Goal number 6 for this writing year was to enter RWA's First Kiss competition. I was going to, absolutely, definitely... and then I started editing. The criteria for this contest is 1 scene with a maximum count of 1,500 words. Uh, oh. Here was my problem. You see, THAT scene was well over the 1,500 word limit. So I started cutting, 100, 150, 220 the words began to disappear. But the more I cut, the harder it got to cut them. Until I had just 120 words to still chop.No more. I couldn't do it. Into the 'too hard' basket it went.
Until one of my fellow Bootcats asked if I was still entering - I had been, then I hadn't been she said. What was I doing?
Thinking about that made me feel guilty. After all, it was a goal for this year, and I knew I'd feel bad if I didn't achieve it, but feel fantastic if I did. So I dragged that scene back out and slashed ruthlessly: 1,498 words. I did it.
My entry is going in. How well it does, we'll see. But regardless, I feel good.