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 48: Deciding not to worry over it, Sophie turned back to her computer.
Deciding not to worry over it, Sophie turned back to her computer. Her Friday flowed smoothly as the others were too busy speculating on what the assessments could mean to worry over much about her. Their meeting in Mr. Evers office ended shortly before the end of the workday and Sophie listed as they gathered their things and went home.
‘Well not home if Kristen and Ryan are meeting somewhere,’ Sophie thought. Not for the first time she wished she didn’t know about her co-workers and their extracurricular activities. She didn’t particularly care what they did or with who, but hated how any rocky points could easily spill out into the office. As usual, Sophie gave them about ten minutes before she packed up her files and left the building.
In the parking lot, Sophie took a deep breath, happy that she was able to leave more or less on time. As this weekend was her trip to the emporium, she felt a little extra giddy about the thought of having not only the weekend but the evenings of the following week free to work on projects. With the sleepwear designated by the contract able to be completed during the evenings, Sophie was looking to spend more time with her own projects. While she doubted that she would be creating any of the fanciful ball gowns she sketched out in the past week, Sophie planned to keep an eye out for some fabric for a blouse and trousers to go along with the peacock silk and velvet jacket.
‘Possibly a thicker material so it can be worn in the winter time and still keep my legs warm,’ she decided as she drove back to her apartment. Sophie knew she tended to make lighter weight trousers and thought at least one heavier pair in her wardrobe would be a good idea. ‘I also have to start on a new winter coat soon.’
By the time she reached her apartment building, Sophie had a list of things to do and look at and had already begun framing her shopping list for the emporium. She continued planning over dinner, jotting notes on a piece of paper so she wouldn’t forget anything when she went shopping. Sophie slept deeply and in the morning left early to reach the emporium and give herself as much time as possible.
To her delight, Sophie was able to restock all she needed as well as find some soft as a sigh fabric for a blouse and some perfectly weighted wool for trousers in the color she wanted. While the blue of the blouse would complement the lighter tones of the peacock silk, the deep blue of the wool worked well with the darker ones.
‘Still nothing for the winter coat,’ she told herself as she paid for her materials and left. There was still time, so Sophie wasn’t worried. She knew that in a month or so the heavier fabrics would be in stock as people started working more on winter wear.
Ten til Midnight 