Refocus

I need to refocus on this image and what I said about it. Don't change the scene. Cut the scene.

This morning I read Darcy Pattison's blog on events not worthy of a full scene. I had half-decided to cut the last scene in Chapter 22, and after reading her post, I was positive the scene had to go.

Then I scanned the entire chapter. Where is the conflict? More importantly, how could this chapter have survived 4 previous drafts without it? What's wrong with me?

Then I realized that when Ryan was in the novel, the chapter did have sufficient and necessary conflict. Ryan didn't appear in the chapter, but he and his subplot provided conflict nonetheless. The chapter also had an argument between the protagonist and her best friend that I moved to another chapter for reasons of logic. Now there's nothing left worth keeping.

Snip. Snip. Snip.