First, the big news. I've got the first draft of a full story with my editor. "The Woman on the Ledge" is a Robin Hood meets Sid and Nancy story set in a country based loosely on the breakaway region of Moldova known as Transnistria because, you know, I apparently hate writing anything that might have the slightest chance of commercial success.
The second story is called Delicate Flower of Violence and its central premise - of an older man who engages in violent crimes for a living taking a young, damaged female protege - has been kicking around in my head for at least twenty years. It's Killing Eve meets The Princess Bride because, again, I'm really bad at writing anything a publisher could possibly find a niche for. This is the opening line:
The first two times I see Mei, she’s in the middle of two different fights, three years apart. The third time I see her, she’s working retail.
Basically, everything but the core premise has been replaced. Courtesy of my daily writing exercise with the help of JanitorAI, the female lead now has way more agency and is much more angry than sad.
In the meantime, I write a little bit more of Big Demon on Campus every day. I'm hoping to have it done in a week or so.
Embracing my ADHD (now officially diagnosed!) as part of my workflow has really, genuinely helped me start writing again and finishing a full story (even if it's < 5,000 words) is a big milestone.