Lwaxy
Cute but dangerous
I had around 8000 words after I spent my 4 hours on the project, then had to truncate down to what I submitted.
Oh wow, you had to shorten out 2000 words more than me.
Iron DM 2012 -- R2 complete, Finals in Progress
- Thread starter Nifft
- Start date
Oh wow, you had to shorten out 2000 words more than me.
Wicht
Hero
As we come to the end of round 1, and as I read some of the word-count comments, I feel compelled to offer some comments and advice.
In my experience, take it for what its worth, it generally works better to produce an initial manuscript which is under your word count and then flesh in more substance after. When you overwrite and then cut stuff out you almost always produce choppy material. Learning to discipline yourself so that you can write under word-count is a very useful skill.
It is also good to realize, I think that a 2000 word limit is not that outrageously short. Magazine articles tend to be somewhere between 750-3000 words. Kobold Quarterly, for instance, looks for articles between 1500 and 2200 words. Articles I write for Pathways have a goal of 2250 words. 15000 words is a standard module, and if you wrote out an 8000 word synopsis (over half a module!), you are overwriting.
As the contest advances, I urge contestants to use the word count limit, not as a restraint but as a goal. Begin with your broad outline, assign a word limit to each section of the outline and then fill it in so that each section is just at, or under your assigned goal. So for instance, if I have a word count limit of 2000, I would make a general outline including a background, synopsis, perhaps three acts and then a conclusion. I would allow 200 words for background, 200 for synopsis, and then 500 for each act. This would leave me with 100 words for a conclusion. Having thus set my limit, I would only then begin the actual writing. Naturally after I write my initial draft, I can then go back, see what needs to be more fleshed out, and where I might be able to tighten wordage. The resulting product will flow much better than it would if I wrote out a stream of conscious sort of manuscript and then went in and excised 1/2 or more of it.
None of this, of course speaks to ingredient use or the like, but assuming you use the ingredients well, having a nice flow to your synopsis cannot hurt your chances.
In my experience, take it for what its worth, it generally works better to produce an initial manuscript which is under your word count and then flesh in more substance after. When you overwrite and then cut stuff out you almost always produce choppy material. Learning to discipline yourself so that you can write under word-count is a very useful skill.
It is also good to realize, I think that a 2000 word limit is not that outrageously short. Magazine articles tend to be somewhere between 750-3000 words. Kobold Quarterly, for instance, looks for articles between 1500 and 2200 words. Articles I write for Pathways have a goal of 2250 words. 15000 words is a standard module, and if you wrote out an 8000 word synopsis (over half a module!), you are overwriting.
As the contest advances, I urge contestants to use the word count limit, not as a restraint but as a goal. Begin with your broad outline, assign a word limit to each section of the outline and then fill it in so that each section is just at, or under your assigned goal. So for instance, if I have a word count limit of 2000, I would make a general outline including a background, synopsis, perhaps three acts and then a conclusion. I would allow 200 words for background, 200 for synopsis, and then 500 for each act. This would leave me with 100 words for a conclusion. Having thus set my limit, I would only then begin the actual writing. Naturally after I write my initial draft, I can then go back, see what needs to be more fleshed out, and where I might be able to tighten wordage. The resulting product will flow much better than it would if I wrote out a stream of conscious sort of manuscript and then went in and excised 1/2 or more of it.
None of this, of course speaks to ingredient use or the like, but assuming you use the ingredients well, having a nice flow to your synopsis cannot hurt your chances.
Yeah, and then look at your Anthology and notice that most of them are weighing in over 3000 words on the first page alone... You know, all of the 5/5 rated ones?
Slainte,
-Loonook.
Lwaxy
Cute but dangerous
3000 words would have probably been fine - most of the take out was the original shipwreck, some forest encounters and the fact that the wizard of back then wasn't truly dead. The latter wouldn't have fit in 2000 words in any case. There is only so much you can put in so little and still make it readable
I can do an article pre-planning like that, but not creative writing. When I start it just keeps flowing, even taking a break for a word count might throw me off. I can try to do it differently, maybe I can develop some method.
I can do an article pre-planning like that, but not creative writing. When I start it just keeps flowing, even taking a break for a word count might throw me off. I can try to do it differently, maybe I can develop some method.
Radiating Gnome
Adventurer
Lwaxy, when you have the creative flow going, you need to just ride it and let it go.
BUT that's only the first step. The first draft is always crap. The "real" work is the rewriting. In most cases, I find a piece can be reduced by half just by removing the fluff.
If your approach to rewriting is to look for passages and paragraphs you can lose, I think you may be hurting yourself. Start with words. What words don't you need? Where can you condense? Which words aren't really helping? You'll be surprised what you can do just cutting out the fluff.
-rg
BUT that's only the first step. The first draft is always crap. The "real" work is the rewriting. In most cases, I find a piece can be reduced by half just by removing the fluff.
If your approach to rewriting is to look for passages and paragraphs you can lose, I think you may be hurting yourself. Start with words. What words don't you need? Where can you condense? Which words aren't really helping? You'll be surprised what you can do just cutting out the fluff.
-rg
Lwaxy
Cute but dangerous
Yeah I condensed quite a lot. It is amazing for how many phrases you can use fewer words. I may go back to my essay writing style back from school looong time ago, maybe that'll help.
In any case, I just ran the full version as a throw in tonight and it worked, if not quite as planned. In the end, Arthy escaped but he shall make a villain to return. PCs of course did everything very different
They made the island sink after evacuating because "there is too much danger of a repeat." 
More adventures from the contest will follow as they fit in
The GM contests I'm used to didn't use word limits and no list, but pictures instead, very different style. But I'll adapt.
I may go back to my essay writing style back from school looong time ago, maybe that'll help. In any case, I just ran the full version as a throw in tonight and it worked, if not quite as planned. In the end, Arthy escaped but he shall make a villain to return. PCs of course did everything very different
They made the island sink after evacuating because "there is too much danger of a repeat." More adventures from the contest will follow as they fit in
The GM contests I'm used to didn't use word limits and no list, but pictures instead, very different style. But I'll adapt.
Radiating Gnome
Adventurer
But I'll adapt.
You'd better, because it's
SEMI-FINAL-TIME
<cue the cheerleaders and the marching bands>
The Ohio State University Cheerleaders and Band - Final Four - Friday, March 30, 2012 - YouTube
The judges are going at it hammer and tongs, preparing the most grueling, sadistic, perverse set of ingredients imaginable. You may wish to keep smelling salts handy.
We are hoping to start one match on Saturday, and one match on Sunday. (Pending Contestant Availability).
Our Final Round Contestants are:
Deuce Traveler | Ender_wiggin | Waylander the Slayer | Lwaxy
Semifinalitsts, Please take a moment to let us know:
1. Will you be available for a match that starts Saturday or Sunday
2. Which you prefer, if you can do either.
****
I've set up a Wiki page for Iron DM 2012 that includes the rules and the first round -- ingredients, links to entries and judgements, etc. This will make a much easier/more manageable archive of the competition. It's up to date and includes all of the Round 1 action.
Here's a link:
Iron DM 2012 - EN World: Your Daily RPG Magazine
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