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Word Counts on your Micro 250 Drafts

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kristina_f View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote kristina_f Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Word Counts on your Micro 250 Drafts
    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.
  • First draft was 248.
  • Over my various edits and drafts, highest word count was 255, and lowest was 246.
  • On the last draft I spent half an hour or more searching for two words to remove so that two more could be added.
  • Finished with 250 on the dot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SallyJhyphenP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 3:02am
My first draft was nearly 300 and after edits and a change in my story telling method my final submission was 248.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kristina_f Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 3:40am
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.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote theinquisitor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 4:43am
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. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dpape276 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 6:32am
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
Tall, Dark & Gruesome

250 Micro (2020) - R1 G73: Casualty of War
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 6:35am
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.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EdYo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 6:49am
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!


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SallyJhyphenP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 6:55am
Originally posted by EdYo EdYo wrote:

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!



I just write down everything that's in my head and go from there
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lowens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 8:24am
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.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SkylerAutumn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Nov 2020 at 8:50am
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. 
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