Word Counts

I thought I would say a few words here about word counts - minimum and maximum - and why most of the writing assignments for this class do have word counts. The reasons I have for setting maximum and minimum word counts are very different from one another, so I've discussed them separately below.

Maximum word count. Here are some of the reasons why I think having a maximum word count can be helpful:

• Better writing. If you edit written work to shorten it, the writing always improves as a result. So, if you write something longer than 1000 words (or whatever the maximum is for the assignment), and then edit it down, you will probably end up with a much improved piece of writing. You will learn to make sure that each word, sentence, and paragraph really counts for something, each contributing something important to the piece of writing overall.
• Time management. Maximum word counts can help you manage your time. Writing the first draft is the easy part and usually goes very quickly; what really takes time is the revising, polishing and proofreading of your first draft. When there is a maximum word count, you'll know when it's time to start that process of polishing and revising!
• Practical skill. You will probably find yourself having to write within strict word limits in your future professional life. You'll need to write cover letters that are no longer than one page long, for example, or you might need to write a press release that is no longer than 800 words in length, etc. Word limits are admittedly arbitrary, but being able to adhere to a maximum word count can be a valuable professional skill.

Also, remember that you have the entire Internet in which to publish your writing! So, if you are working on a story for this class and have a long version you want to publish online, go ahead and do that (at a personal blog or website, for example), while turning in the shorter version for class; feel free to link to your longer version for any of your readers who might want to take a look. Especially for those of you who are aspiring writers, it might be useful to have the longer version available later on if you want to re-use it in a future project.

Minimum word count. There is really only one reason why I have a minimum word count for the writing assignments in this class: especially in a required Gen. Ed. class, some students make it their goal to do the minimum that is required. Admittedly, from my perspective as a teacher, I don't think that this this is the best strategy; with most classes, you get out what you put in, so if you put in the minimum, you will probably get the minimum benefit in return. At the same time, I am aware that for people who have a lot of other commitments, doing the minimum is a logical way to manage that workload. Before I set the minimum requirements, people would leave comments for other students like "Excellent story!!" or "Great job!" - and nothing more than that. My hope is that by setting a minimum word count I can convey the expectation that you need to put some time and effort into your comments, resulting in something of value for the student whose work you are commenting on. Likewise with the stories and the essays: the minimum word count is just a way to help you put some effort into what you are writing so that you will get something of real value in return for that effort.

As you can see, I am pretty satisfied with the maximum word count guidelines; I believe that they have a real educational value. I am less happy with the minimum word count guidelines, though, since they are more of a reaction to a pre-existing situation rather than a pro-active choice on my part. So, if you have some ideas about how I could do a better job with that aspect of the class, let me know. I would be especially curious if there are some strategies that you have seen in your other classes which you think might be helpful for me to use in this class, too.

Cartoon by Rick Detorie