My first "published" writing was an Enid Blyton-Famous Five-style adventure story, Sand Island, in 1972. I wrote the story and illustrated it with coloured Texta markers. My aunt, the only one in our family with a typewriter, typed up the manuscript. And my father helped bind and cover the book. I was ten.

A Good Story is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the post and see my illustrations on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/a-good-story-sand-island

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Episode 88, Finding Inspiration (also mentions Sand Island): https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/finding-inspiration/

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Typewriter: https://freesound.org/people/supersupernator/sounds/519622/

• Sticky Tape: https://freesound.org/people/megashroom/sounds/390166/

• Bell-Ping: https://freesound.org/people/Antimsounds/sounds/556049/

• Happy Birthday Music Box: https://freesound.org/people/marianna-emma/sounds/516080/

• Rowing: https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/438846/

• Waves Breaking: https://freesound.org/people/VMan533/sounds/575894/

• Seagulls: https://freesound.org/people/plantmonkey/sounds/377107/

• Speed Boat: https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/438283/

• Computer Keyboard: https://freesound.org/people/D4XX/sounds/567266/

• TV Laugher: https://freesound.org/people/Evil_Ear_Recordings/sounds/524775/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads is produced using Audacity.

Podcast episodes are recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eighteen-year-old Hugo glanced up at the train station clock. It seemed time had stood still, with the minute hand barely moved since he'd last checked. He confirmed the time on his watch and then looked at the departure board, breathing a sigh of relief. His train was running on schedule.

Moving On is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-stories/moving-on

Read A Dad and Son Road Trip: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/a-dad-and-son-road-trip

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Train Station Ambience/Announcements: https://freesound.org/people/peridactyloptrix/sounds/615660/

• Train Arrives: https://freesound.org/people/Yoyodaman234/sounds/341204/

• Dogs Barking: https://freesound.org/people/Mafon2/sounds/676407/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads is produced using Audacity.

Podcast episodes are recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While sorting through storage boxes at home, I found an old notebook belonging to my son. It wasn't a school exercise book but something he'd jotted and doodled in as a twelve-year-old. Among its random pages was a short story he'd written in 2014 about a father who doesn't have "great ideas".

Trigger warning: This episode mentions teenage self-harm and death.

Lifeline Australia: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Finding Inspiration is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the post on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/finding-inspiration

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Episode 60, Kurd Friends in the Mountains: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/kurd-friends-in-the-mountains/

Episode 69, Two Visits to the Berlin Wall - Part One: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/two-visits-to-the-berlin-wall-part-one/

Episode 70, Two Visits to the Berlin Wall - Part Two: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/two-visits-to-the-berlin-wall-part-two/

Episode 78, Taking a Bow: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/taking-a-bow/

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Cardboard Boxes: https://freesound.org/people/RavenWolfProds/sounds/503661/

• Clock Ticking: https://freesound.org/people/gecop/sounds/522119/

• Ship Horn: https://freesound.org/people/monotraum/sounds/208714/

• Metal File: https://freesound.org/people/14F_Panska_Dittrichova_Diana/sounds/420107/

• Footsteps City: https://freesound.org/people/Rico_Casazza/sounds/538949/

• Police Siren: https://freesound.org/people/conleec/sounds/159744/

• Metal Stairs: https://freesound.org/people/conleec/sounds/148462/

• Applause: https://freesound.org/people/Breviceps/sounds/462362/

• Computer Keyboard: https://freesound.org/people/D4XX/sounds/567266/

• Baby Chuckling: https://freesound.org/people/jodybruchon/sounds/459458/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads is produced using Audacity.

Podcast episodes are recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"In space no one can hear you scream. But what if you're deep in the backwoods, in an isolated cabin on a dead-end trail?" Karen set aside the book. A horror story was not ideal reading for the off-grid log cabin Peter had booked for their thirtieth wedding anniversary weekend, especially as she was alone in bed, listening to wind from a storm whistle through cracks in the doors and windows.

A Knock at the Door is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-stories/a-knock-at-the-door

2020 blog post about my first Furious Fiction, A Song on the Radio: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/furiousfiction-writers-centre-competition

Episode 4 of Tall And True Short Reads: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/a-song-on-the-radio/

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Door Knock: https://freesound.org/people/anagar/sounds/267931/

• Storm: https://freesound.org/people/2887679652/sounds/164921/

• Car Interior: https://freesound.org/people/devy32/sounds/439252/

• Thunderclap: https://freesound.org/people/Dave%20Welsh/sounds/194364/

• Creaky Door: https://freesound.org/people/deleted_user_7146007/sounds/383816/

• Applause: https://freesound.org/people/Breviceps/sounds/462362/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads produced using Audacity. 

Podcast episodes recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm taking a short break from podcasting because I'm going on a long road trip with my son from Sydney to Western Australia to spend Xmas and New Year with our WA family. But as I did in 2022, I've put together a Kris Kringle collection featuring three episodes from the Tall And True Short Reads archive: Too Late, Lenny, Stuck in Time and Family Reflections.

The Kris Kringle - Xmas 2023 stories first appeared on the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the stories on Tall And True:

• Too Late, Lenny: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-stories/too-late-lenny

• Stuck in Time: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-stories/stuck-in-time

• Family Reflections: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-stories/family-reflections

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Santa’s Sleigh Bells: https://freesound.org/people/BrianJamesLong/sounds/330415/

Too Late, Lenny:

• Cafe/Restaurant Ambience: https://freesound.org/people/lunchmoney/sounds/380200/

• Comedy Laughter: https://freesound.org/people/Evil_Ear_Recordings/sounds/524775/

• Hanging Up Phone: https://freesound.org/people/DrNI/sounds/164035/

• Clock Ticking: https://freesound.org/people/FlashTrauma/sounds/398275/

Stuck in Time: 

• Clock Ticking: https://freesound.org/people/Julien%20Matthey/sounds/457651/

Family Reflections:

• Door Closing: https://freesound.org/people/soundmary/sounds/117614/

• Washing Face: https://freesound.org/people/lolux/sounds/181355/

• Hairdryer: https://freesound.org/people/ryanharding95/sounds/272446/

• Footsteps in Hall: https://freesound.org/people/Anthousai/sounds/398782/

• Toilet Flushing: https://freesound.org/people/lorenzgillner/sounds/274448/

• Tap Running: https://freesound.org/people/14G_Panska_Kaminkova_A/sounds/419990/

• Banging on Door: https://freesound.org/people/splatbot/sounds/337528/

• Kids Laughing: https://freesound.org/people/Iamgiorgio/sounds/371342/

• Drum Roll: https://freesound.org/people/bigjoedrummer/sounds/77305/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads produced using Audacity. 

Podcast episodes recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cassie lay perfectly still in bed, staring at the shadowy shape on the ceiling overhead. A bulky body and eight legs, a spider, but this wasn't Incy Wincy. It was a huntsman with long hairy legs, needle-sharp fangs, and a jump so powerful that if human, it could win gold at the pole vault without a pole.

In Her Head is a short story from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the story on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/fiction/short-stories/in-her-head

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Not Quite Write podcast: https://notquitewritepodcast.com/

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Owl Hooting: https://freesound.org/people/Breviceps/sounds/465697/

• Morning Bird Song: https://freesound.org/people/ken788/sounds/386732/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads produced using Audacity. 

Podcast episodes recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I discovered microfiction when I reviewed Loopholes by Susan McCreery in 2017. By definition, brevity is the key to good microfiction. The stories in Loopholes range from several paragraphs over one or two pages to only three short sentences. With no room for plot and character development, every word must count.

Tall And True Microfiction Anthology is a blog post from the Tall And True writers' website, written and narrated by Robert Fairhead.

Read the post on Tall And True: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/tall-and-true-microfiction-anthology

Both Sides of the Story blog post: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/both-sides-of-the-story

Twelve Furious Months post: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/twelve-furious-months-ebook

Twelve More Furious Months post: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/blog/twelve-more-furious-months

Review of Loopholes by Susan McCreery: https://www.tallandtrue.com.au/reviews/books/loopholes-by-susan-mccreery

Podcast website: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com

Her (Episode 11) on Tall And True Short Reads: https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/her/

Three Minute Microfiction - We Need To Talk (Episode 16): https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/three-minute-microfiction/

Signs of the Second Coming (Episode 25): https://www.tallandtrueshortreads.com/signs-of-the-second-coming/

Support the podcast: https://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads

Buy Robert's short story collections online:

• Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Fairhead/e/B086HZ36NM

• Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/author/robert-fairhead/id1436773436

• Rakuten Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/author/robert-fairhead

Podcast Theme and Sound Effects

Royalty-free music from Pixabay.com: Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major, Op. 28 'Pastorale' – IV. Rondo. Allegro ma non-Troppo, performed by Karine Gilanyan.

Sound effects licensed under Creative Commons 0 from FreeSound.org:

• Computer Keyboard: https://freesound.org/people/D4XX/sounds/567266/

• Seagulls: https://freesound.org/people/plantmonkey/sounds/377107/

• Hospital Beeping: https://freesound.org/people/iluminati_2705/sounds/536706/

• Classroom: https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/480708/

• Church Bells: https://freesound.org/people/Audeption/sounds/425172/

• Lord's Prayer: https://freesound.org/people/BeeProductive/sounds/380359/

• Clock Ticking: https://freesound.org/people/Julien%20Matthey/sounds/457651/

Production Notes

Tall And True Short Reads produced using Audacity. 

Podcast episodes recorded in Sydney, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

Acast Podcast Supporter Page

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/tall-and-true-short-reads.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.