I said goodbye to Twitter/X in February 2025. Leaving wasn’t without regrets, because I’d made friends there, particularly among the #WritingCommunity. And I enjoyed sharing my writing and taking part in challenges on the platform. Like the #30Words30Days challenge, run during 30-day months by Danielle Baldock.
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“Sweet dreams, Tiger.” I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling above my bed. Why had Mum’s mantra from my childhood bedtimes entered my head? I roll over, sprawling an arm across Annie’s deserted side of the bed, a stark reminder she’s no longer here to help answer my questions. I roll back onto my back.
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In March 2020, I wrote a blog post marking my 58th birthday, questioning if it was one to remember or forget (thanks, COVID!)? I dipped into my diaries dating back to 1987 and shared a selection of birthday highlights, and I revealed how I set birthday challenges. So what 63 things could I do this year?
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Margaret Chittenden observed: “Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do much the same thing.” Instead of staring at a wall, I was walking my dog when I heard my uncle’s voice.
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Tyson leaned against the bar, waiting for his cocktail and staring at his reflection in the mirror above the drinks display. A late-thirties sales manager on the rise, he wore a few smile lines and flecks of grey, but thankfully, there was no sign of a receding hairline. Tyson winked at himself. With luck, he wouldn’t leave the singles bar alone tonight.
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I joined Twitter in August 2011. My early tweets read like short text messages between friends. But then, tweets were only 140 characters long, and I had few followers. Twitter is now X. I can post 280 characters and have many more followers. I’ve enjoyed tweeting, but it’s time to say Goodbye Twitter.
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Episode 102 (6 February 2025): The terrace house door creaks open, and the women sitting in the converted front room glance at the newcomers: another nervous-looking young woman in her late teens or early twenties and an older woman, probably her mother, judging by their shared chubby features. The two women cross to the receptionist’s desk.
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I enjoyed the pub last night, chatting with old friends, and I wish Ellie had joined us. But I should have listened to her, drank less, and popped a blocker. I’ll get no sympathy from Ellie today, waking with a hangover and viral thoughts I feel compelled to share.
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Most episodes from the past four seasons of Tall And True Short Reads are standalone, but I’ve also released multipart episodes for longer short stories. For Season Five, I’m doing something different. I’m writing and narrating a series of interconnected short stories titled The Nine Lives of Leo Roberts.
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I shared my first “Year of Books” post in December 2018, featuring the sixteen books I read that year. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, I listed a similar number of paper-based books and ebooks but also included audiobooks. By 2022 and 2023, I listened to far more books than I read, and the trend continued in 2024!
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Episode 101 (20 December 2024): Since Episode 100, I’ve taken a break from podcasting to plan a new direction for Season Five of Tall And True Short Reads, which I hope to launch early in 2025. Meanwhile, I’ve “gift-wrapped” the first episodes from Seasons One to Four of the podcast for this year’s bumper Kris Kringle.
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The job offer notification pops up on my phone early on Christmas Eve. It’s a short-term role helping with overnight deliveries. The regular delivery driver has hurt his back and needs an offsider for heavy lifting. Once, I would have declined the job and spent Christmas Eve with my kids.
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"For Alex his the Adaptive Generation, AI was a logical step in human evolution. It enhanced life, leaving them feeling less stressed and anxious. AI also offered hope for mitigating and adapting to the existential effects of climate change."
By definition, brevity is the key to good microfiction. There is no time for plot and character development, so every word must count. ~ Robert Fairhead
I hope readers enjoy the short story journeys in Twelve More Furious Months and make it home in time for dinner. ~ Robert Fairhead
I look forward to the Writer's Centre's monthly Furious Fiction competitions because I've become addicted to the escapism of writing short stories! ~ Robert Fairhead
This slim book is hard to put down. And the only regret we may feel after reading it is that we reached the end too quickly! ~ Denise O'Hagan
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. ~ Maya Angelou
Share your untold story — fiction, nonfiction and reviews — on Tall And True, an online showcase and forum for writers, readers and publishers.
