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 123: ‘Seems simple enough,’ she thought.
‘Seems simple enough,’ she thought. Gwen liked that it was a knowable thing. It was easy to see the logic. Sure costing out the price of a cookie wouldn’t pay the light bill, but all of the cookies, cakes, breads and assorted other things the bakery sold added up and would, in the end hopefully pay more than the light bill.
She ran through the lesson pretty quickly and found that there were websites for restaurant supplies where she could get the basic cost of the ingredients. Gwen double checked the recipe that was given in class with the basic chocolate chip cookie recipe in the lesson book and found they were the same. The lesson’s homework was to price out the cookie recipe and figure out how much each cookie cost to make. How much it cost for the whole batch and then how much each cookie needed to be sold for in order to be sold at a profit instead of a loss.
The math was far simpler than the sums she had been doing lately with her accountancy classes and even with looking up the details it didn’t take her long. Since she still had the time she went and figured out how much extra chocolate she added to her batch and cost that out as well. Feeling like she accomplished something, Gwen closed the books and put them away. She transferred her art supplies to the bag and realized she just had time to eat a quick lunch and brush her teeth before she needed to be downstairs to meet Sebastian.
Gwen moved to the kitchen and slapped together a sandwich from the cold cuts in the fridge. Even though it was only one class, she found she liked the baking class. It was mathematical in its own way and creative in other ways.
“It was just cookies,” she reminded herself. Still she decided that if the class continued as it was, she would really enjoy it for the rest of the summer. ‘And there are still two other classes to try out. Maybe I’ll enjoy them too.’
Gwen finished eating and washed her plate. She wiped up any crumbs and when the kitchen was left how she found it, she went off to brush her teeth. Breath minty fresh, she went down to meet Sebastian.
The car glided to the curb and she saw the doorman check to see who was driving a she exited. He and Sebastian exchanged nods and Gwen got into the car. ‘I suppose that is so if I’m reported missing the doorman can report that it was Sebastian picking me up,’ Gwen thought.
“Right on time,” Sebastian said. He pulled away from the curb as she fastened her seatbelt. “So how are you settling in?” he asked.
“Pretty well, I guess,” Gwen told him. It was more comfortable with someone to talk to and she was glad she didn’t have to ride across town in silence. “I’m starting to figure out where a few things are and I had my first baking class this morning. So I guess I’m meeting people,” she said.
He laughed. “Meeting people,” he repeated. He nodded. “I guess that is important. I’ve lived here my whole life and while I meet people for work I generally spend time with the same group of people as when I was your age. Of course some of them I met when I was your age, I suppose.”
“I’ve never lived anywhere but Westport so it’s kind of strange,” Gwen admitted.
Ten til Midnight 