Drying Nicely

I got quite a fright this morning. As usual I was wide awake at 3am, my brain kicking in with ideas for stories. This morning I had an intriguing idea possibly inspired by a recent visit to a favourite coffee shop. It rumbled around for a while and began to form into a rather rough outline for a short(ish) story. Finally I went back to sleep. Over breakfast I started thinking about it again. I have been messing around with AI for a while, and wondered what sort of an outline it would produce. So I fired up ChatGPT, entered a prompt, and less than two minutes later got quite a shock - it could almost have been reading my mind. The outline it came up with was so damned close to what I had been mulling over at 3am. Fecking scary!!!

My Prompt:
Write me the outline for a 3000 word story about two elderly ladies in a coffee shop in the Scottish Highlands reflecting on why they are there and what they are talking about.

The Result:

Title: "Reflections by the Lochside"

Setting:  
A cozy, rustic coffee shop by the edge of a loch in the Scottish Highlands. It's a rainy autumn afternoon. Outside, the mist hangs low over the hills, and the sound of gentle rain creates a rhythmic backdrop. Inside, the warmth of the fire, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the quiet hum of conversation make it a haven from the world.


Main Characters:
Agnes Macleod:
In her early 80s, Agnes is a no-nonsense, sharp-witted Highland woman with a deep connection to the land. Her life has been marked by family traditions, hard work, and personal sacrifices.  

Moira Campbell:
Late 70s, Moira is more whimsical and sensitive than Agnes, having grown up in Edinburgh but moved to the Highlands later in life. She's artistic, romantic, and has an air of nostalgia about her.

Outline


1. Opening Scene (500 words)
Setting the atmosphere:
The story begins with a vivid description of the coffee shop and the surrounding landscape. The weather is grey and misty, but the warmth inside the café offers comfort. Agnes and Moira sit by a window, sipping tea and coffee, watching the rain fall softly on the loch.  

Subtle introduction to the characters:
The reader gets a sense of their personalities through their actions. Agnes is pragmatic, stirring her tea with a steady hand, while Moira gazes out the window, lost in thought.  

Hint at the purpose of their meeting:
Both women seem contemplative, and it’s clear they’ve come here for more than just coffee.  

2. Conversation Begins – Light Recollections (500 words)
Small talk leads to deeper topics:
The conversation starts with them talking about the weather and the state of the village—little changes they've noticed since their last visit to this particular café.  

Reflections on aging:
They laugh about small aches and pains, but the underlying tone is one of acceptance. They discuss how life feels quieter now, how time seems to slip away faster as they age.  

A sense of shared history:
Through their words, it becomes clear that these women have known each other for decades. They reminisce about their younger days, shared friends, and how they first met.

3. Agnes’s Story – Loss and Resilience (800 words)
Agnes reflects on her youth:
She tells Moira about growing up in the Highlands, her family’s farm, and the life she lived with her late husband. There’s a bittersweetness in her voice, as she talks about how hard they worked to maintain their way of life.

The loss of her husband:
Agnes’s husband passed away over a decade ago, and she still feels his absence. She shares memories of their simple but fulfilling life together, the strength of their marriage, and how much of her identity was tied to him.  

Resilience in widowhood:
Agnes recounts the challenges of running the farm alone after his death and how, although her body is no longer strong enough for that work, her spirit has never wavered. The conversation turns to how she’s found solace in her community and the land, which remains her anchor.

4. Moira’s Story – Love and Regret (800 words)
Moira’s artistic, romantic life:
Moira’s story contrasts with Agnes’s. She grew up in the city, pursuing a life of art, music, and travel. She reflects on how she always had her head in the clouds, chasing experiences rather than settling down like Agnes did.

Unfulfilled love:
She tells Agnes about a man she loved deeply in her youth but never married. It’s a story filled with longing, missed opportunities, and perhaps some regret. She had chosen adventure over stability, and although she doesn’t regret her choices, she often wonders what might have been.
 
Later life in the Highlands:
Moira moved to the Highlands in her 50s, seeking peace and connection with nature. Though she’s content, she sometimes feels like an outsider, having come from a very different world than the people around her. She reflects on the fact that while she’s lived a full life, she occasionally yearns for a deeper sense of belonging, something Agnes has always had.

5. Shared Reflections on Friendship and Time (500 words)
Bond of their friendship:
Agnes and Moira talk about how, despite their different paths, they’ve always found comfort in each other’s company. They laugh about their old disagreements and how much they’ve learned from one another over the years.  

The passage of time:
They reflect on how quickly life seems to have passed. The women acknowledge the losses they’ve endured, the people who are no longer with them, but they also celebrate the fact that they’ve lived long enough to sit in this café together.  

The comfort of routine:
Coming to the coffee shop has become a tradition for them, a ritual of sorts that grounds them in the present while allowing them to remember the past.

6. A Moment of Silence – The Weight of the Unspoken (300 words)
Unspoken fears:
As the conversation quiets, both women stare out the window, lost in thought. There’s a shared understanding that their days of sitting in this café together are numbered. Moira’s health has been failing, and while she hasn’t said anything explicitly, Agnes knows.
 
Acceptance and gratitude:
Rather than dwelling on the future, they remain present in the moment. There’s an unspoken gratitude for the friendship they’ve had and the time they’ve shared.

7. Ending – A Quiet Departure (400 words)
Finishing their drinks:
As they finish their coffee, they decide it’s time to leave. The rain has lightened, and the mist over the loch is beginning to lift. There’s a sense of renewal in the air, even though both women know they’re nearing the end of their journeys.  

A final reflection:
As they walk out of the café together, Moira remarks how beautiful the Highlands are, no matter the weather. Agnes agrees, her voice soft, and they walk in companionable silence, each carrying their own memories.  

Leaving the café behind:
The story ends with a quiet but powerful image of the two women walking away from the coffee shop, down a winding path beside the loch. The café remains a warm, glowing spot in the distance as they disappear into the mist.

Themes:


Friendship:
The enduring bond between two very different women who have shared decades of life together.  

Aging:
Reflections on growing older, on what is lost and what remains.  

Regret and Acceptance:
Each woman’s life has been shaped by different choices, and they reflect on the consequences of those decisions without bitterness.  

The Beauty of the Highlands:
The rugged, timeless beauty of the Scottish Highlands as a backdrop, representing both the permanence and transience of life.

This outline provides a structure for a contemplative and emotionally rich story that examines the lives of two women at the twilight of their years, filled with both nostalgia and peace.