Drabbletober

Elizabeth Guilt
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The podcast of tiny speculative fiction. Brand new drabbles (stories of exactly 100 words) every day during October.

  1. JAN 1

    S2 B3: "January You"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is an occasional bonus episode, for the first of January, 2026 and I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: January You --- Join the gym. Run every morning. Go vegan. Two yoga classes. Read fifty new novels this year. Drink less. Do dry January! Learn Spanish. Get up early. Journal. Marie Kondo the spare bedroom, the kitchen, the whole house. Maybe try paleo? Maybe not paleo. Is vegan paleo even possible? Is vegan possible? What the hell do vegans put in sandwiches? The gym is expensive. Running hurts your knees. The yoga is fun, though. You blow dry January on the seventeenth, laughing with Kim over cocktails, speaking in broken Spanish. Marie Kondo was right. Keep the things that bring you joy. --- Welcome to 2026! If you are making new year's resolutions, then remember to be kind to yourself. There's plenty of good stuff about the old you. As a minor point of order, I checked with my reference vegan and she assures me there are plenty of sandwich fillings from the mundane (fake ham) to the grandiose (crispy-fried tofu with lettuce and tomato) via hummus, marmite, avocado… --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you again sometime. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2-jan1-bonus

    2 min

  2. 12/30/2025

    S2 B2: "Don't Wake Christmas"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is an occasional bonus episode, for the thirtieth of December, 2025, and I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: Don't Wake Christmas --- Christmas lies glutted with turkey and mince pies, asleep behind the sofa. A child shrieks with glee, still delighted with a new toy, and Christmas stirs, muttering half-words of whiskey and late-night cocoa. A parent begins to gather up the discarded ribbons and wrapping paper, smoothing them out with vague thoughts of next year. They nudge Christmas. "You indolent beast, lying there in a smear of cranberry. Entertain us!" Christmas waves them blearily away. "I'm tired. Go and see Hogmanay for your fun." And Christmas shuffles off, to nest comfortably among the tinsel and paper chains until Advent. --- I'm actually a big fan of keeping Christmas up till twelfth night, though it's not always easy to keep the festive feeling when January looms with all its back-to-work vibes. Whatever you celebrate - or don't - at this time of year, I hope you're safe and warm, and finding the opportunity to rest. Take care, everyone, and I'll see you again sometime. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2-dec30-bonus

    2 min

  3. 12/01/2025

    S2 B1: "Last Resort"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is an occasional bonus episode, for the first of December, 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: Last Resort --- Hayley knows it's there. She's known for years, ever since that stupid night when they drank too much vodka, lit loads of candles and slurred Latin incantations. She felt it crawl into her. Anthony insisted the salt circle would keep them safe - perhaps it did. They woke up, after all. Sometimes, she feels it stir. When her mother suggests diets. When her boss talks over her. She fights to keep it inside. She never drinks, now. But in the darkness, the footsteps have been getting closer. There's a hand on her shoulder, another grabs her throat. She lets it out. --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you again sometime. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2-dec1-bonus

    2 min

  4. 10/31/2025

    S2 E31: "The Singing of Drowned Sailors"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 31, season 2, for Friday the thirty-first of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: The Singing of Drowned Sailors by Elizabeth Guilt --- Me dad always told the stories. Strange calms in dark storms, and the hush that fell during the wildest winds.  "You keep yer head down, lad, and pay them no mind. They'll lure you away, drag you under to join their songs." I was half-drowned already when I heard them; frozen and clinging to the mast, not even caring if anyone heard me crying. Their voices were gentle between the wind's screams.  Heave her to. Turn her round. We steered towards the familiar rhythm of the chorus. And, drifting ragged grey over the waves, they sang us back to harbour. --- Happy Hallowe'en. Today is the final day of Drabbletober 2025. If you'd like to keep up with the bonus episodes throughout the year, make sure you're subscribed to the podcast feed. Thanks for listening, I hope you've enjoyed this year's series of tiny stories. --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you again soon. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode31

    2 min

  5. 10/30/2025

    S2 E30: "Peace and Love. Mostly."

