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 213: Sophie took her time with her doughnut and coffee and realized the thoughts of planning were again circling.
Sophie took her time with her doughnut and coffee and realized the thoughts of planning were again circling. She knew Kevin was right and there was an element of wanting to stay on vacation when on vacation. While she knew long term even if she could manage long term, she would grow to hate living in a hotel room and idling her days away. While fun for a stretch she knew that she didn’t do aimless well for long periods.
‘But I did enjoy doing things other than working.’
She knew part of that was because she had put in extra time in order to get things done so that she wouldn’t think of them while she was away. It was the relief after the crush. She also knew that with her sewing hobby turning more into a business, she was at risk of simply spending all of her time going from one job to another.
She also knew that she wasn’t truly the spontaneous sort. She managed this spontaneous trip because she had no options. She was told to use the time off, decided she wanted to go and planned ass much ass she could. She ruthlessly scheduled her time to get things done before she left and the loose schedule she used when on vacation was as close to spontaneous as she got.
‘Even then I made lists, I just took my time and didn’t care if I finished all the items on the list.’
Sophie sipped her coffee and thought about it. ‘Lists aren’t a bad way to go,’ she thought.
There were of course lists for the office and for her sewing business. She would talk to her supervisor Elizabeth for one and then meet with Janine to start the other. ‘And I want to plan another vacation,’ she told herself. She knew that would require more scheduling and planning. ‘I also want to do more than work here.’
Sophie knew she couldn’t just let work go when she was on vacation. ‘So I make lists for possible weekend visits,’ she decided. ‘Just like I did before I left. I can research here just as much as I researched there.’
Sophie laned back in her chair. ‘One weekend a month I think I can do,’ she decided. ‘The world won’t end if I try for one small adventure out once a month.” She thought about it as he took her last bite of doughnut. ‘And going out to dinner or the movies with Janine orr on my own doesn’t count.’ She added for good measure.
“Those are normal outings,” she told her apartment. “These are extra.”
Pleased with the plan, Sophie got up, threw out the sticky napkin she used with the cruller and disposed of the paper coffee cup. She then washed her hands and reached for a notebook. While planning future adventures was one thing, there was still a list of things to do before she headed back to work. She began compiling a list.
By the time she figured out what she needed to do for the upcoming week, Her laundry was dried and put away and Sophie thought Janine might be awake. She called over and took he notebook to her neighbors apartment.
Janine had printed out all of the details. “They want to keep the same number off sleep sets as they sell pretty regularly. And they have already requested more of the dressing gowns for next year.” Sophie nodded and made a note in her notebook.
Ten til Midnight 