Remember when written pieces were limited by page count? Back then, you could adjust margins or font size to reach the desired length. Today, most writing assignments are defined by word or character counts. Since those old formatting tricks no longer work, how can you meet text limits without sacrificing important content? Here are a few strategies to help.
Avoid throat clearing. Do you really need that introduction, backstory, or opening summary that eventually leads to your main point? Often you don't, or you can scale it back.
Author Elmore Leonard famously said, "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip," meaning wordy sentences, long paragraphs, and unnecessary explanations. Condense your writing and include only what readers need.
Further tighten your wording by removing phrases such as starting to, tried to, was able to, or was going to. More often than not (ahem), you can do without them.
As Thomas Jefferson advised, "Never use two words when one will do."
Look for explanations or side topics that don't advance the overall message of your piece, and cut them.
Eliminate trite language — overused phrases or descriptive words that add little value. If you've heard it said before, consider whether you can express the same idea in fewer words.
Watch for filler words such as that, very, and just. They often contribute little to a sentence's meaning.
Finally, look for opportunities to simplify verb constructions. In many cases, was walking, had walked, or would walk can simply become walked.
As you work toward a maximum character count, be sure to determine whether spaces are included — they often are. And remember, whether you're writing to a strict limit or not, revising to reduce word and character count almost always results in stronger, clearer writing.
Jennifer Mattox is executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning and a professional writer. The Carnegie Center, 251 W. Second St., is a nonprofit educational center offering seasonal writing, publishing, and language classes, among other community programs. For more information, visit CarnegieCenterLex.org.