Word Count--Snip, Cut, Slash!

One of the most difficult tasks a writer has is to cut words from a story, personal essay, article--whatever he/she might be writing. In the first place, you've written those words, so you have a personal interest in them. Think of the toddler picking up a toy and bellowing "Mine!" That's how some writers feel about words written.

To be realistic, there are many times when we must cut those first drafts, or even fully finished pieces to meet a word count specified by an editor or contest guidelines. That's what happened to me this week.

I noticed a category in my state writing contest guidelines that I had never entered in past years. An old story came to mind, and I thought it might work. I pulled up the story from my files and read it. Yep. It would work. Then I read the guidelines again. Maximum of 1000 words. Clicked back to the story, looked at the word count and deflated pretty fast. It was 1312 words. 312 words over the limit. In a contest, when they say 1000 words, they mean it. Anything over would be disqualified. 

So, what to do? I didn't need to snip a few words or cut quite a lot. It would require slashing. Would I lose something in the story if I did that? Was it even possible? I decided to give it a try, so I spent a good part of an afternoon slashing through the story, keeping my eye on the lower left-hand corner where the word count appeared. As I worked on the story, the number went down a little at a time. 

Even so, it seemed I'd never hit that magic number.

I worked paragraph by paragraph the first time; then I went back and continued cutting and rearranging. Not just once but a few times. By the time I finished, my word count was 993. Sitting back, feeling satisfied, I wondered why I'd written those extra words in the first place. The real test was about to come.

I read the edited story from start to finish. The main story was still there. The important pieces had not changed. The best part turned out to be that my story appeared stronger than it had when it took me 1312 words to tell it. 

What did I cut out? 

• unnecessary words or phrases (just, really, very etc)
• information that seemed to be repetitious
• cut adjectives in some places from two to one
• less description
• some of the sensory details (not all, however)
• rearranged some sentences so it took fewer words to convey the meaning
• dropped a few dialogue tags where it was obvious who was speaking

The next time you are in a position where you must cut words. Don't fret. It can be done. You can snip, cut, and slash until you reach the number you've set as your goal.

Cutting Your Precious Words

Stephen King's quote came on in neon lights in my mind this week as I posted a first draft of a memoir piece to my online critique group. When the crits came rolling in, there was not as much about the content as cutting unnecessary words.

No matter how long I write, that first draft fills up with words that can and should be cut. It's especially important to get rid of what you can when you have a maximum word count. Those needless words are taking up valuable space! One of the reasons they appear in the first draft, at least for me, is that I tend to write it just as I think and speak normal conversations. The writer part of me has to take over when it's time to write the second or third draft.

Entire paragraphs can be cut when we repeat the same idea but in different words. For some reason, we like to repeat some important part just to make sure our readers 'get it.' I remember a college professor giving exam instructions for an essay question saying Don't be redundant. At the time, I didn't know the meaning of redundant so I sat and squirmed a bit, wasting precious writing time. Finally, I slipped over to the prof's desk and admitted my inadequacy. He gave me a short explanation and I hurried back to begin writing. Got an A on the exam and added to my vocabulary that day.

When you are revising a first draft, check to see that you have not told your reader the same thing in different places. You might be able to cut large amounts if you are guilty of this writer's sin.

Adverbs take a hit over and over again as we are advised to use them sparsely, if at all. Go through your story, essay or chapter and slash those adverbs. They tend to tell rather than show. Maybe they are also the lazy writer's crutch.

Another way to cut is to keep descriptive areas to a minimum. The less is more theory works here. It's a little like the woman who goes to a fancy function who puts on a simple but elegant dress and then drapes herself with a gaggle of jewelry that covers the attraction of the dress itself. Let the best part shine and dump the extras.

When using dialogue, put words in your characters' mouths that make a point and then stop. Don't let them talk on and on. Let their words move the story along; make the important point and quit.

Finally, cut anything that does not move your story from it's beginning to its conclusion. Keep your reader focused on the plot and the characters who carry the story.