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 205: Once there, Sophie changed into her pajamas and spent the evening sketching out some of the things she didn’t want to forget while they were fresh in her mind.
Once there, Sophie changed into her pajamas and spent the evening sketching out some of the things she didn’t want to forget while they were fresh in her mind. Sophie put on the television for background noise and listened to weather reports and local news before dipping in and out of various programs. When she finished her sketches for the night she leaned back and watched some sort of drama until she fell asleep.
The next day flowed with the same easy rhythm. She had no alarms but woke when her body was ready. He ate when she was hungry and spent her day touring the area. She alternated between mentally stimulating venues to artistic sights that made her reach for her sketch pad. And when her brain was full she indulged in a bit of retail. She ate delicious foods and enjoyed ambling through each day.
‘This is what a vacation should be,’ she decided.
There were far more items on her list than she could get through and Sophie found she was alright with that. She saw the tour groups in motion and they always seemed to be on some sort of regimented march. She didn’t want a strict schedule. If ambling and taking her time meant she saw fewer things than were on her list, then it just meant she would have to return and visit them at anther time.
As she moved about the city in an ever widening circle, Sophie realized that was one thing her life at home was missing. She knew that she couldn’t relax every day as she did on vacation, but working at the office and then working every night and weekend at home was too much as well. While she occasionally went out to eat or to the movies, she knew she needed to make a better effort at including some fun down time things in her life.
‘If only to keep my brain fresh,’ she thought. During her vacation she felt as though some sort of restrictive bars had loosened in her mind and while she did sketch out inspiration from things she saw, Sophie also began sketching out designs of her own, the creativity she saw in others sparking something inside her.
‘Maybe I should make a list of the things to visit at home,’ she decided. Day trips or even the occasional weekend one would be easily doable. ‘And likely to spark inspiration.’
Sophie smiled. ‘Not a bad take away,’ she thought.
Ass the last day of her vacation dawned, Sophie decided to see how her luggage fared. She removed any excess packaging from her purchases and began packing her suitcase. She was pleased to find she still had room. The books and magazines she brought with her were read and would be staying.
‘Which means I need reading material for the plane and could possibly add a few more souvenirs.’ She smiled, knowing that there was a glass vase as well as the set of colored inks that she would most likely be adding to her luggage. ‘Also need a book shop.’
With her plans set, Sophie went down to breakfast. She had her coffee an realized the café was a lot quieter. The tour group had moved on to their next destination and the hotel was not at peak occupancy due to the season. Sophie sipped her coffee and decided she liked the quieter atmosphere.
Ten til Midnight 