One More Short Story

Join Chris for four fantastic, unsettling horror stories from the world of Writing Battle competitions, written by women. Maybe don't listen to this one whilst you're eating...

If required, please feel free to click the links to check out the stories and their content warnings ahead of listening.

Someplace Even The Stars Don't Know- written and narrated by Rachel Savage

The Queen's Lesson- by Kayleigh Shaw, narrated by Hannah Fulwell

Condemned- by Ava Satani, narrated by Adam Lange

Transmission Communion- by Rachel Baxter, narrated by Chris

Join Chris for the fifth Writers' Room episode of One More Short Story, featuring stories by three fantastic authors as well as interviews on the writers' processes and wider writing experience.

Enough by Caro Robson, narrated by Rachel Baxter

... accompanied by an interview with Caro where she talks us through her writing process. Caro adapted this story following her feedback in the most recent Writing Battle contest, and we hear both versions of this fantastic, moving story on this episode.

Everything Althea Needed To Know About Customer Relations, She Learned From Her Parents by Grace Quon, narrated by Noah Trent

... accompanied by an interview with Grace about her writing process, her wider writing works and the importance of self-care for writers.

A Place To Grow by Anne Wilkins, narrated by Chris

... accompanied by an interview with Anne, a three-time Writing Battle winner with an impressive list of publications to her name. Anne is the sort of writer Chris wants to be when he grows up, and has excellent, real-world advice and insight regarding the process of becoming a published short story writer.

Website HERE

Newsletter HERE

Happy listening!

-Chris

Join Chris for seven stories- the most we've ever had in one episode!

Want more? Check out our website here and subscribe here

These stories were selected at random from over 80 entries in a competition on the Writing Battle forum. The competition was for authors who are new to Writing Battle in 2026; we've got a great range of stories for you in this episode.

• Pancakes for John Lennon by Alyssa Chan, narrated by Caro Robson
• From an Arcane Bounty Hunters' Guild Training Video, written and narrated by B. M. Belanger
• The Golden Pheasant by Coyote Dave, narrated by Andrew Fieler
• End of Her Rope by Whimsy Wonder, narrated by Rachel Savage
• Ghost Hunting, written and narrated by Sarah Lewis
• Amethyst Whispers by Andrea Hall, narrated by Chris
• Bug Off! by Ellen Scott, narrated by Regan Westergard

Happy listening!

-Chris

Thank you for listening! For subscription features, including the chance to influence the future of the show, click here.

This is our fourth Writers’ Room Episode and features:

• Three fantastic pieces of short fiction
• Interviews with the authors- Sam James, Alexis Hunter and Jaime Gill
• The Story Selection Raffle: One listener will be selected at random to choose a Writing Battle story (their own, or someone else’s, and with the author’s permission) to feature in an episode

You're Supposed to be Dead Before You Leave a Ghost by Sam James, narrated by Maverick Jones

The aftermath of a relationship can be a very sad time indeed. It can almost feel as if you're being haunted by your ex...

- followed by an interview with Sam, the author, about his writing process, his take on twists in flash fiction, and the relationship between writer and reader. Sam is one of Writing Battle's most consistently successful authors; you won't want to miss this!

Blooming Anarchy, written and narrated by Alexis Hunter

One community garden. Miserable bureaucratic barriers. One woman who takes absolutely zero crap in her mission to help the people around her.

- followed by an interview with Alexis, the author, about her writing process, her love of side-characters, and her children's books (one of which came about from somebody else's prompts in a writing competition). Alexis has fantastic range as a writer and has excellent, honest insights into the process.

Here Comes Your Man by Jaime Gill, narrated by Chris Fulwell

Would you go back and stop yourself from meeting the love of your life, given how much they've ruined it? Addiction, time travel, love and pain come crashing together in this superb contest winner from Jaime Gill.

- followed by an interview with Jaime, the author, about his passion for storytelling, the unpredictable nature of writing competitions, and how he makes sure no story he writes is ever wasted. Jaime is one of the most prolific writers in the Writing Battle community, with multiple wins and publications to his name; his interview is a must-listen for aspiring writers.

