Year: 2018

The hand

Posted on by wotif

The Hand: It is difficult to say much about this complex story without giving the plot away.

Neighbours know each other in ways that are more intimate than families, and the garden fence is no boundary to borrowing or sharing personal items, or even one’s life.

Although The hand fits comfortably in our CrimeWithoutGrime series, it was once entitled Neighbours. No doubt you will see why once you listen to it. While it is true you can’t choose your family, you can choose your friends, and in some ways you can choose your neighbours. And while friendship with neighbours is a wonderful thing, it is also fraught with problems.

 

 

Guest House Ghost Story

Posted on by wotif

Guest House Ghost Story is our new podcast.

Written and Narrated by Breanda Cross

A couple of young girls miss their train on a dark night and find themselves in an isolated guest house. It has all the components of  a scary story, and here’s hoping it delivers.

 

There are many ghost houses that come to mind, especially if you love movies.  Psycho is the obvious choice, even now, some 55 years since it was released.  It even has its own fan club. GHGH certainly isn’t in that class. But it did begin its life 30 years ago, when caught out late at night, I stayed in a nearly empty guest house right by the railroad in Tentafield, The landlord could well have been cast as Riff Raff in the Rocky Horror  Picture Show some few years later, and things certainly went “bump in the night’,  all night, along with sliding beds, rats in the rafters, and lights going on and off for no reason.  And of course, the entire house shook every time a train went past.

Note  If you want to have some fun with your own GHGH, please ask for the script, and we will be happy to send it to you.

 

 

Touche

Posted on by wotif

Touche: Our latest podcast introduces Tom, an old busker, much the same as found in any capital city. We pass them every day in busy malls, or streets, sometimes briefly aware of their jaunty tunes, and even more rare, drop a few coins in a hat or music case.

Our busker Tom is a blind old English ten pound pommy, and of course he is always accompanied by his faithful companion Patch.  Over the years he has become street smart and encourages passers by to part with a few donations by playing the saxophone.  This story may stay with you long after the lights are out. And why is the story called Touche, well, listen in and find out.

  • CrimeWithoutGrime
  • 8.54m
  • Monologue by John Cross
  • Written and Produced by Breanda Cross

Night Fever

Posted on by wotif

Night Fever – CrimeWithoutGrime

Night Fever is a dual split between categorizing it as CWG or TST. Once you listen to this literally ‘chilling’ story you can decide yourself. Maureen Durney takes us, as Nikki,  into the dark city late at night looking for Tony, an errant husband. It does not end well.

What does end well is the opportunity to obtain the script for this monologue. This is an ideal format for you overseas listeners who are listening to this story with English as a second language.  Please go to our Contact page and we will be delighted to send the script.

And we are now happy to inform you should be able to download us on your platform of choice. We can be found on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, iHeart, Whooshkaa, Google, and Listen Notes – a dedicated podcast platform.  And of course we would love a nice review, or simply a few comments, or a ‘Like’. It all helps to keep our enthusiasm high in providing quality stories in an easy-to-listen-style.

Maureen can also be heard on A long time waiting,

  • 7.26m
  • Monologue by Maureen Durney
  • Written and Produced by Breanda Cross
Bi-Monthly CheckPoint.

Bi-Monthly CheckPoint.

Posted on by wotif

Can you find the icon of your favourite podcast between May and June?

 

1st July and we begin the third month since launching our first Podcast – Wheeled Prison. Since then our listeners have steadily grown, suggesting there is a place for people who want to listen to dramatised short stories. They go so well together with a morning Tea break, or ride to work, or, if you are well organised – a sit-in in the garden. To go directly to the site press, here.

 

For those who are just joining us, here is a quick break-down of what we have covered in the last eight weeks.

Wheeled Prison – a beautiful and emotive story of an old man’s reflection of war. MYTSeries

A bad luck day – A criminal on the run has a bit of luck – but it turns into the worst day of his life. CWGSeries

Front window – The drama of Hollywood comes to a city back street – with a surprising twist. General

All or Nothing – A young woman thinks she has nothing – but finds out it is something someone else wants, desperately. CWG

The Wake – An Irish Wake is an ideal place for a detective to begin investigations. But it may not continue. CWG,TSTeries

The odd couple – A long marriage does not end well. MYTSeries, TST

Artistic Licence – A grieving husband finds out who killed his wife and dispenses justice. CWG

Grave Consequences – a story that is difficult to classify. CWG, TST

For Sale – A Real Estate agent’s nightmare. General

A natural accident – Revenge eats up a man with little to lose. CWG

Home Alone – Custard involved with Murder – Short, Sharp, but not Sweet. CWG

Decisions – A man gets what he wants for – but not in the way he wants it. CWG

Highlights – A day in the Family life in Suburbia. LITSLSeries

Tea with Mrs. Bradley – Mrs. B is a sweet old lady – or is she? CWG.

Note: Update March 2019 – With almost a year gone it is interesting to note that there is still no focus or preference shown towards short or long podcasts, read or performed, or one series over another. Confusing?

