The Fifteen Minute Novel is an attempt to take a single prompt and use the last sentence written each day as a start for the next day. This year I had several prompts circling around a similar story, so I have combined them. However, the story starts the same way each day, with the last line from the day before and a timer set for fifteen minutes. The hope is to end up with a complete, if very rough draft by the end of the year. Some stories are better than others, but I always learn a whole lot about my own writing when I do this so for me it is not only a nice way to work out a story, but it is a tool for helping my writing get better. And so, we continue this story for 2024 with…
, Day 33: After a time, the schedule was finished, and she began sketching.
After a time, the schedule was finished, and she began sketching. Ther were patterns in the plants featured on the nature documentary and she found herself sketching the abstract designs rather than working on one specific garment design. The drawing was comforting and as she worked on her details and shading, she could almost see garments they would suit. This pattern would be a lovely embroidered design on the edge of a cuff, while this would make a delightful fabric, should she figure out how to print several yards of fabric.
‘There are companies that do that,’ she thought sleepily, finally settling her mind and getting the hour late enough for sleep. It would be something to look into. ‘Just not now.’
Sophie put her things away and went to get ready for bed. In her dreams there were swirls of fabric, decadent in their colors and sumptuous in their textures. She woke with a smile on her face and stretched in bed.
Sophie rose, showered and dressed in comfortable clothes. She made herself a bowl of oatmeal and set her coffee to brew while she ate. When her bowl was empty and her cup fixed, she padded barefoot into her work room. She set the coffee cup down where it was out of the way but still reachable and then set up her language lessons to play.
“And I can work on the Italian out loud while I work,” she told herself. With the lessons starting to play, Sophie got out her familiar sleepwear patterns and the first set of cloth. She began to work.
The day passed quietly, but happily. Sophie worked and practiced her Italian as she did so. The number of completed garments grew. She paused for a quick sandwich at lunch, but found she was eager to get back to work. She quickly washed up, made certain her hands were clean and dry and after quickly brushing her teeth she got back to work.
Sophie worked late, used to long hours in the office but finally when her eyes were getting tired and her belly was starting to rumble she called it a day. It was a Sunday, but she put in a full day of work. Before leaving her work room, Sophie counted up the items created, ticking them off her list. It was a promising start and she felt good about it. She stood and felt the stiffness. Throughout the day she had done little but move around her sewing room, pausing only to go to the kitchen for lunch and to take the occasional bathroom break. “I am going to need more movement,” she decided as she went into the kitchen to begin sorting dinner. She thought of the small gym located on the lower floor of her apartment building. She always figured that if the gym was essentially right in her building and at her home, she would use it. Somehow, she never had the time to go to the gym.
Ten til Midnight 