Join Chris for three wonderful episodes where opposing existences come together. Between these three stories, we cover pretty much every human emotion in under 45 minutes...

Two of the stories were picked by subscribers in the Story Selection Raffle; to find out more, and to subscribe, please check out our website HERE or our Patreon HERE.

The Menagerie by Harry Humber, narrated by Philip Godfrey

When the boy comes to visit Jory to find out more about mysterious, impossible events in the forest, what Jory shares with him will stay with them both for the rest of their lives.

Summer Shadows by Alexandria Simmons, narrated by Lauren Hogg

Aleyne and Jolis, two girls with utterly different lives, strike up an unlikely friendship in the tunnels beneath the castle one summer. As more and more summers pass, some things change, and some do not...

Love's Pitfall by Molly Blunden, narrated by R. L. Lynn

Laura just wanted to tolerate the company retreat in peace. Stuck in a mineshaft with a sock covered in her own urine, things couldn't get much worse for poor Laura. Then Nick found her.

Thank you for listening! For subscription features, including the chance to influence the future of the show, click here.

This is our third Writers’ Room Episode and features:

• Three fantastic pieces of short fiction
• Interviews with the authors- Laura Cody, Maverick Jones and Nick Smith
• The Story Selection Raffle: One listener will be selected at random to choose a Writing Battle story (their own, or someone else’s, and with the author’s permission) to feature in an episode

Fair and Square by Laura Cody, narrated by Regan Westergard

In the not-too-distant future, humanity struggles in the aftermath of the Pathogen. Men enter brutal physical competitions to claim the prizes needed in order to survive.

- followed by an interview with Laura, the author, about her writing process and how she uses competition writing to improve her novels. Laura is a published writer who recently spoke at an International Thriller Writers event in New York about her debut novel, Call Game (on the same stage as Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter, to name-drop just a little...). Thriller writers- you can't miss this!

Boy's Guide to Philanthropy, written and narrated by Maverick Jones

Mama died 2555 days ago. At first, Boy was scared. Then he ventured out of the bunker and into the world.

- followed by an interview with Maverick, the author, about their writing process and their recently-published poetry collection: please pardon my rotting corpse. Maverick has some enriching, refreshing perspectives on creativity as well as an eye for the poetic.

Soul Searching by Nick Smith, narrated by Chris Fulwell

Who would trek across an inhospitable swamp, in search of the witch who collects souls? For a being with no soul of their own, tonight might just be the answer to all their questions.

- Nick has won Writing Battle and has also been runner-up three times. His incredibly insightful interview on his writing process and tips for competition writers can be found in Long Story Short, the newsletter for subscribers to One More Short Story. For more details of subscription, click here.

Happy Listening!

-Chris

Join Chris for four short stories where the author has taken things in a different direction to which you might expect- to great effect.

(Subscribe HERE and get a bonus short story (not available on the regular podcast) as well as Long Story Short, the One More Short Story newsletter.)

A Becoming Man by Tommy Baker, narrated by Rhys Allen

Did you know that God has a moustache, sneaks into fancy hotels in Brisbane, and is actually called Joel? Listen to this- it'll clear things up for you.

Just For Laughs by E. M. Forest, narrated by Maverick Jones

For one young girl, a trip to the mall with her exhausted mother and unbelievably messy younger brother may as well be the end of the world.

Seven Tips For Better Birdwatching by Stacey George, narrated by Chris and Hannah Fulwell

Following the loss of his dear wife, May, Terry is determined to communicate with her one last time.

The Cheese Stands Alone, written and narrated by Suzanne Link

Cheese. Meat. Destined to fall in love on the charcuterie board. You'll never look at hors d'oeuvres the same way again.

Note: At time of publication these episodes were called Premium Episodes. They are now called Writers’ Room Episodes and are available to everyone.

This is our second Writers’ Room Episode and features:

B-DAY by R. L. Lynn, narrated by Emily Lange

Inside a human body, Brain does its best to keep the other organs in line as a significant life event approaches…

- followed by an interview with Rebecca, the author, about her writing process and how she’s taken competition stories and turned them into novels- Rebecca is an amazing example of what we can do with our competition stories. If you’re an aspiring novelist, you won’t want to miss this!

