Coffee Talks

With Milo Maia

Hi, Milo, congratulations on placing 3rd in Round 2 of the Open Novella Contest! We'd love to hear from you and get to know a little bit about what motivates you when writing works of fiction.

Thank you, and thanks for organising such a great initiative. Let's see, what motivates me? I've always loved the jumping-down-the-rabbit-hole feeling of writing, of slipping on a new skin and breathing foreign air through someone else's lungs. A bit graphic, maybe, but that's it in a nutshell.

So, to begin, tell us a little bit about yourself as an author on Wattpad. For anyone who hasn't met you before, how would you describe your fiction?

I write dark fantasy and a smattering of horror, with characters who can hope for a happy ending but know better than to ask me for one. My story worlds range from a demigod-governed Ancient Greece to a nameless Nordic civilization living a few centuries after the second apocalypse in a millennium. I love exploring a genre's tropes, subverting and deconstructing with 'what ifs'.

Let's talk a bit about your entry for the Open Novella Contest- Siggi, can you tell us about the book and its premise?

'Siggi' is named after the titular character, a shieldmaiden in her mid-forties searching for an artifact that will preserve the twilight of her fighting years. The only problem: said artifact is hidden in a mountain that warps time. The closer she gets, the more rapidly she ages. Throw in some dwarves, a clandestine war between gods, and the fact that Siggi pushes 'The Chosen One' off a cliff in the first chapter and you have 'Siggi'.

The tagline is "Destiny is Malleable". Questioning the power of fate and prophecy in fantasy was also important to me in this story.

What drove you to use this particular prompt? And how did you shape the story with the prompt in mind?

At the time when the contest was announced, I was writing about another shieldmaiden, Siggi's five-times-great granddaughter, and the mythical axe she inherited. In that world, Siggi  is already something of a folk legend, so "You are the last bearer of a legendary weapon" only seemed fitting. The axe is a family heirloom and, technically, Siggi was its first bearer, so I hopped on the chance to write an origin story for her.

What were some of the challenges you faced when writing Siggi?

Fitting it all under 20k words! The last book I wrote ended up being 10 times longer than that, but in truth the shorter format was also a boon. You pick three or four elements and just sink your teeth in.

Tell us about your experience participating in the Open Novella Contest.

I've made a few new friends over the last month and a bit, read some great stories, and fell in love with the novella format. I would never have dreamt of writing one before this contest.

If you had the opportunity to shout out one other book which is participating in the Open Novella Contest, which would it be?

No-brainer- The Last Viking by theemmpress. Wonderfully crafted and thematically resonant.

Lastly, because we're always curious... What was your first ever experience with the power of the written language?

R.L. Stine, fourth grade. I don't remember which book, I just remember being scared witless. I don't think a book affected me that much again until Robin Hobb's works fell into my lap. Huh. I just figured out why I write dark fantasy and horror.

It's been great hearing from you, Milo, best wishes in your future endeavours from our team.

Thanks, guys. Keep well.