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 145: They headed for the trail.
They headed for the trail. Today their length of run was slightly increased and they took slightly longer to finish it. Gwen hurried back to the apartment, waving goodbye to Alan before entering the lobby and saying a quick greeting to those working the front desk.
Upstairs Gwen made it to her room, showered and changed as quickly as possible. She made it back out just as breakfast was being set on the table.
“We increased the distance today,” she explained.
After breakfast she helped clean up and then was out of the door with George as he headed to the office and she walked the few blocks to her morning class. He wished her a good day as he got into the car and she headed off down the street.
At the bakery she went into the classroom side and made her way back. Of the seven who started, only four of them remained. They were a much closer and chattier class than they were at the beginning and Gwen was beginning to regard them as friends.
“Hey how did that thing with your grandparents go last night,” Emily asked.
“Lots of small talk with the olde folks and then two people from the art class demanded to know why I was there,” Gwen told them. She may have mentioned a possible tea with a wealthy older woman to Alan but those here knew of her art class.
“When would you have told them?” Emily asked. “It’s not like they talk to you.”
“I know,” Gwen shrugged.
“So what did they say?” Deacon asked.
“Well I told them I was there with my grandparents and the conversation ended. I suspect they will bring it up at class this afternoon,” Gwen said. It was something she was dreading.
“I’m sure it won’t be too bad,” Emily said. “Was Michael there?”
Gwen smiled. Michael joined their group on one of their outings and Emily seemed to have taken a bit of a liking to Michael. “He was,” Gwen said. “He seemed to come out of it okay.”
Gwen decided if Michael wanted to tell the others about his family then he could do it himself. Soon after, class started and as today’s lesson involved making puff pastry, there was concentration, as they counted folds and then raced to the refrigerator. As they were also learning to maximize there time, there were other lessons to complete in between the folds. By the time the class was finished for the day, the puff pastry had most of the needed folds complete and was waiting for the next class when they would put the dough to work. Still by the end of it, they each had two types of cookies, and a sliceable coffee cake ready for evaluation.
Ten til Midnight 