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Will703
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 13 Jul 2020 Location: Henderson, NV Status: Offline Points: 2726 |
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Posted: 13 Sep 2021 at 12:11am |
I know there is no minimum word count, but I typically try to get as close to 1,000 (or whatever the maximum is) as possible. My friend entered with me this time, and she submitted her story in the 880s. It's a full story, and I like the ending, but she was up against the clock and got it in with 2 minutes to spare. Do you think the judges look down on leaving so much opportunity on the table?
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ChristiLB
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 12 Apr 2019 Location: NY Status: Offline Points: 2314 |
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My story came in at 867 words. I don't think they look down upon it or take points off for it but you will almost certainly get a suggestion of where you could have filled in more info with your remaining word count. I've gotten that a few times - "I would have liked to have read more about so and so and you had the words for it..." lol. I think she'll be fine.
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kristina_f
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 18 Jul 2018 Location: BC, Canada Status: Offline Points: 1541 |
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Doubt it matters for placing. As the MF100 and 250 prove, compelling and complete stories can be written in far fewer words. |
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toeditishuman
NYC Midnight Regular Joined: 18 Jul 2018 Location: Lancashire, UK Status: Offline Points: 383 |
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Edit: sorry, wrong thread!
Edited by toeditishuman - 13 Sep 2021 at 12:27am |
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NERdling
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 10 Dec 2014 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 2350 |
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I had around 775 in round 2 last year. It was a complete story, but it was more middle-draft-not-final-draft quality. I took 8th in my group. I didn't get any negative feedback based on the length or on there being incomplete thoughts. If it's a complete and polished draft, she will have an equal shot to score as if it were a 1000 word story.
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DContara
NYC Midnight Black Belt Joined: 08 Oct 2019 Status: Offline Points: 1733 |
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I submitted at around 880 words this time. First draft was a bit over 900, and it felt complete to me.
For once, it was liberating to not have to worry about trimming to fit within the word count limit; virtually every round a lot of editing time goes into cutting down from, say, 1200 words to just within 1000, and at least for me, more than once the chopping has left its mark on the quality of the final product. Things get particularly messy with screenplays where the constraints of the format play tricks on you, and one line can make a difference between a scene fitting within 5 pages or spilling over substantially on the next page. Yes--if the judges feel that something isn't fully developed, they'll have the "you had words" argument. But they ask for more all the time even for stories that clock in at 999 words, so I doubt they really look at the number of words |
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Log_Lady
NYC Midnight Addict Joined: 12 Jul 2018 Location: Brooklyn, NY Status: Offline Points: 1264 |
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I think your friend will be fine, Will. My round 1 story was only 752 words and placed second so hopefully that will give her some peace of mind. Good luck to both of you!
Edited by Log_Lady - 13 Sep 2021 at 11:18am |
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marcwest
NYC Midnight Newbie Joined: 14 May 2021 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 22 |
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I finished at 986. I had to change my original plan, because I knew it would be over 1000. So I eliminated some elements. I'm still confident with my story. I hope the judges agree.
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FerretKittyMom
NYC Midnight Addict Joined: 19 May 2021 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 981 |
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I was at 800. So I went back and reread it and tried to imagine i didn't know what was in ny head. Then I added a few more details to try and clarify/ expand a few things. I ended up at 999. It was strange being able to add instead of trying to figure out what to cut lol
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Maximum Dynamite
NYC Midnight Addict Joined: 18 Jan 2011 Status: Offline Points: 636 |
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Heck, I get that suggestion even when I turn it in with every single word of my 1k already used. "I think you could have taken some more time to fully explain what happened in the first 16 years of Graham's life..." Oh, really? Do you think that? In my thriller, in which Graham is only a peripheral character? Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to not write anything on the actual prompt next time...
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