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Iron DM 2012 -- R2 complete, Finals in Progress
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<blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 5938007" data-attributes="member: 221"><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>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.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wicht, post: 5938007, member: 221"] 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. [/QUOTE]
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