At some point in our writing careers, most of us have wailed a similar statement to one of these:
“How am I supposed to write a whole ten pages about this?”
“It’s supposed to be only ten pages, but I already have twenty-three. And I’m only halfway done!”
The tightrope between too much and too little seems impossible to walk some days. What should we do when we’re miles away from the right word count? Here are a few ideas.
Too Little to Say
When your mental pen dries up at paragraph two, take a moment to evaluate your topic. Is it too narrow? Is there any feasible way to write 200 pages on the grammatical origin of the word yeet? Probably not. For miniscule topics, identify the parent topic and write about that. Yeet may get you only a few pages, but The Evolution of Internet Slang provides a broad swathe of information.
On a smaller scale, sometimes your main topic works, but one chapter or subpoint has you stumped. Take a step back and look at the problem area in the context of the whole piece. If a narrow topic doesn’t warrant the space you’re trying to fill, merge it with a related section to streamline your argument. If the subpoint is off topic, cut it. And if you need the section for the argument but the words won’t come, ask yourself why it’s important. Why does your reader have to read this section? That necessity will help you vet what really belongs on the page.
Pure old-fashioned laziness often causes us to have too little to say, too. Lazy thinking creates a disconnect between our ideas and the page. Sometimes the solution is research; if you can’t formulate a coherent sentence on how Kermit the Frog influenced the phrase “spilling the tea,” take time to do some research and let your new knowledge fuel your writing. Other times you can stave off laziness by looking at your topic in its greater context. What are other writers saying about Kermit spilling tea? How can you engage the exchange of ideas? And often a solution to lazy thinking is to refocus on your audience. What questions do they have about your topic? Write what they need to know, not just to hear your own melodic voice.
Too Much to Say
When the pages are piling up, begin with a simple question: are you simply trying to say too much? The Complete History of China is an admirable topic spanning thousands of years and, consequently, probably thousands of pages, too. With too broad a topic, you’ll have to truncate much of the valuable information, or you may never finish writing it at all. Find a subcategory of your topic to hone in on.
But what if you’ve been assigned a topic? Your boss keeps breathing down your neck asking, “Where’s that 2,000-word article on the complete history of China?” In situations where you can’t control your topic, you can control your angle. What perspective on China’s history could you highlight that would drastically minimize the amount of ground you have to cover? A Third Grader’s Guide to the Complete History of China? The Complete History of China for Cowboys? Both of these angles create a specific framework for you to evaluate your immense topic and pare it down to the relevant information.
In both of these situations, you’re asking yourself, What do I really want to say? “This is the history of China” is factual, but not inspiring. What about your topic excites you? The beauty of China? Their grasp of military strategy? Their influence on modern technology? Once you know what you want to say (The breathtaking landscape of China has played a major role in the nation’s history), you are free to cut out any unrelated filler. Sure, the ancient practice of silk painting is fascinating, but does it support your thesis? No? Delete it. The art of paring down is the art of knowing what you meant to say in the first place.
Too little to say:
broaden narrow topics
merge too-small subpoints with related material
revisit the importance of the topic
do more research
research the conversation around your topic
answer what your readers are asking
Too much to say:
narrow your topic to a subcategory
choose a minimizing angle
pare down to one main argument that excites you