Upcoming stories (and pics)

Neil Gaiman advises writers to have multiple projects on the go at once. That way, if you get stuck with one, you can pivot to another rather than creating a head-shaped dent in the keyboard. I've found this to be good advice, and there are always a handful of stories I'm dabbling with alongside the main Lady wot lunched series. 

Random events or people I see in real life often trigger a story idea that excites me, and I have loads in mind, but the main projects I'm currently working on are below. Some are raw concepts, others are already well underway. 

If you have preference for which I should work on, please let me know in the poll. Sorry if some are a little vague - I feel too much of a blurb can sometimes spoil the story.

As always, additional thoughts are very welcome in the comments.

Oh, and happy new year! 🥂

1. Dress Distress (working title) Weddings are stressful enough at the best of times. But when you're working ungodly hours to afford a dress that your future sister in law is secretly sabotaging your efforts to fit into, things seem sure to end in disaster. Oh well, at least there's the cake testing to look forward to. [story & pics]  

2. The Dragon in the Sands Desperate to save his people from poverty, charismatic King Abdul Azhar seeks a pact with the ruthless Locust Queen, Nina Chow - an obese Chinese billionaire hungry to expand her hotel, mining and private security empire into the Middle East. But the King's slick Westernised son and fiery knife-wielding traditionalist daughter have agendas of their own.  [story & pics]

3. Saran Nights In Saran, one of the wealthiest cities on the futuristic planet of Kane Alpha, fat is very much in fashion. Bigger is better, greed is good and the size and swell of a woman's figure reflects her position in society. From zeppelin-sized air stewardesses munching at Mega Burger, to humongous heiresses and billionaire businesswomen feasting on Tomahawk steaks, ladies everywhere are aspiring to the roundest bellies and most overblown curves possible. Saran Nights will be my first shortish story set in this world, with more indulgent descriptive writing than deep plot or character development. [story & pic]

4. Debbie does Sports Day II Ten years after the events of Debbie does sports day, jeans-busting Texas barbie Debbie Hill finds herself back in the stands, cheering her sons through another school sports day. But a lot can change in a decade. And with her husband on the warpath and the school's star quarterback sleazing over her adult daughter, Debbie is struggling to keep up with the demands of modern life. All that extra pork around her middle probably isn't helping either. Oh well, at least there's no chance of her being roped into the egg and spoon race this year... [story & pic]

5. Too much Christmas? A lighthearted festive vignette to go with my pic of the same name. Turgid with turkey and puff-full of pudding, Gemma Patterson (from the Lady wot Lunched) just wants to spend Christmas evening slugged out on the sofa. But with her mum supplying a constant steam of irresistible baked creations, and her sister-in-law constantly sniping about her weight, the plump business barbie is finding this year's Christmas a little tough to digest. [short story & bonus pic]

6. The Challenger (working title) Spilling your mojito is never fun. Spilling it on the brand new Gucci dress of Angelica "The Goddess" Clay, golden-haired personal trainer and queen bee socialite who has bullied and seduced her way to the top is tantamount to social suicide. In Shelley's case, it might even cost her a fiance as well. Things seem to get even worse when Shelley's friend Mimi confronts Angelica and publicly challenges her to a fitness contest - surely suicidal against a former championship hurdler turned professional fitness instructor. Or does clever little Mimi have some inside info that may tip the scales against arrogant Angelica? [story and pics]