The Fifteen Minute Novel is a novel written fifteen minutes at a time with each week day’s section starting with the sentence from the previous day. At least it is attempting to be a novel. For now I am just aiming at one continuous story, worked on for fifteen minutes each day. Started Friday January 1st, 2021 (in case you want to search for the beginning. I can’t wait to see where it ends up. It could be good, or it could be a mess. We’ll have to see. For now, here is today’s fifteen minutes.
Day 210: He somehow suspected his subconscious hadn’t meant for him to take the library so literally.
He somehow suspected his subconscious hadn’t meant for him to take the library so literally. Still, he made his lists, realizing that many of the books on the list he was making were also on his shelves in one form or another. This hadn’t been the first time he thought about reading some of the great works that others, far more intellectual than he ever planned to be, claimed to be essential reading. He alsways picked them up with the intent to read them.
And for the most part he did actually read most of them. The problem was that he read a chapter here and there at bedtime when he finally managed to pack work away. Sometimes he made it through a chapter or an act in one sitting, but more often than not he managed only a few pages before the day caught up to him and he had to concede that his day was done.
It made the reading much more disjointed. With the way he was reading now. Simply sitting down and enjoying the books placed before him and consuming large chinks at a time, he was much more capable of following the narrative. It was easier to remember the characters, their names and interactions when reading straight through. He knew it wasn’t logical, but it felt as though his mind was getting smarter.
In addition to working out his brain, his body felt as though it was getting stronger as well. As weeks slipped by he struggled less with both the laps in the pool and the laps around the track. The brunette was unsuccessful in adding any friends to the group so it remained just the four of them. They each seemed to be increasing their skills at the same pace and ran in a loose pack around the track. The walking breaks were becoming shorter and Gary indicated that once they lost all of the walking breaks for a few sessions he was going to try them in the great outdoors so they would be used to running on something other than a smooth track.
In the office, the work fell into a rhythm. He was beginning to get a feel for the travel rotations of those the office sent out. His work day, week and even month, had predictable elements. Lunch too was somewhat predictable, bit still pleasant. As long as he remembered to watch at least a couple of episodes of the currently favored streaming show and mentioned the marathon training, he didn’t have to worry about accidentally spilling details of his life out into the open.
As his work life slipped into a rhythm, James found he didn’t actually mind the somewhat mundane job. He missed being the CEO less and less. He knew he still had a substantial savings left from the liquidation of his old life, but he was able to live with in the paycheck of his new one. In addition the office wasn’t his entire life any more. And while he wasn’t doing anything profound with his off hours, he was enjoying them.
Driving home from the club one evening, James reflected on the changes. There were certain things he missed, high quality restaurant meals among them. His cooking, while getting marginally better, wasn’t something he would condemn anyone to eating on a routine basis.
Ten til Midnight 