A short story by James Winterbottom This story was partly inspired by the Pied Piper of Hamlin and partly inspired by a story in The Guardian about how the Deputy Mayor of New York was looking to appoint a Director of Rodent Mitigation to combat the city’s rat problem. I thought it was funny how […] The post 27 – Director of Rodent Mitigation appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom This story is about a bank manager that goes off the rails and decides to rob his own bank after he becomes disillusioned with how the job he used to love has changed too much. This story is influenced by the time I spent working as a banking advisor […] The post 26 – An Inside Job appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom. WARNING: This story contains adult references and may offend those of a more delicate disposition. Please skip this story if you’re easily offended. Chris’ best friend Mike died of a sudden illness and didn’t have time to get rid of his “personal items” from his room in his mother’s […] The post 25 – The Sin Eater appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom. Using Siren Head, a character created by Trevor Henderson. This is a spooky story about a boy that is invited into the woods at night by a bully to try and find Siren Head. Both boys find more than they bargain for! You can buy Trevor Henderson’s artwork of […] The post 24 – Hunting Siren Head appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
If you’ve been sacked by your therapist then shopping centre Santas are actually a pretty good alternative. Or at least that’s what the main character in this story believes. Read the story to see if you agree with him or not. Written and performed by James Winterbottom. Merry Christmas! This will be my last podcast […] The post 23 – Santa Therapy appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
If you ask a private detective to investigate your husband you have to be prepared to hear the answers. This story is all about a wife finding out what her husband has been doing on a Wednesday night for the last few months. It’s not an affair, as she thought, but for her, it feels […] The post 22 – Not an affair… appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
Written and performed by James Winterbottom What if every little mistake you’ve ever made haunted you for the rest of your life? What if only people that had never done anything wrong could get jobs? This week’s story is set in the near future where tough new laws mean that even tiny mistakes from your […] The post 21 – Your Permanent Record appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
Sometimes people seem nice on the surface but not far beneath the pleasant exterior there is a darker side waiting to come out. This story is about one of those people, who you might meet and think are perfectly pleasant but actually are completely sociopathic. He Seems Nice is a short story that is written […] The post 20 – He Seems Nice appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
!!!PLEASE NOTE: THIS CONTENT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN!!! It’s hard to be a children’s entertainer when you’re wife has left you for her pilates instructor, you don’t have access to see your son anymore, you’re struggling to control your weight and your alcohol consumption and the demons in your head make it hard to […] The post 19 – Keep The Energy Up! appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
Where do ideas come from? What happens if they run out? This story examines what looks at what might happen if the source of inspiration dries up and you have to take extreme measures to try and get your creative inspiration flowing again. The consequences are unexpected. A short story written and performed by James […] The post 18 – The Well appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
Written by James Winterbottom and performed by Ashe Russell Would you be willing to have everything you ever wanted if it also came with an angry goose? This episode is a real treat, as the story is performed by an actor, which adds an extra dimension to the storytelling. The story is about a man […] The post 17 – Honk! appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom and HP Lovecraft. This week’s Halloween special is a reimagining of a classic HP Lovecraft story which I’ve given my own twist to. The original story was called The Dunwich Horror and I’ve taken the basic ideas from that story but added a few extra bits and removed other […] The post 16 – The Child appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom This story was inspired by a man my dad met in a lift that refused to press a button for him because, as he told my father, “I don’t do favours”. I wondered what things would have to happen to you that would lead you to a point in […] The post 15 – I don’t do favours appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom This story is about a young woman that attempts to become a seawitch by following the instructions she finds on a blog. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go to plan when the practicalities of her life get in the way and the vague instructions make it difficult for her to follow. […] The post 14 – Becoming a Seawitch appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom This week’s story is about a man that has become the world’s most prolific serial killer but he’s never been caught for his crimes. He’s frustrated that he’s achieved his lifetime ambition but isn’t able to tell anyone about it or he would end up in prison. I mention […] The post 13 – The World’s Greatest Serial Killer appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
A short story by James Winterbottom This week’s story is about how being stuck in a job that you don’t like can have serious (and unexpected) implications for your health. If you enjoy the podcast please make sure you subscribe with your podcasting app of choice. If you really want to earn extra brownie points […] The post 12- Shrinking appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
It’s good to be back! After a long hiatus the podcast is finally back with two stories to tell you. The first is a leaving speech from a disgruntled employee and the second is a story of revenge that goes wrong. Enjoy! The Leaving Speech I wrote this story a while ago, just after I’d […] The post 11 – The Leaving Speech & Just Stuff appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
This is the final episode of the first series of The Short Story Cast. This episode features two stories, one from me, James Winterbottom and a guest author called Thomas McColl. Both stories, though different, are about outsiders and dealing with people in positions of power. One is set in the literary world, the other […] The post 10 – The Agent & Keys to the House appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
Welcome to the ninth episode of The Short Story Cast, the penultimate episode of the first series. This one is packed with stories, three to be precise. One by me, James Winterbottom, and two by guest contributors. I hope you enjoy them. A Punch In The Face by James Winterbottom A man receives a knock […] The post 09 – A Punch In The Face, Persephone Speaks & Faithful Weeds appeared first on ShortStoryCast.
Welcome to the Christmas special of The Short Story Cast. A festive podcast for people that love short stories with a Christmassy twist. Hosted by James Winterbottom. This episode features two stories that have a festive theme. The first is an exclusive interview with Father Christmas. Don’t think that he’ll get an easy ride just […] The post 08 – Christmas special – EXCLUSIVE interview with Santa & The Round-Robin Letter appeared first on ShortStoryCast.