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 185: With the office sorted, a pattern once again took shape.
With the office sorted, a pattern once again took shape. Sophie went to the gym and pushed herself hard through her morning work out. She showered and dressed for the office. She went to the office and focused on her work, reveling in the dram free office and listening to various podcasts. After hours, she clocked out, went home and worked on her sewing business.
Once Sophie managed to keep up with the standard orders, she worked on her designs. Janine gave her the new orders when they came in and Sophie incorporated them. Time slipped by and Sophie felt comfortable with the new rhythm of her life. The warm weather faded as fall rains appeared. The weather chilled and Janine stopped by to let her know the limited edition dressing gowns were now being offered for sale.
Sophie took a look at the website before beginning her work for the evening and saw that several of the dressing gowns had already sold. Feeling pleased with herself, she concentrated on new designs. With things steadying and more money coming in, Sophie allowed herself a few more splurges at the fabric emporium. She moved from her standard materials into fabrics she would have considered far too extravagant in her earlier designs.
She wandered the luxury fabric section and allowed herself to expand her designs past the every day. While most of Sophie’s designs were designed for everyday wear, she let her imagination and the luxury fabrics bring her into party mode for the upcoming holiday season. While the weather was just starting to cool down from summer, Sophie imagined winter gatherings and holiday parties and her designs reflected her thoughts. She built a collection of winter wear pieces and sent them., but also began designing dresses for the special occasions. Things that weren’t meant for the everyday.
As she let he mind wander, Sophie realized she was happy. She needed the stable office to make her feel secure. With it stabilized, she felt comfortable expanding her imagination and her efforts where her hobby lay. Janine periodically mentioned her designing and sewing full time, but Sophie didn’t think that was an avenue she wanted to pursue. She wanted the stability, needed it.
‘I can’t really do one without the other,’ she realized. It just wasn’t in her makeup.
She did like how she was expanding though. It almost felt as though her mind was like a flower opening. ‘The roots are solid so the blooms are bigger,” Sophie thought with a smile.
Her language skills were also blossoming and now that she felt solid on her Italian, Sophie decided to try her hand at French. She picked up a French to English dictionary and downloaded language lessons the same ass she had when she first started learning Italian.
‘After all,’ Sophie thought. ‘By the time I get to take some of my vacation time, I will have enough that I might be able to visit both Italy and France. It’d be nice to be able to talk to people in both places.’
Now that she didn’t need to look up everyday words in Italian, it seemed the perfect time to add in the French. Sophie began rolling in her language lessons. She was working through the third set for the French when she looked through her office door to see more unusual activity in the HR and accounts departments.
Ten til Midnight 