Tall And True Short Reads

Season Four: Episode 88 (29 February 2024)

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

Trigger warning: This blog post and podcast episode mention teenage self-harm and death. Lifeline Australia: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

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

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 the Finding Inspiration blog post in February 2022, eight years after my son wrote his short story about a father who doesn’t have great ideas. Once again, I stress his story is entirely fictional because I had great ideas as a father in 2014 and still do today. And I’ve never made a diaper-changing machine, though that is an idea worth pursuing!

I’ve kept many mementos and journals from my son’s childhood and before I became a father. Some of these have inspired my writings on Tall And True and podcast episodes on Tall And True Short Reads. For instance, uncovering old theatre programs led to episode 78, Taking a Bow, and my travel journals inspired episodes 60, Kurd Friends in the Mountains, and 69 and 70, Two Visits to the Berlin Wall.

I hope you enjoyed this inspiring episode. You can read my blog posts, including Finding Inspiration, selected short stories, and other writings at TallAndTrue.com. You can also buy the Tall And True Microfiction anthology and my short story collections from the Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Kobo online bookstores — links are available in the show notes.

The next episode of Tall And True Short Reads will be released soon. In the meantime, please check your feed or the podcast website for earlier episodes from all four seasons, and follow or subscribe to the podcast and rate and review it via your favourite podcasting app — doing so helps share my storytelling.

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

Finally, please share this episode with your family and friends and tell them 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:

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