In Conversation with Mehreen Ahmed

 

We have recently published Mehreen's collection of stories, White Moon. Today she tells us a little more about her collection.   

 

So White Moon is a collection of stories that have been published elsewhere. What made you decide to put these particular ones together?

That is correct. These are republished pieces. There is a reason why I wanted these together. The stories are speculative and fall under a broad genre with many sub-genres such as sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and alternate history. They explore the many facets of imagination blending in a genre-bending, and unique collection, pushing the boundaries.

Can you tell us a little about some of the journals and magazines where these were published? 

Yes, some of the publishers were journals such as Litro Magazine,UK. Panorama: Journal of Travel Place and Nature, UK. Kitaab, Singapore. Quail Bell, USA. Popshot Quarterly special collector's edition, UK. Decolonial Passage, USA. Ink Pantry curator of fine words, UK, BlazeVOX special issue, USA. The Chiron Review, USA.

 

Do you have a favourite publication?

While they all pushed the limits of my creativity, however, I was happy with what I was able to achieve with the River of Melted Chocolate in which I thought of an ultimate world where people had entered a house that was hosting a party for a motley crowd. But no one ever saw them coming out. It was a house without any exits.

 

Which story was the most difficult to write?

Yellow God was tough to write. Because I was trying to write it by bending the genres. Hence, this story blends fairy tales and cutting-edge AI, following Kant's transcendental Idealism which in simplest terms means what we see is a partial reality because hyper-reality exists in space and time of which we see a representation only. see https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-transcendental-idealism/#TranRealEmpiIdea. 

I wrote and re-wrote this many times tying and untying knots as it were while grappling to understand Kant's theory and use it in the story seamlessly.

 

Even though the stories have been published before we did quite a lot of editing. This was in part, I think because the stories work differently collectively from the way they worked individually.  Could you tell our readers a little more about this? 

When stories are published individually, they use a set of phrases, words, and sentences that work uniquely for that particular story only. However, when put in a collection, a lot of syntax may appear similar and redundant. To avoid this redundancy or repetitions, edits need to be done meticulously to preserve both the integrity of the individual stories and yet, not sound monotonous at the same time with the same kind of syntactic constructions.

 

Do you have any advice for the short story writer?

There should be some speculative elements in short stories with a reeling effect, so readers may come back as ask what was this story really about? The answer must be alluded to but not entirely written. Let readers connect the dots and come to their conclusions.

 

Do you have any more news about your writing or any events?

I am writing my third novel. I have only just drafted the first two chapters. I think this will take a while. I am also compiling another book of one-sentence pre-published stories, which I would like send out once I have enough one-sentence in it.

Three flash fiction collections - me and two others for £18.00

 

This anthology of women's fiction, this collection of very short stories, some might say a flash collection, is thought-provoking and each story is based upon a tweet. Except that each piece is 140 words long and not 140 characters.

Sure, there are beginnings and ends and there is all the stuff that happens in the middle.

Begin with the Big Bang and end with a distant trumpet call; understand how to send a cheese sandwich into the future, have the origin of the universe explained, and find out how to achieve immortality; and finally add in a splash of espionage. Enjoy the mix.

Henri Lewi packs a universe into a small space in his thought-provoking From the Beginning to the End.

 

 

After an eventful life with four husbands, consecutively, and many tears in Spain and France, Pam has returned to her Yorkshire roots where she lives with Blossom the dog. 

Here the author give us glimpses into a life that starts with a idyllic childhood, puts her in touch with prestigious figures and less comfortable homes. There are sadnesses and triumphs.  A life lived to the full emerges through a gentle but forthright prose. Does this present a story of survival? Are we given hope?

            Between the Lines, a Chapletown Little Square Flash Collection

                                            Pam Lines takes us on a roller-coaster life adventure.

An eclectic mix of my books - all three for £18.00

 

Natascha is forever falling off the piano and getting sucked up by the vacuum cleaner.

Natascha is the smallest of a set of Russian dolls and envies her bigger sisters as they have more detail on them.

