We chat with author Abigail Miles about The Building That Wasn’t, which delves into the idea of parallel dimensions in an inventive and new way, think The Paradox Hotel meets The Matrix.
Hi, Abigail! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m a life-long book-lover who was born and raised in North Carolina. I went to Appalachian State University, got degrees in both creative writing and mathematics, then moved north. Currently, I live in the Boston area, spending basically all of my free time either reading and writing or exploring the city to find the best tea shops and dessert places. Some other things I particularly love: puzzling to an audiobook, reading by fireplaces, and trying (with varying levels of success) to bake things I see on Bake Off. The Building That Wasn’t is my first novel, and I’m so thrilled to be sharing it with readers now!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I think I always loved stories and writing to some degree; I have memories of being in second grade and working on short stories during school and thinking it was the coolest thing we were doing. But the first really clear memory I have of falling head-over-heels for writing was in seventh grade. In our language arts class that year, we had an entire week that was dedicated to creative writing, where they brought in a specialist to work with our class and everything. We did all kinds of wacky prompts and fun activities that week, and my brain felt lit on fire in the best way. I felt filled up with ideas and inspiration, and after that week of school I started the very first (and very awful) draft for a book. That particular book will never, ever see the light of day, but it was the beginning of my love for writing that has progressed to where I am today.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (gifted to me by my grandmother, who is also an avid reader).
- The one that made you want to become an author: So hard to say! But probably The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (which I was reading around the same time in seventh grade when I fell in love with writing).
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I’ve reread that series so many times and it only ever gets better.
Your debut novel, The Building That Wasn’t, is out July 16th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Twisty, surreal, dreamlike, atmospheric, timey-wimey
What can readers expect?
Expect a genre-bending sci-fi book that plunges you into the depths of the Eschatorologic, a building that doesn’t make sense, full of people that don’t make sense. Readers will walk alongside Everly Tertium as she enters this strange building, plagued by a constant sense of déjà vu where she feels like she’s already lived through these moments, already been introduced to these people, and already visited all of these rooms and floors. And yet, she has no idea what’s happening to her. From there, be prepared for a twisting story of layered secrets and mysteries that come to light as Everly searches for answers to who the people in the building are, why they seem to be trapped, and how she, and her family, are wrapped up in everything that she doesn’t yet understand about the building.
Where did the inspiration for The Building That Wasn’t come from?
This book was inspired, first and foremost, by a dream. Years ago, I had a dream that was so vivid and specifically emotive that I woke up and couldn’t help but write down everything I could remember. It was the kind of dream that felt like it was happening separate from me and like there must have been an ending in sight, just beyond where I had woken up, but I just couldn’t see it. I decided that the only way to find that dream’s ending would be to write it myself.
The trouble with most dreams (this one included) is that they often don’t like to adhere to the rules of reality. There were certain really specific details in the dream (which also made their way, eventually, into the book) that would not have been possible in a realistic setting. So if I was going to write this story, it had to be something speculative; this, eventually, evolved into the science fiction plot that came about after years of playing around with rules and backstories and worldbuilding. But the seed of the book was born in that initial dream.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
My favorite character to write was definitely Michael. He was one of the first characters I had the idea for when first conceptualizing this book, and so piecing together what I wanted his story to be became really integral to the book as a whole for me, even though he is not the main character and doesn’t have the most time on the page by far. Michael’s just a kid, about eight years old, and he’s been living in this building his entire life. He doesn’t know any other world. And so in a lot of ways, you may expect him to reflect the hopeless, suffocating atmosphere of the building itself, but instead Michael is a bright light that I wrote into this building. Without being given any reason to be, he is always optimistic, always joyful and full of hope. So I loved writing this spark of joy in the midst of the grayscale the rest of the building is cast in, but more than that, I loved crafting the mystery around Michael. Who he is, what he means to the characters or to the building itself, what his role is in the overall story, in ways he himself really doesn’t even know or understand—it was all so much fun to shape and play around with. Most of the pieces of this particular puzzle are clearly uncovered by the end of the book, but there are also some parts of Michael that I left intentionally ambiguous—and I found that fun to play around with as well! I wanted to leave some things up to the reader’s interpretation or imagination, especially when it came to him.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
The road was a long and winding one in some ways, but for the most part I really did enjoy the ride. I started writing the very early drafts for The Building That Wasn’t about six years ago, when I was still in college. It was the first book I was ever truly serious about writing, even though back then I really wasn’t actually a good writer. In a lot of ways, I grew right alongside my book. I took classes, participated in workshops, read craft books, becoming a better writer as the years went on, and then applying everything I was learning right back into this book.
I am what is typically referred to as a “plantser,” somewhere between a plotter and a pantser when it comes to writing, but that first draft was a whirlwind of spontaneous writing, taking a seed of an idea and just seeing where it would lead. The result was a full-length manuscript that was . . . not very good. So the next few years, as I learned how to be a better writer, were filled up with rewriting this story again and again, changing and tweaking different things each time until I was able to shape this story into a form that matched what I was seeing in my head. I had a blast with all of the rewrites though, and reached a point of deeply loving everything about this world I was crafting and the people inside, so it’s almost bittersweet to be at the end of the journey with all of them now.
About a year and a half ago, I sent the most polished version of my manuscript over to CamCat Books with all my fingers and toes crossed and held my breath for the weeks of waiting that followed. One of the best moments of my life up to now was the phone call where I learned my book was going to be published. And since then, CamCat has been a dream to work with as an author. I’ve loved the process, and I’m so thrilled to see what comes next for me and my little ole book.
What’s next for you?
Writing-wise, there are lots of things in the pot stewing away, but nothing finished enough to really talk about—so I’ll just say that in the future keep an eye out for more twisty, speculative things from me! Right now though, you can keep up with any updates on my website, abigailmilesbooks.com, or by following me @abigailmilesbooks on Instagram. I’ll also be doing a whole bunch of events for The Building That Wasn’t over the next few months (find those listed out on my website), so come out and say hi if you’re in those areas!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I’ve been on a Neil Gaiman kick this year, and absolutely loved reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It was such a brilliant combination of dark and whimsical, and I couldn’t put it down. I also just finished Neverwhere, which was equally dark and whimsical. I love stories that blend things not of this world with very real settings and themes, and I think Neil Gaiman hits that right on the head in every one of his books.
One that I can’t wait to get my hands on is Peng Shepherd’s new book, All This & More! The Cartographers was probably my favorite book I read last year, and I am so thrilled for her next book; I know it is sure to be spectacular.
