How to increase your word count
Hi, I’m Larys. This is my first post here. As a starter, I want to share a few tips to increase your word count while writing a NaNoWriMo novel that still (kinda) makes sense and in a funny way. I experimented them during this november and they worked pretty well. So here we are :…
* Do not abbreviate
If you write in English, write “I do not” instead of “I don’t” or “I could not” instead of “I couldn’t”. You get three words where you usually have two. I know it might sound a bit posh after a while. For that reason, I don’t use it in dialogues. I prefer my characters (who are mostly teenagers) to sound authentic and only a few people speak like they write.
* Be more precise in your descriptions
Use more specific adjectives when describing something or someone. For example, talk about your character’s jet black long greasy hair and steel blue almond-shaped eyes, instead of his/er just black hair and blue eyes.
You can also have fun in listing things (ike what your character had for breakfast or what she buys at the supermarket) or by describing his/er bedroom in every detail, up to the motive of the wallpaper (I didn’t do that because hyperrealistic descriptions à la Balzac aren’t really my cup of tea…)
* Be gratuitous
If at some stage, you run out of ideas about how to continue your description, then go write a completely pointless scene involving your characters. Take this opportunity to have some fun with them. If you can’t help fantasizing about a torrid sex scene with 2 (or even more !) of your characters, then don’t be ashamed and go for it. If some of your characters are football fans, then why not having them play a five-a-side ? Why not having two of your characters speculating about the meaning of life, or writing one of their childhood memory ? – that’s what I did. Another good thing about these gratuitous scenes is they can allow you to explore different facets of your character or help you discover things about them.
In case you ask me : no, I didn’t write any sex scene – not even for word count’s sake.
* Try different possibilities
I admit, that’s a bit of a cheat. I was sometimes so unsatisfied with the way the story turned out that I wrote an alternate version of a scene. I know it doesn’t help your novel progress, but as long as it keeps you writing, there’s nothing wrong with trying to fix things. It’s like recording a different take of a song – with a slightly different arrangement. That helps too increasing the word count – on condition you don’t erase what you wrote earlier.
* Write in a different language
That works only if you are multilingual like me. My native language is French but I chose to write in English for some reasons but I wrote some sentences in French when I was stuck. The good thing too about latin languages like French is that they are less compact than the English one and thus, use more words.
Do you have your own methods to keep writing or keep your word count rising ?
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Tags: word count
writing alternate versions works well for me, and often saves the day!
If I’m stuck, I sometimes give the character a memory or dream that explores his/her past or fears, etc.: that ends up getting cut in the end, but meanwhile I often find some insights into the character’s motivation or history, so it’s not wasted effort.
One of the best pieces advice I ever heard was from an editor: continually ask yourself, “What’s the WORST thing that could possibly happen to your character right now?” Whether it’s somebody showing up at their door, or an accident, or whatever, it’s sure to keep readers turning pages, and the character’s abilities stretched to the limit. It does keep you writing.
Susan
Thanks for commenting, Susan
>> One of the best pieces advice I ever heard was from an editor: continually ask yourself, “What’s the WORST thing that could possibly happen to your character right now?”
That’s strange. It seems like I’ve been following that piece of advice unconsciously and better – I make it come true ! It’s a bit like a wishmaster game. In hardly two days, my character nearly got raped then experienced her first werewolf transformation and everything keeps going downhill since then… The problem is that I sometimes get carried away and now my poor MC is glaring at me with big angry wolfish eyes… :\
When she first said it, I thought, “OK, but I’m no Robert Ludlum, I’m not writing international spy thrillers…” But the comment opened my eyes when I read other books, and watched films. This works!
Toy Story’s a good example: poor Woody can’t turn around without catastrophe hitting him, over and over. But it makes for a great tale.
So whenever my characters start looking at me for something to do, or the narrative starts dragging, I wonder what’s the WORST… THING…
I knew that too from playing RPGs and having Game Masters exploiting Playing Characters’ weaknesses, and also from watching a lot of TV series – like “Desperate Housewives”, where all the 4 characters (especially Susan Mayer) go from crisis to crisis. That’s what creates tension and suspense.
Ironically, that worst thing can turn to be the best, as it sometimes allows the character to exhibit strength or some other heroic virtue
Yep, from playing text-based, character-driven roleplaying games, I’ve long held that the most interesting thing to do to your characters is something mean. Or sometimes not even mean, just something that will shake up their little lives.
I think I have a God complex.