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 30, season 2, for Thursday the thirtieth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: Peace and Love. Mostly. by Elizabeth Guilt --- Ancient? Haha, no, not at all! Built in the 60s. Yes, it is pretty convincing. Oh, just a vanity project - a local man  got really into ley lines and decided to find one on his own land. Oriented the circle using dowsing rods, would you believe.  Sure you can stand on that. Made of stone, isn't it? Lie down if you want, I'll take the photo.  Ooops, the flash makes it look like the stones are glowing. Haha, yeah the thunder is a bit of a coincidence. Oh, yes. Actually that is a tentacle round your ankles. Well, I never. --- In North Yorkshire, not far from where I grew up, there is a lovely stone circle. It was built as a job-creation scheme in the eighteenth century, but it's a fun place to visit - I'll pop a link in the shownotes. I like stone circles, I think we should build more of them. https://visitnorthyorkshire.com/index/the-druids-temple --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 31. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode30

    2 min

  6. 10/29/2025

    S2 E29: "It Was Supposed To Be a Joke"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 29, season 2, for Wednesday the twenty-ninth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: It Was Meant To Be a Joke by Elizabeth Guilt --- Typical slow Thursday, and a short man slunk up to the counter.  "I'm here about the poster." Great. Steven's latest hobby is designing ornate prank - obviously prank - flyers. "Oh? Need a unicorn groomed, do you?" "No. I want to part-exchange my kraken. Do you remove the old one when you deliver?" "Seriously?" "Mine's useless. Sluggish, pale, tentacles scarred to buggery." "It's not..." "Can't charge tourists a few grand to slay a beast that won't fight." "Slay?" "They all think they're Sir Galahad. None of 'em survived so far, but.." "You killed..." "I need a new kraken. What are your terms?" --- Recently, I was walking through Sheffield with friends and we saw a shop-window advert offering money off what the internet calls "a very well-known brand of rectangular backpack". Someone misread it, and thus the part-exchange kraken was born. --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 30. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode29

    2 min

  7. 10/28/2025

    S2 E28: "The Lady of the Floor"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 28, season 2, for Tuesday the twenty-eighth of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: We'll Have None Of That Here by Elizabeth Guilt --- I opened the vacpack of mineral oil, and thumbed a smear across the floor. "Lady." Conversation stopped. My new teammates burst out laughing.  "What?" "You don't..." "He still thinks..." The foreman leaned over. "Look, kid. We're adults, building..." he gestured around the hangar, "space shuttles. We run the tightest shop floor in the western galaxy. We don't believe in fairies. We don't pour libations for imaginary gods." I straightened up. "I've seen..." "You've seen older apprentices playing tricks. Holoprojections. Cheap effects." I fell to my knees, clapping hands over my ears. The Lady of the Floor would have no mercy. --- --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 29. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode28

    2 min

  8. 10/27/2025

    S2 E27: "All Medical Staff Should Be Briefed In Local Legends"

    This is Drabbletober, the podcast of tiny fiction. Hello, and welcome to Drabbletober. This is episode 27, season 2, for Monday the twenty-seventh of October 2025. I'm Elizabeth Guilt. Your one-hundred word story for the day is: All Medical Staff Should Be Briefed In Local Legends by Elizabeth Guilt --- Helen had her coat on when the junior tapped on her door. "Doctor? Sorry. The little girl... Her broken legs... They're..." "They're what?" "They're... Mending. In huge solid lumps." "Where was she found?" "Romsdal somewhere, her injuries..." "Where exactly?" "I don't know, maybe Trolldalen?" Helen ran to the ward.  "Stop treatment immediately!"  She brushed aside colleagues, and held out a shaking hand.  "I'll take you home." The patient slid out of bed, knees making grinding noises as she limped. Helen coaxed her into the car and, later, watched her swarm straight up the rocks, back to her father's stoney court. --- Trolldalen is a real place in Norway - it means "the troll valley" (please excuse my pronunciation). I visited this summer, and it's beautiful. As far as I'm aware, though, baby trolls being mistaken for human children there is just something I made up. --- Take care, everyone, and I'll see you tomorrow for episode 28. https://www.elizabethguilt.com/drabbletober/s2episode27

    2 min
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About

The podcast of tiny speculative fiction. Brand new drabbles (stories of exactly 100 words) every day during October.

Information

  • Creator
    Elizabeth Guilt
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Drabbletober