Word Counts on your Micro 250 Drafts |
Post Reply | Page 123 4> |
Author | |
kristina_f
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 18 Jul 2018 Location: BC, Canada Status: Offline Points: 1541 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 2:52am |
I'm curious what it was like for others dealing with the word count limit. Normally, I go way over word limits, then scramble to claw back. I think I saw at least one person comment that their first draft was 1000 words. I don't know if that was hyperbole or not, but if anyone successfully edited down from there, you are a rockstar.
I tried a different approach this time which worked out well.
|
|
SallyJhyphenP
NYC Midnight Newbie Joined: 21 Nov 2020 Location: Adelaide Status: Offline Points: 43 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
My first draft was nearly 300 and after edits and a change in my story telling method my final submission was 248.
|
|
kristina_f
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 18 Jul 2018 Location: BC, Canada Status: Offline Points: 1541 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Fifty words is a fair amount, but hopefully not so much that you had to remove anything too important.
Between drafts I replaced several sentences entirely as well as a handful of words. They felt so essential until they were gone, and then I realized that they had huge added value for me as the writer, but probably minimal value for the majority of readers. In some cases the removals were a flat out improvement.
|
|
theinquisitor
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 10 May 2020 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 5036 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I tend to edit as I go. My word count was never more than 260, but I cut quite a few sentences on the way.
|
|
dpape276
Newbie Joined: 22 Nov 2020 Location: Tasmania, AU Status: Offline Points: 14 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I think my first edit was dead on 250, after a few minor changes it hit around 249.
Thankfully, the majority of my micro is conversational, so it didn't require a great deal of editing in post. Edited by dpape276 - 22 Nov 2020 at 6:34am |
|
Suave
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 25 Jan 2015 Location: Thailand Status: Offline Points: 25027 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I used to over write in all the contests and then take a hammer and chainsaw to them.
That was not as much fun as you might think. Now I aim for the bare min and then ad as needed. I only went over 4 words a couple of edits.
|
|
EdYo
NYC Midnight Newbie Joined: 21 Nov 2020 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 94 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I target approx. 80% in these types of competition and then build up from there. So, in this case I targeted 200 and eventually achieved 249. I was unsure on whether 'ne'er-do-well' would be classed as one word or three words, so cut out two words to be on the safe side. Other than that I never went beyond 250
I hate butchering a story I've written and find it's much easier on the my delicate writing soul to add rather than slash! |
|
SallyJhyphenP
NYC Midnight Newbie Joined: 21 Nov 2020 Location: Adelaide Status: Offline Points: 43 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I just write down everything that's in my head and go from there
|
|
Lowens
NYC Midnight Regular Joined: 22 Nov 2020 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 292 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
The weird problem I ran into was a discrepancy in word count between Google docs and Microsoft Word. I write in docs on my phone then download as a word document on my laptop. Docs consistently counts three words less than Word. I highlighted one hyphenated string "one-by-one" thinking that may be the difference but both called that one word.
I know you are thinking "Why didn't you just physically count the words?" Too hard. Kind of like walking over to the TV to change the channel! LOL Anyway, I knew Submittable wouldn't accept the post if it was more than 250 but to be safe, I went with Word's higher number and ended with 250 on the nose.
|
|
SkylerAutumn
NYC Midnight Regular Joined: 15 Nov 2020 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 283 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Only 166 words I'm really happy with my story... I know it seems weird but I didn't need to use all my words for this particular story or it would just read like filler.
|
|
Post Reply | Page 123 4> |
Tweet |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |