Tall And True Short Reads

Season Three: Episode 71 (5 April 2023)

Decisions 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/decisions

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

Story Insight

I wrote Decisions for the Australian Writer’s Centre’s March 2023 Furious Fiction writing competition. The brief was:

• The 500-word short story had to include a CHAIR of some sort
• The words ALBUM, BRIGHT and CLICK (or longer variations)
• And a character who makes a CHOICE between two things.

I toyed with making my protagonist, Jennifer, the CHAIR of a corporation or department or CHAIRing a meeting but settled on her swivelling on an office CHAIR to stare at the city lights.

I knew the story would feature a family photo ALBUM, but instead of opting for BRIGHT lights outside the office window, I had Jennifer reflecting on marrying Stephen when they were BRIGHT young things.

As for the CLICK, I saved that until the end, when Jennifer resolves that after twenty years of marriage and Stephen’s unilateral decision-making and demands, she has a CHOICE, even if it’s between a rock and a hard place.

A fellow writer whose Furious Fiction entry (like mine) was not showcased or long-listed on the Writers’ Centre’s website for March observed that the judges seemed to want the chair to have a dominant role in the story. And for it to have something to do with the choice.

I replied that I didn’t think about “winning formulas” when writing, and this may explain why my short stories don’t win or get short or long-listed. But I still enjoy writing and sharing them, and hope you enjoyed listening to this one on Tall And True Short Reads.

You can read Decisions and all my short stories, blog posts and other writing at TallAndTrue.com. You can also buy my short story collections from the Amazon Kindle and Kobo online bookstores.

The next episode of Tall And True Short Reads will be released shortly. In the meantime, check your feed or the podcast website for earlier episodes from Seasons One, Two and Three.

And follow or subscribe to the podcast and rate and review it via your favourite app — doing so helps me share my storytelling.

You can support this podcast financially by making a small one-off or regular donation via the Acast Supporter Page.

Finally, a small favour, please tell your family and friends about Tall And True Short Reads and the Tall And True writers’ website.

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:

• Office Chair: https://freesound.org/people/elonen/sounds/15475/
• Children Laughing: https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/675105/
• Door Slammed: https://freesound.org/people/altfuture/sounds/174643/
• Light Switch: https://freesound.org/people/EricsSoundschmiede/sounds/457410/

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