A bed of roses

 I've dropped the Ancient Persia theme (I'm always more than a little worried about straying into racist/cultural appropriation areas with non-Western cultures, which is one reason I tend to favour sci-fi settings - although I was planning on playing this one like a fairytale; anyway...) and I'm going for a modern setting, with fantasy/fairytale elements.  After all, part of the point of the exercise in this year's Nano was to explore some of my own feelings, issues, whatever, so this is semi-autobiographical (with the emphasis on 'semi').  Writing this should HURT - me if not the reader.

OK...

• Modern woman in her early 40's works as a hotel receptionist with a horrible boss who is the same age as her daughter
• She had her daughter very young but the relationship with the father didn't last, so she raised her mostly alone
• She has remarried but has no more children due to an accident when she was pregnant with twins
• All of these circumstances have generated tiny resentments and regrets that occasionally flare up in outbursts that usually manifest as passive/aggressive behaviour but sometimes as rage
• She receives an inheritance from Great-Aunt Mina - a locket that contains a familiar(?)
• She finds she can make the things she wishes come true, which is fun at first (new shoes! turning the boss' tea cold) but soon turns dark
• Her daughter, a primary school teacher, is on maternity leave with twins
• Their relationship is a difficult one but there is love underneath all the bitterness
• Her husband, who has high EQ, is at the end of his tether and is considering leaving
• When he speaks to her about it, the rage flares up and she attacks him
• This is the wake up call she needs to begin the process of healing

I can still split this into three - mother, daughter, familiar, with the healing happening (or at least starting) in the final chapter.  Or, I can t document more of the healing process as well as the destruction by making the whole thing about the mother.

I'm leaning towards the former because this is supposed to be therapy rather than a commercial opportunity.  Although who knows where it will go?