The Last Cup Of Coffee by Katie Dee, narrated by Annie Benham

In a tiny café on the outskirts of the solar system, Mel takes the time to enjoy her last cup of coffee before her life changes forever.

- followed by an interview with Katie, the author, about her writing process and her creative resilience: Katie took a story which didn’t have a great outing in its original Writing Battle outing, tweaked it and submitted it and ended up succeeding in the 2025 Uncharted Flash Fiction Competition. Flash fiction writers and competition addicts—you’ll want to hear what Katie has to say!

The Cursed Lasagne of Dr Strachan by Chris Fulwell, narrated by Mark Godwin

My first ever Writing Battle story… one reluctant chef; one irritating and overbearing colleague; an oven that won’t behave itself. I hope you enjoy this Culinary Catastrophe as much as I did. Or more. More is fine too.

- followed by an interview with Mark, a keen reader and an avid listener of the show, with some great insights on narrated, short-form fiction. As well as being an all-round decent guy, Mark had a great reason for putting himself forward to narrate a story, having never done anything like it before…

The Story Selection Raffle: One listener will be selected at random to choose a Writing Battle story (their own, or someone else’s, and with the author’s permission) to feature in an episode.

Happy Listening!

-Chris

Join Chris for three short stories where justice is served. Or denied. Or both.

(Subscribe HERE and get a bonus short story (not available on the regular podcast) as well as Long Story Short, the One More Short Story newsletter.)

This week's episode is themed around Crime and Punishment.

Gritty true crime. Cozy criminal investigations of the mysterious kind.

Puppets.

It’s all in there.

Bourbon and Maraschino Cherries, written and narrated by Annie Benham

August makes his living writing about the victims of con artists. He's pretty good at it, too. He strikes up conversation with the bartender at an event celebrating his success and things are looking up. Justice is served.

Raw Toast, written and narrated by Rozanne Strydom

You are about to experience the journal entries of Detective Longbottom, following one of her more perplexing and intoxicating cases. Just don't tell Marge.

That’s Puppet Town For Ya, written and narrated by Rev McLean

Crime. Conspiracy. Rain. Jazz. Puppets. PUPPETS. A summary won't do this recent contest-winning story justice. You need to experience it for yourself. Listen to it. Read it. Listen again. Embrace it.

Want more? Want in on the Writers' Room? Next week's episode is a Premium episode, featuring interviews with working authors on their writing processes and how they've used their Writing Battle experiences to develop their wider writing.

Subscribe HERE

Join Chris for the first ever Writers’ Room episode of One More Short Story!

Note: At time of publication these episodes were called Premium Episodes. They are now called Writers’ Room Episodes and are available to everyone.

In this episode we have three fantastic stories, plus conversations with the authors about their writing processes and hear uplifting, encouraging reflections on the experience of writing for competitions and beyond.

We have the results of the very first Story Selection Raffle- one lucky subscriber will be picked at random to choose a story for a future episode!

Also, don't miss out on the first issue of Long Story Short- the newsletter for all One More Short Story subscribers. Inside, you'll find more details of the stories and the authors as well as more information on the Story Selection Raffle.

You can find Long Story Short on the One More Short Story Patreon page, available to all subscribers.

The Stories

6PM On A Tuesday: The Beginning Of The End Of The World (Again) by Melanie York, narrated by Chris

Barry lives a simple, lonely life, years after the world was taken over by extra-terrestrials. When the doorbell rings, he could never have predicted who would be on the other side...

The Abduction Package, written and narrated by Regan Westergard

Coval's aunt had always been... eccentric (that's what rich people are called when they've lost their minds). When Coval agrees to accompany her aunt on her latest adventure, she is likely to regret it.

Plunged Into Battle by Christina Kershaw, narrated by Chris

Flint Gallantyne, swordsman extraordinaire and enemy of vagabonds the world over, finds himself several hundred years later than where he was yesterday. To say he experiences a culture shock would be a gross understatement.

Thank you for listening!

-Chris