Welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Each morning I spend fifteen minutes writing on a singular story line. Each morning starts with the last line of the previous day. The goal is to get a (very) rough draft out of the simple story idea and to avoid letting the story idea languish in limbo forever, actually writing it out. This is the third year I have done this writing experiment and each year I learn just a little bit about myself and the way I write as well as creating a framework for the story. But without further ado…
Day 118: Gwen nodded and took out her notebook.
Gwen nodded and took out her notebook. The ingredients list was rattled off rapid fire and Gwen scrawled it down. She knew that there was a base cookie recipe in the textbook she was told to pick up, but didn’t know if it differed from the one being given.
As the ingredients were listed, someone wheeled in a cart loaded with all of the items mentioned. He nodded to them and they left without a word. A moment later they returned with another cart with equipment.
Once the ingredients were taken from the cart and placed on the table, the equipment list was given. Gwen made notes and linked names with machines as they were transferred to the table. the oven was set to preheat and then the assembly was begun. Gwen noted the order in which they were combined and liked that there was a reason given for why they were combined in the order used. It made the process more knowable and Gwen liked that there was a system.
When the cookies went into the oven located under the instructors desk, he asked if there were any questions. As his instructions were pretty clear and the recipe was not a complicated one, there were no questions.
“You may now go to the fridge and pantry to gather your ingredients and then take the equipment you need back to your station. For this first lesson we are doing replication not innovation so don’t feel you need to impress with extra ingredients.”
As none of them had carts for ingredients or equipment the gathering took several trips around the room. Often Gwen found herself waiting while someone else took their ingredients. As there were only seven of them, it didn’t take too long before each of them was back at their worktops with everything they needed in front of them.
As they gathered their instructor cleaned off his station so that only a rack remained on the counter. By the time they were all ready, his cookies were coming out of the oven. He took out the tray and placed it on the rack to cool. The scent of warm chocolate chip cookies filled the room.
“You may begin,” he said.
Gwen looked at her notes and tried to remember the order in which things were done. She heard their instructor moving around the room. He was silent as he moved from one table to another, studying them as they worked before moving on. When he came to her station, Gwen tried to ignore him as best as she was able. She was relieved when he moved on.
‘Cream the butter first, she reminded herself once everything was measured out. She started putting things in the mixer, making sure everything went in as she was instructed. From one of the worktables across the room, the sound of the first mixer turning on was heard, followed by an explosion of a flour cloud.
“And that is why we start slow,” their instructor said.
‘Please don’t explode on me,’ Gwen thought as she slowed her mixer and began to add in the flour. She didn’t want to cause a dust storm at her station.
Ten til Midnight 