Tea with Mrs. Bradley

Posted on by wotif

Tea with Mrs. Bradley  This is a favourite story of mine for three reasons.  First, it was written quite a while ago and made into a short film with the title Mrs. Bradley’s Hat,  with the then active Brisbane QPix.  It was directed by a VERY young Judd Tilyard, who is now an Australian film director and producer, based in Toronto since 2010 where he is now the co-owner and head of Production at Dimeworth Films.

It was also read on 4RPH by Kim Dodsworth the Queensland StoryTeller. Kim read many of the stories that are now being dramatised by FastFictionPodcasts. However, this production features Michael Wilkins, who read our emotive war story Wheeled Prison in our April launch.

Finally, it is a truly unusual sad/funny/ story, with many layers and complex issues still pertinent today.

However, one word of caution. Do not confuse it with the equally delightful, but completely different detective series starring Diana Rigg, 1998 (A forerunner of the Phyrnne Fisher Mysteries)/ They are very different ladies who share only the name.

  • 19.06m
  • Audio Drama
  • Written by Breanda Cross
  • Performed by Breanda Cross, John Cross, Michael Vilkins

Below you may see your Editor ‘Wotif’ playing an ‘old woman’ when she was a comparatively ‘young woman’. Nowadays there isn’t much difference.

                        

Note, Update March 2019 –

Highlights

Posted on by wotif

Highlights is the latest podcast for the month of June.  It is the first entry in a new series, LifeInTheSlowLane, a.k.a. Suburbia.

There are times when many mothers would like something to happen a little outside of the regular routine, and indeed may even be tempted into a new shade of hair colour. However, in this particular instance it was immediately obvious that the timing was not the best.

Written and read by Breanda Cross

NOTE: A few regular subscribers have indicated that they use some of the podcasts as an English Language learning tool. If this is case, please feel free to write and request the script, which may be useful as an additional aid.

Decisions

Posted on by wotif

Decisions is a dark story just released to iTunes. It is also sad. It asks the question of whether or not we govern our own destiny by the choices we make, or are we simply destined to follow the path that fate has decreed for us. Why not listen – and make your own decision!

Note: Update March 2019. Beyond Blue is taking on a higher profile than ever before. which makes this story more relevant.

FastFictionPodcasts have been submitting stories to iTunes, for just over a month and can now boast a dozen stories in the library.  So far stories have covered a mix of three basic series – Makes You Think, Crime Without Grime,  and The Spouse Trap. But we promised you four -and yes, there is another one, as yet not represented. Life in the Slow Lane are stories, or, maybe more like anecdotes, of family life in the suburbs.

  • 9.26m
  • Monologue
  • Written by Breanda Cross
  • Narrated and Produced by Breanda Cross.

Highlights – Life in the Slow Lane,  Highlights  begins – “I was in the shower when the telephone rang…..” Nothing unusual with that, but it may give you a few minutes mirth when you hear what happens next.

Sometimes it makes life seem to much easier when you know the mess other people make of their lives.

  • 14,03m
  • Monologue
  • Written and Narrated by Breanda Cross

A Natural Accident and Home Alone

Posted on by wotif

A natural accident – Makes You Think Series

Written by Breanda Cross, Dramatised by A. Nunn

Cover Art – Unsplash

Our recent podcast certainly makes you think.  Here in Australia most of us abhor the idea of gun violence, or even the casual way Americans seem to take their natural right for gun ownership. Yet every day we drive cars with as little thought.  Not realizing that it is as much a death weapon as a gun.

A natural accident is a thriller. We open up inside the mind of a man who knows exactly what use he will put his car to, and the results he expects. But will they be the same? Wotif…?

Note: Update March 2010. In the year since this podcast was released we have had a constant deluge of mass shootings in the USA and terrorist killings all over the world. And yes, carnage on the road.

There were 34,247 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2017 in which 37,133 deaths occurred.

In Australia

  • 1,226 people were killed in road related deaths, over 3 people a day
  • 34% of fatal crashes occur in major cities
  • 1 in 10 crashes resulted in multiple deaths

It certainly makes you think, doesn’t it?

And now for something completely different….

Home Alone 

  • 5.54m
  • Monologue
  • Written and Narrated by Breanda Cross

Home Alone is a crime story. and while custard may not be the actual murder weapon it features quite prominently in this short and sharp story.

And yes, the 1990 movie Home Alone was inspirational to the story

Grave Consequences

Posted on by wotif

Grave Consequences   fits comfortably into our three themes, a marital discord, (TheSpouseTrap,TST), there may be a crime (CrimeWithoutGrime, CWG), and without giving a spoiler of who, how what or why, we have to add a (MakesYouThink,MYT). Compared with the previous pods its fairly long, (20minutes), but I promise it will keep you in suspense. After all, a dead husband, a Merry Widow and an isolated homestead. Everything you need for a Nightmare. This drama was once made into a short film and won a small video competition.

The best time to listen is on a dark and starry night…. Need I say more?

  • 20.14m
  • Dramatised story
  • Written by Breanda Cross
  • Performed by Breanda Cross, A. Anon

Note: March 2019 Update: The print version first appeared in one of the annual Crimewriters Queensland anthologies, which are now only available through the National Library.