The family acquire a new vacuum cleaner and this time it takes Natascha to another world where she has an amazing adventure.  But is it all a dream and related to the story the mummy is reading to young Alfred?

Up to you to decide in Natascha’s intriguing story told by Gill and Ashleigh James.        

 

 

These stories were written one a day throughout January 2013. They were originally published on a blog called Gill’s January Stones. In fact, they were published in reverse order. The first one you read here, When Physics Got Sick, was the last one to be written and originally published on 31 January 2016.

Sometimes the stories would come right at the beginning of the day. Sometimes they would take a while longer.

Do they have a theme? Not really, though the idea of ‘stones’ is one of turning them over slowly on the beach until we find the right one. It’s not a bad time of year, anyway, right at the beginning in January, as the New Year starts and the days slowly become longer.

There was no strict word count. Each story is as long as it needs to be. It had to be finished, though, by midnight of that day.

Clara will not be daunted. Her life will not end when her beloved husband dies too young.  She will become a second mother to the young children who live away from home in order to visit a rather special school. When life becomes desperate for a particular class of disabled children growing up in Nazi Germany she takes a few risks. Is her ultimate faith in the goodness of human beings a fatal flaw that leads to her tragedy, or is her story actually one of hope?

 

News 3 March 2025

Worrying times 

The news has not been good recently and many of us are justifiably worried. There is much to concern us:

AI

Giving up on measures to manage climate change

World War III looming?

Rock and hard place situations everywhere

 And yet:

Nature is just getting on with it: I’m hearing bird song every day, green lace is appearing in the hedgerows and flowers are opening on my daffodils. 

Story is now needed more than ever, so fellow writers, get to it!

We’re never entirely powerless. 

So, Overseas Aid is being cut. I’ve decided therefore each month now to give 1% of my net income to The Hunger Project. I know full well that not everyone can afford to do that but if you can would you care to join me? If not that particular charity, a similar one?     

 

 Writing news

I’m making slow but steady progress on the seventh Schellberg book. As ever, despite being carefully planned, it is taking on a mind of its own.

 

My event on 20 February to celebrate the release of Natascha’s Story, my highly illustrated book for infant school children, was delightful. My guests read the story superbly and we enjoyed some nice cake, shortbread, cheese straws and great conversation. You can find the book here:

Also, you can read my interview about the book here: 

I have two articles on Talking About My Generation. 

 

 

One is about my former existence as a landlord. This article also challenges the way accommodation is provided now for ordinary people. Read it here: 

 

 

I’ve also started a new series about the Manchester City of Literature.  You can read the first article here. 

 

On My Blog

 

There’s been slightly less activity on my blog this month with just one post where I present a checklist for editing your short story. 

 

The Young Person’s Library

No books added in February, I’m afraid but March already promises to be busy. I’ve added one book today and I have four YA books to read; they’re getting near to the top of the pile, so they’ll soon be appearing  in the library.  

 

Recommended read 

 

This month I was torn again – this time between a poetry collection and a cosy crime. I’ve come down on the side of the poetry collection because I think it might appeal to the readers of this newsletter more. Poetry is unusual for me but a connection with the poet helps here.

Alison Chisholm is a patron of the Lancashire Authors Association  and I am the membership secretary. I attended and enjoyed a workshop she ran for us.

I was delighted as well to attend the launch of Alison’s Thorough All the Spaces.
Certainly these lovely poems transport you to all sorts of times and places.
Read Gretel’s point of view about her clever brother who helped them get back home… and realise that she was just as clever.
And what of the heart-felt letter to Henry VIII form is first wife?
Or the story of the feisty Rosa Parks?
And so much more.
It was a real privilege also to hear Alison reading from this inspiring book.

I hope you will enjoy the book too.

Find your copy here.

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing

 

Giveaway  

 

This month I’m giving away a copy of The House on Schellberg Street.  This is the first book in the Schellberg cycle but the books can be read in any order. They are based on a true story though much is fictionalised and the proportion of truth and fiction within each story varies.

