Home
>
Writing
>
How To Write to a Word Count

How To Write to a Word Count

You've finished your story, and you're pretty happy with it. The plot is gripping, the characters are lively, and the pace zooms along. Great! You've done it!

Then... you count words.

It can't be! How can your short story be so far over the word count? The guidelines say '900 words' - and your story is (eeek!) about 1460.

1460! That's more than half as much again. There's no way you can cut your story by a third, you decide gloomily. It will be ruined!

But... will it?

I've written many short stories and articles over the years. At first, it was torture to cut them to the right size. I always, always wrote many more words than asked for. If I wanted to sell, I had no choice - I had to cut.

And guess what? When I look back at those stories (yeah, yeah, with the benefit of hindsight - it's a wonderful thing) I can now see that in almost every case, they benefited from the surgery. Those that didn't really should have been books - the plot was just too 'big' for a short story.

Some Tips On Cutting

If your story is not too far out of the word count, you can probably cut it down by pruning a few words here and a sentence there. That's easy. Anyone can do that. But if you're 50% or more over the count, then it's time for more radical measures.

1. Cut paragraphs.

Look for whole paragraphs that can be either eliminated altogether or be swapped for one vivid sentence. Do you need all that description? Can you use one or two powerful words that will conjure up the same impression?

2. Shorten transitions.

Rather than taking three sentences to explain how your character moved through time or space, use phrases like 'The next day...' or 'An hour later...' or 'On the other side of town...'. Zip through several days or weeks by tightening up the time frame: "By Wednesday Jane was sure something was going on. On Thursday she decided to take action. Friday saw her boarding the train for Sydney."

3. Cut characters.

Do you need every character in your story? Can you tell it using three characters instead of four, or two characters instead of three? See if you can give some of the lines to someone else to speak, or cut some of the action along with one of the characters.

4. Simplify the plot.

Short-short stories (say up to 1200 words) are akin to writing a joke. There's a brief introduction that sets the scene, a steady build-up, and then the punch line (or a quick wrap-up). Don't try to explain too much about what happened before the story opened, or waste words on the setting. Go for emotion rather than description.

5. Redress the balance.

In a vast number of the short stories I see, too much time is spent on the introduction. You may be 'writing yourself into the story' - that is, explaining the action to yourself as well as the reader. Ask yourself: "what is this story about? When does the main action happen? Am I giving it the space it needs?" Time after time, I've seen a whole page (250 words) of a 900-word short story allocated to setting the scene. By the time the writer gets to the action, the word count is already half used up.

Read through that first page. Can you ditch most of it? Often it's possible to give any necessary background via dialogue when the action starts. You might be surprised to find out how much you can leave out. (This was one of my major failings when I started writing short stories - I took too long to get to the point!)

Some Tips on Adding Words

The main thing to avoid when you have to increase your word count is 'padding'. Readers always know when a story has been padded - the action goes nowhere. Scenes of unnecessary dialogue clutter up the story; boring description adds pages, and characters spend far too much time musing over things. Dull, dull, dull.

Make sure that everything you add to your story builds the tension, adds new plot wrinkles, or fleshes out your characters. Everything must move your story forward. If it doesn't - toss it out!

To add length (and depth) to your story without padding:

1. Add a new sub-plot.

This is one of the easiest ways to increase the length of a story. Quite often, you'll find that the seeds of a new subplot are already there, ready to sprout. For example: suppose you have one of your characters tracking down a suspect. In the original story, your character located this person fairly easily - and was able to eliminate him/her. This is where you can add a twist: make that suspect harder to find. Give the suspect a story of their own - one that complicates the main plot. This is just one example. Have a brainstorming session and work out a good sub-plot.

2. Add a new character.

Make sure this character is not just window-dressing. Give them a background; make them relevant to the main plot. Have a bit of fun with this. Can you create someone really outrageous who will add life and humour to your story? Or a really dastardly villain?

3. Add one or two complications to an existing plot or sub-plot.

Give the main character a few extra hurdles before he/she reaches the prize; make one of the original characters more uncooperative; give the main character a secret somewhere in his/her past.

You can, of course, mix up or add all of the above. One may be enough for a few thousand words, but if you need more, then all three could combine!

It's a challenge to write to a word count, whether you're required to add words or cut them. Use these few simple tips and you'll find the task a lot easier.

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

Airbnb cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Red flags like processing fees, urgent countdowns and requests for full Social Security numbers expose fraudulent settlement sites targeting consumers.

Comprehensive analysis of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps examines usability, routing accuracy, data handling and features across the top navigation platforms.

Expert analysis reveals whether wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi connections are safer for home internet use, plus practical steps to secure your network from attackers.

Australian construction robot Charlotte uses sand, crushed brick and recycled glass to 3D print fireproof, floodproof homes with reduced carbon footprint.

Cybercriminals are using fake invitation emails to trick recipients into downloading malware and stealing personal information and data.

Flying drones could help retailers fight a 93% increase in theft rates as Flock Safety promotes airborne security systems to track suspects and deter crime.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter brings you the latest news on the emerging technology every Saturday, highlighting top stories.

Hacker group Radiant stole data from 8,000 children at Kido nursery chain, demanding ransom and directly contacting parents with intimidation tactics.

As 18 states implement bell-to-bell cell phone bans, creative students use Google Docs, iMessage on MacBooks and Post-It notes to stay connected in class.

A sheriff's captain says deputies often spend hours writing reports between calls, but Axon's AI program, Draft One, helps them save crucial time in the field.

Sora 2, OpenAI's new video-generation app, can create AI-generated videos based on a singular prompt. The results are both mind-blowing and terrifying.

iPhone and Android users can reduce Wi-Fi calling battery drainage through settings adjustments, background app limits and stronger Wi-Fi connections.

Work email scams are becoming harder to detect as criminals use AI and spoofed addresses to trick employees into opening malicious attachments and links.

From her Arizona living room, Christina Chapman ran a covert hub that helped North Korean operatives infiltrate U.S. firms, netting $17 million in stolen salaries.

UC Santa Barbara researchers developed a soft robotic intubation system that achieved 100% success rates for experts and 96% for paramedics with minimal training.

Scammers exploit probate filings to target grieving families with fake fees and debts, Kurt "Cyberguy" Knutsson reports.

Automotive giant Stellantis becomes latest victim of widespread Salesforce breaches affecting companies like Google, Cisco and Adidas this year.

A woman from Washington reunited with her missing Maine Coon cat Louie after 11 days using Love Lost, a free AI-powered pet recovery platform.

Expert cybersecurity tips help Mac owners remove malware infections and strengthen defenses with antivirus software, password managers and system updates.

Meta's AI chatbot training rules bans sexual roleplay with minors and block access to child abuse material as regulators scrutinize its safety measures.

Online banking users face a new threat: web injection scams that overlay fake pop-ups to steal logins. Here’s how to spot them and protect your accounts.

Meta introduced Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger while launching a School Partnership Program for U.S. educators to report bullying within 48 hours.

Executive order signed by President Donald Trump tasks Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA Commission with using AI to find new cures for childhood cancers.

New FileFix attack tricks Facebook and Instagram users into running malicious PowerShell commands disguised as Meta account maintenance to deploy StealC infostealer.

Step-by-step instructions help users migrate to Windows 11 while preserving emails, contacts, documents, and software licenses during the transition.

How To Write to a Word Count

Writing