Cutting Words

When I'm in the middle of writing a manuscript, I watch the word count like a hawk. I have excel spreadsheets that I plug updated numbers into constantly. I like the forward sense of progress. The movement toward the end goal.

This last week or so, I've been doing the reverse. An editor requested a complete manuscript that to fit her house's guidelines needed to lose 22,000 excess words. 22,000! At first, that number seemed overwhelming. But I like the book, and want to give it a chance, so if that meant cutting then I would cut.

This afternoon, after spending three hours at Panera, I finished the first run through. Of the 22,000, 18,000 have been cut. A mere three thousand to go. Oh and I need to add a short scene or two.

You know that whole two steps forward, one step back approach to writing.

I've learned I can tighten my writing. Even the parts I really like can be triaged and read better as a result.

I also know that while, I'd rather write a book to target than cut it, I can cut. And that's a good thing to know.

Now, I'll let it sit a day or two, then read it and cut one last time. Then time to send that baby out into the big world. But more on that tomorrow.