I’m Milo Dixon, a Chicago-based writer and poet. Improper Storytelling is my personal author site.
I write fiction, poetry, and whatever else seems interesting enough to keep me occupied for a while. A lot of my work ends up circling around people trying to figure themselves out while dealing with identity, relationships, money, family, bad decisions, and the general inconvenience of being alive.
I started writing seriously because I’ve always loved stories. Books, movies, video games, internet rabbit holes, overheard conversations, people watching on the train — basically ANYTHING that gives me an excuse to wonder what somebody else is thinking. I often say that if I could have any superpower, it would be telepathy, easily. Few things are more important to me than understanding people with fascinating minds.
I have always been a systems thinker, which has worked well in my professional career as well as my creative endeavors. But this also means that I tend to notice systems everywhere, probably more than is healthy. I like structure, patterns, categories, databases, instructions, processes, and all the things we invent to make life seem more organized than it actually is. Naturally, a lot of that ends up sneaking into my writing too.
My first poetry collection, Specimens, took me almost six years to finish, so I should probably establish now that I’m not a particularly fast writer. My novel has also been “in development” since 2021, which is a very professional way of saying I’m still working on it (and occasionally staring at it from across the room).
Some of what I write would be sad if it weren’t funny. And some of it would be quite funny if it wasn’t so sad. Sometimes it gets weird. If all three happen on the same page, it’s likely going to stick with you.
The more accessible truth is: I write because I have found that people are often softer, funnier, and more complicated than they are allowed to be.
And that is probably the closest thing I have to a mission statement.
Between the poems, short stories, Database pieces, and the ongoing evolution of STDERR, I’m mostly trying to make things that feel emotionally honest, structurally alive, and recognizably, undeniably human*.
This also means that I do not use or endorse the use of Generative AI in any capacity whatsoever. Every word that crosses my keyboard is my own, and I intend to PROVE that time and time again through the writings I share on this site. I also enjoy reading drafts and manuscripts, so if you’d like a Beta Reader or just general feedback, I’m happy to assist.
Anyway, this is where I put all of it.
Browse around. Read whatever looks interesting. If something I write on Improper Storytelling clicks with you, please use my contact page and let me know!