Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Hannah Retallick for supplying book cover, book launch, and author photos. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or photos supplied by Hannah or are directly from PIxabay.
I am so pleased to welcome Hannah Retallick to Chandler’s Ford Today. Hannah, like me, is a Bridge House Publishing stalwart, and her debut short story collection, Something Very Human, has just been published by them. Hannah and I have been in many of the anthologies they have produced.
Hannah is an excellent flash fiction writer and has gained recognition in many international competitions, including receiving Highly Commended in the Bridport Flash Fiction Prize 2022, winning the £2000 Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction 2024 – the biggest flash prize in the UK – and being Highly Commended in the Bath Flash Fiction Award. All of these are highly prestigious in the flash fiction world.
It is a joy for me to talk with a fellow BHP author then and someone who loves flash fiction. For me, that’s an instant win. But before I share Hannah’s answers to my questions, first let me share her author bio and something about Something Very Human.
Author Bio – Hannah Retallick
Hannah Retallick is from Anglesey, North Wales. She was home educated, along with her two brothers. Hannah enjoyed writing creatively when she was younger, self-publishing a book at eleven years old; it was about her grandad’s cat and included paintings and sketches by wildlife illustrator, Philip Snow. She chose to voice animal characters, inspired by A.A Milne and Beatrix Potter, because she didn’t feel she knew enough about human nature to do people justice!
Following A Levels, Hannah studied with the Open University, graduating with a First-class Honours degree, BA in Humanities with Creative Writing and Music. She has gained a Distinction in her Creative Writing MA with the OU, specialising in short fiction; she spent the second year in Cornwall, which became the setting for her dissertation stories.
In 2018, Hannah started to send out her work. She has won/been placed in many international competitions and published in paperbacks, in e-books, and online. Her debut short story collection, Something Very Human, was released by Bridge House Publishing in November 2024.
About Something Very Human
This collection takes the reader on a journey through life, from the innocence of young voices to the reflections of those seeking meaning as they look back at the paths they’ve taken. Each story captures the very essence of being human. The characters tackle everyday challenges, face inner struggles, navigate familial relationships and friendships, fall in love and out of love, process grief, and reflect on the beautiful fragility of it all. Something Very Human is the debut short story collection from award-winning writer, Hannah Retallick.
So from one short story and flash fiction writer to another – it’s question time for Hannah!
1. Hannah, tell us something about your writing journey and how Something Very Human came about. Also share how you came to be involved with a publisher we both love, Bridge House Publishing, and how they have helped you with your writing journey so far.
I’ve been ‘collecting’ short stories ever since my degree, but I didn’t know what to do with them initially. I met Debz Hobbs-Wyatt when she was doing a talk at the Anglesey Writing Festival. She became a mentor and friend and introduced me to Gill James.
I started to send stories to CaféLit, as well as various competitions, and found a wonderful community in Bridge House Publishing. When I started to think about putting together a collection, I immediately went to Gill and was delighted when she agreed to publish it. I was added to their publication queue about four years ago, so it’s been a long journey. A huge amount of hard work goes into creating a book and I’m extremely grateful that they decided to champion mine.
Short story collections don’t tend to sell in great numbers in the UK, which makes it almost impossible to be picked up by big publishers (unless you’re a famous writer, perhaps), so smaller presses like Bridge House are crucial for giving amazing opportunities to writers who may not have had them otherwise.
2. Hannah, what is it about short stories and flash fiction you love? What would you say were the joys and challenges of writing in both short story forms. I love the conciseness, the “punch to the gut” effect of flash fiction (no dilution of impact there!), and the challenge of keeping to the word count requirement.
Short is potent. I’ve always gravitated towards concision. Even when writing essays, I used to struggle to get up to the word count, whereas some people struggle to stay within it. Flash is a great way to experiment with different characters, styles, and genres. I wrote this blog post, ‘Why Do I Love Flash Fiction?’, which sums up my feelings nicely:
3. Confession time: Do you have a favourite character in Something Very Human?
I probably have a different answer every time I’m asked, depending on my mood. I love characters. Let’s see… Today, I’m going to say the narrator in To Live who is based on an old man I talked to on a plane on the way back from Paris a few years ago. He told me stories about himself and his wife that directly inspired it. I’m going to write about this in a post on my own blog soon, so please follow me there if you’re interested to find out more.
Allison: Have shared Hannah’s social media links at the end of the interview.
4. I know you’ve already had a book launch for Something Very Human. Can you share why you chose the kind of launch you did and let us know how things went? What did you learn from the process of setting a launch up and are there tips on this kind of thing you would like to share?
I had considered just doing an online launch, but quickly decided to organise an in-person event because I thought it would be more fun to get together, especially as it was to celebrate my debut collection.
It was a lot of work but a lovely evening. We had refreshments, an interview of me by Debz, book buying/signing, readings, and finished with a Q&A. One of my favourite things was Gill and Martin were able to attend because they were passing through Anglesey on their way back from Ireland!
Thankfully, I’ve had a lot of experience organising events, especially brass band concerts, and enjoy doing it.
