Me: *starting story* now you gotta stay under 3500 words
Story: sure thing
Me: I mean it
Story: uh huh
Me: look I really really mean it
Story: why don’t you trust me
Me: you know why
Story: I’m v offended rn
Me: don’t you dare
Story:

Me: this first 500 words has not filled me with an abundance of confidence in you
Story: but look at all the interesting worldbuilding
Me: do you understand that I need to get paid
Story: but your notes, isn’t all that cool
Me: I have to start and wrap this plot up in 3k words

Me: so far my MC has walked down her driveway and we did a bunch of flashbacking
Story: we did a bunch of NEAT flashbacking
Me: I have to do an entire relationship arc
Story: how will you do that if we don’t establish the world
Me: the world is not the point
Story: like hell

Story: why did you even do all the notes if you’re not going to use them
Me: this is how fantasy novels bloat to 300k words
Story: oh come on
Me: why do you do this every time, we used to be able to do under 3k words no problem
Me: now every damn time you turn out to be a novel

Story: you know what I’ve been thinking a lot about myself
Me: please don’t
Story: and my identity
Me: for the love of god
Story: and I think I need to be comfortable as a narrative in who I am
Me: I am begging you, do not
Story: why can’t you accept me as I am

Me: EVERY TIME YOU DO THIS
Story: you know really you should thank me
Me: the sheer depths of my despair
Story: a lot of people have trouble with thinking of novel ideas
Me: just stop
Story: you have so many, don’t you feel lucky
Me: I feel cursed to walk the earth is what I feel

In all seriousness I think I can get this under 3500 words

I think

What this *might* end up being, what I hope, is a successful proof of concept that can then, when I am READY, become something longer