I did it!

I can't believe I actually managed to finish and send off my story to the Writers' Forum/Woman's Weekly competition. I panicked when around lunchtime I had a complete story which was 300 words over the 1000 word limit. I thought I might as well have a go at editing it down, cutting like mad. It's amazing how much superfluous stuff you can find if you really try! Anyway, that done I hit the 'Tools' icon and crossed my fingers. Yes, I couldn't believe it, I'd cut the story down to 988 words. I did another read through and rejigged a sentence which jarred, to end up with a complete story of 1011 words. I dashed off to the post office and away it went. Now I wish I'd paid £3 for a critique. Nevermind. So now I'm all fired up to meet another target, which is to complete two more stories by the end of the week. I started one this morning and I'm up to 500 words so far. Part of me hates deadlines, but the other part of me acknowledges that it's the one thing that will get my bum into gear. I mustn't forget to enter the Mslexia competition either. I have a story ready, but again, it's over the word limit, but I have confidence in my new-found editing skills and feel I can cut it down to fit.

It was interesting to read in last month's Writers' Forum Target Practice that Gaynor Davies, the editor at Woman's Weekly 'never buys a story that contains no dialogue'. Fair enough. I'm with her on that one. However, in the latest issue of that very magazine there is a story on a page which contains no dialogue whatsoever! It just goes to show that there are always exceptions to the rule.

As well as my writing targets this week, I really must start editing the stories for Issue 2 of The Yellow Room. I'm hoping to get the next issue out in the spring. Vague, I know, but I have no idea how long Andy will take to do the typesetting this time, so I'm covering myself.

Distractions today include a biggish Sainsbury's/Lidl shop and trying to finish the Sudoku on my DS puzzle game!