the value of obeying strict word-counts

I just ran through my review of Bennett’s book again.

It’s supposed to be 3,000 words in length. As of last night it was 3,350. They probably would have accepted it at that length (though maybe not). But I think it’s important to treat word-count limits as absolute law. There is always a tendency to think that there’s no fat in whatever you’ve written. But there is always fat somewhere, and a strict word count forces you to look for it seriously.

After the most recent run-through, I’ve trimmed the review to 3,051 words. And yes, I’m going back through one more time and looking for at least 51 words to cut. Inevitably, it makes the writing better, and I think it’s a good thing to be obsessive about.