I used a sabbatical from the University of Salford to develop this first book – and I had access to a wonderful resource: copies of a round robin class letter that was shared with Renate’s class mates 1939-1947. In the next section of this newsletter you can read more about the Schellberg project.  

Renate Edler loves to visit her grandmother in the house on Schellberg Street. She often meets up with her friend Hani Gödde who lives nearby. This year, though, it is not to be. Just a few weeks after a night when synagogues are burned and businesses owned by Jews are looted, Renate finds out a terrible secret about her family.

At a time when the world is at war and the horrors of the Holocaust are slowly becoming apparent, Renate has to leave behind her home and her friends, and become somebody she never thought she could be.

The house on Schellberg Street needs to stay strong. Will it and those who work in it be strong enough? Will Renate ever feel at home again? And what of those left behind?

 

Sign up to my newsletter to get your copy.  You’ll find an e-book file and a PDF plus a lot of other free materials here.

Please leave a review on Amazon, if you’re allowed to, on Good Reads and anywhere else you can.

 

The Schellberg Project

The posts may be helpful for teachers who are familiar with the Schellberg stories or who are teaching about the Holocaust.  They may also be interesting for other readers of historical fiction.

 

As I mentioned above, ideas seem to come from nowhere and an obsession with Sauerkraut suddenly appeared. Read all about it here:

Some notes about my newsletters and blogs

They do overlap a little but here is a summary of what they all do.

 

Bridge House Authors For all those published by Bridge House, CaféLit, Chapeltown or The Red Telephone or interested in being published by us. General news about the imprints. News for writers. Links to book performance. Sign up here.

 

The Bridgetown  Café Bookshop where you can buy my books and books published by Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, Chapeltown Books and The Red Telephone.  Visit us here.     

 

Gill’s News: News about my writing, The Schellberg Project, School Visits and Events. Book recommendations and giveaways. Find it here.   

 

Pushing Boundaries, Flying Higher News about conferences and workshops to do with the young adult novel. (infrequent postings) Sign up here.  

 

Red Telephone Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.

 

A Publisher’s Perspective Here I and some other editors blog as a publisher. Access this here.   

 

The Creative Café Project Listings and reviews of creative cafés. See them here.   

 

CaféLit Stories Find these here

 

Gill James Writer All about writing and about my books. View this here.

 

Gill’s Recommended Reads Find information here about books that have taken me out of my editor’s head and a reminder of the ones I’ve highlighted in this newsletter.    

 

Gill’s Sample Fiction Read some of my fiction here.

 

The House on Schellberg Street All about my Schellberg project. Read it here.

 

Writing Teacher All about teaching creative writing.  Some creative writing exercises. Access this here.  I also invite other writers to provide prompts and work for critique.     

 

Books Books Books Weekly offers on our books and news of new books. Find them here. 

 

The Young Person’s Library The children’s book catalogue. Access it here.

 

Fair Submissions  Find it here.   

Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  

Happy reading and writing.

 

 

Checklist for Checking your Short Story

 

1. Does it have a good story arc? Has the main character changed by the end of the story? Are your characters rounded, believable and consistent?
2. Look closely at your expression. Are there any paragraphs that are too long? Do you have a mixture of shorter and longer sentences? Do you have a good balance of action, dialogue, description, inner monologue and exposition- with as little as possible of the last one?  Are the tension and pace balanced? Are there clichés you could replace? Is there repetition? Do mean what you say and say what you mean? Are you showing more than telling and where you are telling is this the right place?
3. Now read it out loud. You’ll spot mistakes you’ve not noticed yet. You’ll also notice anything that might jar the reader. Perhaps your pet dog or cat may be willing to listen.  
4. Now for a proof read. Maybe change the font and line spacing for this and read it slowly. You’re looking for remaining typos, punctuation, mistakes and inconsistencies in spellings.
5. One more proof read deliberately looking for those mistakes you always make; my favourite is ‘form’ instead of ‘from’.
6. Finally check for presentation. No surprising gaps anywhere? Are section breaks where they’re supposed to be? Your word-processing programme hasn’t done anything weird with the formatting?        

Hint: start each check at a different point in the story – this will stop you skimming at the end.