Count • Tested & Working

If your draft is too short or too long, consider these legitimate adjustments:

: Add more evidence (ideally two pieces per body paragraph), provide deeper interpretation of quotes, or use transitional sentences to connect ideas back to your thesis [5.4]. If your draft is too short or too

: It is often easier to cut a long draft down than to expand a short one later [12, 26]. Writing a draft that is 25% over the limit is a common strategy for capturing all necessary detail before refining [21]. Managing your word count depends on your specific

Managing your word count depends on your specific stage in the drafting process: cut "fluff" verbiage

: Use active voice, cut "fluff" verbiage, and combine sentences using synonyms [5.2, 5.26]. If you are significantly over, you may need to cut entire paragraphs or reformat sections [5.9, 5.17].