Tall And True Short Reads

Season Three: Episode 75 (25 June 2023)

Past Demons 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/past-demons

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 Past Demons (originally titled Demons) for the Australian Writers’ Centre’s May 2023 Furious Fiction writing challenge. The brief for May’s 500-word short story was:

• It must include a character who is BEING CHASED or doing the CHASING
• The words BOIL, FRINGE and JUMP (or longer as long as they retain the original spelling)
• And at least THREE CREATIVE SIMILES.

The simile from my opening sentence, “a tongue so furry it felt like it needed waxing”, occurred to me first. And this set me on the path of writing a story about a man hoping for a fresh start, chased by his past alcoholic demons.

I had no problems finding places for the required words — did you hear them?

But the creative similes proved more difficult than I’d expected. And later, after reading the showcased stories and extra similies that stood out for the Furious Fiction judges, I realised I should have been more creative with mine. Although I was proud of “the bottle shop downstairs called to him like a siren song”.

I hope you enjoyed Past Demons.  You can read this 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, please do the podcast and me a big favour by telling 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:

• Jackhammer: https://freesound.org/people/fauxpress/sounds/42097/
• Party Voices: https://freesound.org/people/Zac_Gist/sounds/457286/
• Bottles Chinking: https://freesound.org/people/jawbutch/sounds/344401/
• Glasses Chinking: https://freesound.org/people/13GPanska_Gorbusinova_Anna/sounds/377989/
• Kettle Whistling: https://freesound.org/people/keweldog/sounds/181718/
• Bottle Whistle: https://freesound.org/people/Anthousai/sounds/447746/
• Sipping Drink: https://freesound.org/people/Sheyvan/sounds/471078/

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.