This one was straightforward in comparison. Holding a book event is a bit of a loss-leader, so be careful not to let the spending get out of control, and make sure you have help in the planning and setting up. Things usually take longer than you expect; allow plenty of time. I like to plan carefully and then be able to relax on the night.
5. Something I ask every author: Can you share your marketing tips? I ask because no one author can know all of them and it all helps to increase our knowledge here!
I’m no expert on marketing, but I think it’s worth asking yourself what draws you in. What do other writers do that make you want to follow them and buy their books? What types of marketing irritate you? Chances are a lot of your readers will feel similarly. Apart from that, it’s the personal touch. Connect with individuals.
6. Are you planning to follow up Something Very Human with another collection? What do you love about short story and flash fiction collections? I like to read anthologies between novels as I like to ensure I read a good mixture of the longer and shorter forms of writing. I love the variety of stories and I have often come across authors new to me in anthologies. If I like their short form work, I’m going to go for their novels too. Talking of which, have you any plans for writing in the longer form?
Yes, I have another collection in the works! Something Very Human includes stories between 500-3000 words, whereas my next one will be flash/microfiction, between 100-1000 words, many of them around the 250-300 mark. This has become the length I gravitate towards, perhaps partly because of the competitions I enter. For instance, Bridport and Edinburgh have a word limit of 250. It’s interesting how those external restrictions can shape our creativity; my work seems to have benefited.
I know exactly what you mean about reading a good mixture of forms and lengths; that can only be a good thing. The variety within short stories collection is astounding, and even more so in a multi-author anthology. It’s inspiring.
I am working on a novel as we speak. I’m about two-thirds of the way through my first draft. Watch this space. (Might take a little while though, so you might want to get a cup of coffee and snack whilst watching this space. ;-))
7. Can you share something about your writing routine and name any writing advice tips you’ve found especially helpful? Also where do you stand in the character -v- plot debate? I’m firmly on the side of characters – they can make or break a plot.
My writing ‘routine’ is disgracefully variable! I never go a day without writing something, even if it’s only my journal, but I go through phases where I don’t write much fiction. I often recharge my batteries for a while, then suddenly write a flurry of stories all at once; I feel like I’m tripping over myself to get them onto the page.
I’ve had so much great writing advice over the years. Here’s one thing I’ve been mulling over recently though: be careful what you channel your energy into. If you want to become a better writer, it’s easy to spend a lot of energy berating yourself and doubting yourself. Those things get to all of us from time to time, of course – we’re human. However, I sometimes wonder if I would be a better writer now if I’d focused much more on the joy of writing and the pursuit of improvement, rather than actively fuelling the flames of negativity!
I don’t think plot really exists outside of character; the best stories have strong plots and strong characterisation. That being said, some stories have intricate plotlines at the expense of character. They can be entertaining and interesting, but I usually prefer stories that are focused on character development and have simpler plots.
This is apparent in Something Very Human. Most of them are ‘small’ when it comes to plot but, I hope, zoom in on the big emotions we experience as we navigate our way through life.
8. What is it about writing generally you love and how does that help you when it is tough going as it can be? What would you like the impact of Something Very Human to be on readers?
Writing can be a form of escapism for some writers, and that’s occasionally the case for me; more often, though, it’s the opposite. Writing makes me more connected with life. Whatever happens, wonderful or terrible or anything in between, I can express it in a story. It’s therapeutic, I suppose.
In terms of impact, it probably sounds cheesy, but I’d like people to see themselves in my characters, to feel less alone in their emotions. Some of my stories are deeply sad but others are light-hearted, so I hope the book makes readers smile too.
9. What are your own favourite kinds of story (of whatever length) to read and why? Which authors have inspired you/continue to inspire you and why? What advice would you give to a short story/flash fiction writer thinking of putting a collection together? What did you find the most challenging aspects of putting Something Very Human together?
I love stories that highlight the human condition, the things that connect us. One of my favourite writers is Kazuo Ishiguro, whose quiet voice gets to the heart of his themes, particularly in The Remains of the Day.
I’m fascinated by Jane Austen, with her sharp wit and powers of observation. My favourite short story collection is This Isn’t The Sort Of Thing That Happens To Someone Like You by Jon McGregor and my favourite flash/microfiction collection is Radio Water by Francine Witte.
I’ve learnt a lot through collating Something Very Human. I realised it was important to think about the book as a whole, not just as separate stories. I decided to leave out several I really liked because they were too similar to others or felt weaker when placed side by side. I would advise writing significantly more stories than you’re planning to include so that you have plenty to choose from.
10. Last but not least, where can people find out more about your writing?
I’m active on my Facebook author’s page, where I post most days, and try to write something for my blog once or twice a week. I also have a website, which has information about my freelance editing and writing services, and I update it whenever I have publication/competition news. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to ask me anything.
Thank you for having me, Allison! All the best with your own writing, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Conclusion
Many thanks, Hannah, for a wonderful interview and the very best of luck with Something Very Human. Hopefully we’ll catch up in person at the Bridge House Publishing Celebration event shortly!
Meantime, let’s celebrate the wonderful world of short stories and flash fiction.
Social Media for Hannah Retallick
Related Posts:-
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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