Meet Allie Millington

We were lucky to catch up with Allie Millington recently and have shared our conversation below.

Allie, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My journey to becoming a published author was full of No’s, Not Yet’s, and Try Again’s. It had long been my dream, though the road getting there was not at all what I anticipated.

Rejection letters piled up over several years, for several different books, and naturally, the doubts and disappointment crept in. And yet at the same time, I found the rejections fueled my desire for this dream more. They refined me and reminded me of how badly I wanted this. I didn’t want anyone else to determine the outcome of this dream for me. The fear of being rejected didn’t compare to the fear of giving up, and never knowing what would have happened if I would have kept going.

And as I kept going, I began what I called my Rejection Collection, which is where I’d make a doodle or poem for each rejection letter I received. They were my little acts of defiance, my way of continuing to create art in the midst of being told my art wasn’t good enough. I liked getting to flip the disappointment on its head, and make something beautiful from it. I ended up having so many pieces in my Rejection Collection that I was able to share them with other artists and creators who were facing similar things. It meant a great deal seeing that my pieces of rejection could be used to encourage others in their own season of disappointment and to nudge them to keep going.

So, in looking at the source of my resilience, I see myself–the younger me, who would have never wanted me to give up no matter how many No’s I received. I also see the older me, who would have always regretted the decision to call it quits. But more than anything I see the other people on this same journey, sharing in the collective struggle of all creatives. We’re here to hold each other up.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m an author of books for all ages, which are full of big-hearted feelings and looking at the world from fresh perspectives. My debut Middle Grade novel, OLIVETTI (Macmillan, 2024), was an instant national bestseller and received several starred reviews, as well as a glowing review in The New York Times by Tom Hanks. OLIVETTI is told from the point of view of a typewriter who, in a moment of great need, decides to break the only rule of the ‘typewriterly code’ and type back all of the memories and words stored inside of him, in order to bring a family back together again.

It’s exciting getting to bring a never-heard-from before voice to the page, and giving life to an object that is beloved by so many people. I’m continuing to find unique perspectives to explore in my writing, ways to think outside the norm and find stories that hold deep meaning to people. This played a major role in my upcoming novel, ONCE FOR YES (Macmillan 2025) and my picture book, WHEN YOU FIND A HOPE (Hachette 2025), which both release next Spring.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One skill that was particularly useful in getting me through the rough road leading to publishing was the ability to move from one project to another quickly. As soon as I finished a story and sent it out to agents, I would immediately begin writing the next one. This not only served as a distraction from the long waiting periods, but it also helped knowing I had other projects in the works and something I was excited to be working on. I didn’t wait around doing nothing until I found my one ‘Yes’, I just kept writing new books until I found it for myself. It was during the process of pumping out books quickly that I really taught myself how to write.

Although it might not sound like a skill, I found that protecting my playfulness throughout this process was monumental. Writing, or creating anything in general, is too hard a task to accomplish if you aren’t enjoying yourself. By letting myself play with new ideas, and tapping into that inner creative child, I was less self-critical or self-censoring. I think the best ideas come from that kind of freedom.

Another one that might not sound particularly like a skill–humor. The ability to laugh off the sting and ruthlessness that can accompany most creative industries, and brushing those bruised feelings aside, was crucial when it came to my ability to continuing to create. Life (and the creative process) can be heavy and hard enough as it is–and we might as well find some things to laugh at along the way.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for new people to collaborate with–whether that may be teachers or librarians who are interested in having me come visit with their students, booksellers who’d like to dream up an event at their shop, or other writers/ artists who want to talk-shop, toss ideas around, and support each other. Writing (and creating) can often be lonesome work, and I’ve found it endlessly valuable to find a community who understands, encourages and challenges me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alliemillingtonbooks.com
• Instagram: @allieinink

Image Credits

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