Writing Wednesday: Breakfast

Well, I wasn’t going to do it, but I got sucked into NaNoWriMo again this year. I’m going to attempt for the third time to finish this novel!

I’m not usually a planner, but when you’re writing a story about a road trip, it really helps. I’ve sent my characters west via route I-90, and I’ll be honest: I don’t know a whole lot about the vast expanse of the U.S. beyond Chicago. I’ve only been to a couple more states past there. Mercifully, my characters haven’t been to most of those places either, so I can let them do touristy things. But hey, if anyone has insight into local foods or good places to see, feel free to tell me.

Anyway, I’m plotting (using tarot cards to boost my creative process) and researching. I have extensive notes, including a chart! My hope is to get another 7k words written ahead of time so that my 50k will bring me to the end of this story.

On to the snippet. Connor and Luke are staying at a B&B in Salisbury, MA. (The photo above is not Salisbury; it’s actually where we stayed in England. But it’s the only picture I have of a B&B, so…) Last time, Connor was helping Luke get back to sleep after a horrific nightmare. Nope, I’m not explaining yet. Instead, how about we wake them both up with breakfast?

The nightmare—and the flood—are forgotten in the morning. When Luke and Connor emerge from the bedroom, they briefly encounter a couple of the other guests. The sound of dishes in the kitchen drifts up the stairs. After a quick greeting, they leave the other guests to their business and head down.

Aunt Enid isn’t in the kitchen. Instead, there’s a man there, younger than Luke’s parents but older than Luke and Connor. Probably not quite old enough to be either of their fathers. He’s a little on the plump side, short like Aunt Enid. He looks a lot like her, aside from his full beard. His hair is long, pulled into a low ponytail that hangs halfway down his back. He’s wearing a pink T-shirt and gray sweatpants covered in pink stars, a flowered apron is protecting his clothes, and he’s swaying his hips to whatever music he’s listening to through his earbuds.

On the stove, there’s a pan of eggs and a second pan with thick slices of Canadian bacon. The man stirs the eggs and then flips the bacon with a fork. He steps back and peers into the oven, and a delicious smell of baking bread wafts out to mingle with the other breakfast aromas. The man closes the oven door and steps back. When he does, he notices Luke and Connor hovering in the doorway.