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/
cleaning team near Winnetka ..Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More
During the past few months I have received many questions... Read More
The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers,... Read More
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a... Read More
FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by... Read More
Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many... Read More
The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More
Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
Great business writers combine narrative skills with sound judgment to... Read More
'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented... Read More
Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More
It is satisfying to be a part of such a... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
User documentation is all too often written by programmers for... Read More
One obvious question that can get overlooked in the process... Read More
Have you ever wondered why certain writers are able to... Read More
Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline?Outlines... Read More
A QUERY LETTER is written to an editor or agent... Read More
All sales begin with some form of advertising whether it's... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..The Hottest Word on the WebDid you know marketing people... Read More
If you either want to write a book to help... Read More
Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips -We've established what a title should... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?By now you should have an idea... Read More
Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today, traditional... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an... Read More
A certified proofreader is one that has taken a few... Read More
We all need a cheer squad.We all need people to... Read More
Here are 3 journaling or diary ideas that can contribute... Read More
Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks.... Read More
LATER, LATTERLater means afterwards; latter is the second of two... Read More
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
Writing technical articles is a challenge. There you sit, surrounded... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More
Are you ready to abandon your short stories? Before you... Read More
It turns out that "tips and templates on how to... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet?... Read More
It's 6:00 p.m. You're dead tired, but instead of an... Read More
As an editorial professional, I'm sure you're aware of the... Read More
It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More
Writing |