Author Q&A with EA Mylonas

EA Mylonas is a scifi author, whose short stories have appeared in Clarkesworld, with more coming on OnSpec Magazine and Fusion Fragment.

The Hush, his critically-acclaimed debut novel, was released by Inspired Quill in 2022.

Originally from Athens, Greece, he has spent the last couple of decades traveling and working through the world. In that time, he’s tended to wounded loggerhead turtles, baked bread for a Michelin-star restaurant, and written dialogues for video games.

An environmental scientist by training, he is an advocate for the climate cause, sustainable living, and anti-corporatism, which inspire his unique brand of literary sci-fi set twenty minutes into the future.

He currently resides in Copenhagen, Denmark on the spot where the city gives way to the forest.

1. Tells us about your writing/ published book(s)

My debut novel, The Hush, was published in August 2022 by Inspired Quill. It’s the story of a middle-aged couple living in a society where communication has long been outlawed. Their marriage had never been easy, but the silence allowed their grievances to fester until the hurt couldn’t be contained anymore.

I also have a published story on Clarkesworld (Saturn Devouring His Son – you can read it here https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/mylonas_03_22/), as well as two more stories waiting publication on OnSpec Magazine and Fusion Fragment.

2. Where’s your favourite place to write?

My couch. I’ve written every one of my published story (and several unpublished ones) from the comfort of an IKEA couch’s chaise section.

3. How do you approach starting a new book?

I spend months taking notes and allowing concepts. themes and characters to mulch and turn into a vibe before using them as the substrate of a book. Once I have the structure of a story that can support that vibe, it’s time to start writing.

4. What’s your favourite genre to read?

Literary fiction masquerading as scifi.

5. Have you always wanted to write?

Interestingly, no. I’ve always enjoyed reading, but I’ve been scratching my artistic itch through photography, even doing a few art exhibitions. Writing came about as a result of a cleansing ritual involving fire and burning personal items on the beach. At the end of that ritual, I had an urge to write and I haven’t stopped since.

6. What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I go for a long run through the woods. It gets my mind into a meditative state, which tends to solve most writing issues.

7. Tell us about a scene that you loved but had to edit out of your book

There was a detour from the main story about two thirds of the way into The Hush. The perspective switched to a one-off character telling his story of being an opera singer for the speaking elite and his imprisonment for murdering his abusive patron.

The scene expanded the world and offered a short break from the main storyline. In the end, though, it was just that; a distraction. The decision to cut the scene was easy, despite loving it. Who knows, I might repurpose it as a short story one day.

8. Do you like reading the same books you write?

Oh, definitely. Although I try to read wider than my genre, whatever that is. Creativity is linking old ideas together to come up with something new. I won’t get that from reading in my genre. So, while I do read the same books I write, I’m far more likely to read literary fiction or horror or non-fiction essays.

9. Do you write under a pen name? If so, tell us about how you chose it

EA Mylonas is taking my unpronounceable railroad name and shortening it to something that can fit on a book cover without increasing the printing budget.

10. How do you choose your book’s title(s)?

Usually the title suggests itself. I do brainstorm, but the title of a story or a book pops into my head as soon as the work itself takes root as an entity. There’s typically two or three alternatives, but my first instinct is often right.

11. What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?

Don’t treat your words as holy text. Chop them up, move them around, delete them even, if it improves the story. Be ruthless.

12. Do you do research for your books? If so, what kind of research?

I try to keep my stories grounded in the real world, with the speculative fiction elements being the only twists. This makes research a bit easier. If my characters are familiar with a field I’m not, I’ll get a few books on the subject or start a discussion with an expert who can give a personal perspective. Social media are great for finding people like that.

13. How do you fit writing into your everyday life?

When I’m in the midst of writing a piece, I will timebox it for a few hours every day, at the same time every day. I’ll also use the same playlist while I’m writing. Creativity relies on neural networks. The more you strengthen them through repetition, the easier it is to call upon them.

Over the years, I’ve also had to drop a number of activities to make space for writing. It boils down to understanding what’s important in your life and structuring your limited time around your goals. Which sounds terribly business-like, but unfortunately writing doesn’t happen by accident. No one ever finished a book by sneaking in a few words on the side now and then.

14. How do you approach ‘world building’?

Details don’t matter as much as internal logic and consistency. Even inconsistency needs to be consistent.

The Hush was based on the idea of a society that does not communicate. This would be hard to enforce in reality, but the book acknowledges that and uses it to make a comment on humanity’s unkillable need to communicate. It also acknowledges that, as with all crime, you’ll always have people that won’t comply. How do they get away with it? How do the authorities deal with them? Those questions are far more interesting to me, the “but-how-about’s” and where I spend most of my time on.

15. How do you handle criticism?

With fire. Joking. Maybe.

16. Describe your perfect character to me

Perfectly misaligned with the world around them. Someone too weird to continue existing, but whose existence adds spice to the lives of everyone around them.

17. Tell me about your current work

I’m in the planning phase of a novel that deals with the increasing desperation at seeing climate change becoming a reality. There’s a lot of personal anxieties reflected there, obviously.

18. Tell me about your main character

She’s a former refugee who’s found stability in her life. Until things get ugly again.

19. Would you want your book made into a film?

Sure. The more people I get to have a dialectic with through my work, the better.

20. How many books do you own?

No idea. I have small mounts of books spread across three different countries. Let’s say that they are enough to start a small bookshop.

This or That Questions…

Short books or Long books

Short. I find them more impactful due to the need to make their point in fewer pages.

Romance or Fantasy

There’s a difference?

Fine, fantasy.

Bright book covers or Muted book covers

Bright. I live in Scandinavia, I need me some color.

Ebooks, Paperbacks or Audiobooks

Paperbacks don’t run out of battery.

Writing in the Morning or Evening

Evening, my brain works better when it’s quiet outside.

Character Driven or Plot Driven

Character driven. Even a redundant plot can be made enjoyable with interesting characters.

Finally, what’s the best piece of advice someone has given you about writing, marketing, or just generally about life?

Sara-Jayne Slack, the woman behind my publishing house, Inspired Quill, once told me that the best marketing approach is the one that is true to your core of who you are as a person.

I’ve found this to be good advice for writing too, as well as life.

You can find EA Mylonas on Twitter

Author Q&A with EA Mylonas