective films and stuff like Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane so its always been something I’ve fancied doing.
How
How did you come to write 18 Days?
I had a few prose pieces published on a website called Close To The Bone, which was run by a friend of mine, and a huge influence on my writing career, Darren Sant. These caused a wee bit of a stir at work. One day I was whinging about my job whilst walking to the car park after my shift with one of my colleagues, as I do pretty much every day. She turned to me and said “I’m getting fed up of you moaning now, it’s time for you to write something and send it off.” I was still a bit sceptical but eventually she threatened to stop driving me home, and I hate getting the bus.
How long did it take you?
5 days. Or should I say five ludicrously intense wine and red-bull fuelled sessions from midnight until I nodded off at about half four each morning.
Did you start from a germ of an idea and expand it?
I had the idea a while ago yet I’d never really fleshed it out. It was originally intended to be a short story but once I started I couldn’t stop.
Did you know at the start how your story was going to end or is it a surprise?
I wrote two endings. I think I picked the right one.
Did you plot the whole thing out or just start writing and see where it takes you?
I knew the start and I knew the ending. The middle bit was what I suppose you might call improvised, but I really enjoy writing like that, its how the characters actually take on their own identities.
How did you get 18 Days published?
I sent a speculative e-mail to a publishing house called Byker Books, at the suggestion of Darren, who had already had his own work published by them. They asked for three chapters via e-mail, which I sent. Then they asked for the whole thing. About a fortnight later the first two or three lines of an e-mail from Byker’s editor flashed up on my mobile, which said something like “I’ve read your novella. It’s a bit too literary and not really the sort of thing we’re looking to publish…” at which point I assumed I’d been rejected, threw a tantrum, turned my phone off and stamped around at work for the rest of the day like a cross between Elton John and Faye Dunaway. Only when I got home did I actually realise that the next bit said “…but in this case we’re prepared to go with it.” I was extremely happy, and celebrated by drinking a bottle of wine and watching a repeat of Minder on UK Gold.
Why
When did you first realise that you HAD to write?
I was very young. I have mentioned a certain book in every single interview that I’ve done, it was called A Pair Of Jesus Boots by Sylvia Sherry. I read it when I was about nine, and it was an incredibly atmospheric style of writing for a children’s book. It was the first time Id thought “I have to do this.” And to this day, evoking an atmosphere is the most rewarding part of writing to me. As important as character, narrarative, etc are, if I can put someone in a certain environment or mood with what I’ve written, then I’ve achieved what I set out to.
Who inspired you?
Irvine Welsh, George Orwell, Charles Bukowski, John Fante, JG Ballard, Knut Hamsun, Albert Camus, Cormac McCarthy, David Peace… I have been massively influenced by lyricists as well as writers, particularly Richey Edwards and Nick Cave.
Did you find you were a natural?
I’ve had no formal education in writing past GCSE/A Level, so if people are enjoying what I’m doing then I suppose I’d tell them that yes, it comes naturally.
When
When do you find you do your best writing?
In the small hours of the morning when I’m drunk.
Do you write every day?
No. I will have intense creative splurges that last a fortnight or so where I’ll write for hours every night, then I have long periods where I’ll not be able to finish a sentence. Most frustrating.
Do you always have a story on the go?
I’ll generally have an idea on the back burner but I have to wait till the muse strikes me before I can start working on it.
How do you find time for writing?
I drink cheap Red-Bull style energy drinks from Aldi and stay up until three in the morning.
Finally
What are you reading at the moment?
One Day In My Life by Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger striker.
Recommend a novel/novella/short story collection that the general public probably wont have heard of/read but should
I’d recommend The Stories of Breece DJ Pancake by Breece DJ Pancake, an obscure writer who wrote vivid and haunting stories of rural America. He shot himself at the age of 26. Or if you prefer something short and sharp, have a look at Darren Sant’s Tales From The Longcroft estate . Excellent crime writing (Totally agree Darren Sant is a great writer and all round top bloke! - AT).
18 Days is available to buy now here
