It’s perfectly normal to hit a wall and not be able to reach your target word count. Sometimes, a bad day is all it takes to ruin your writing momentum, and the next thing you know, you’re out of things to say, and the deadline for your article is in three hours.
Don’t worry; here are eight tips to help you increase your word count! Pair it with this word count tool, and you’ll never have to worry about being rendered speechless again.
Outline your work
Before you begin the heavy-lifting task of writing, try your hand at outlining your work.
Outline your ideas using headers and bullet points to see if they flow well and are easy to follow. When you outline, you’re giving your work a sense of direction, and there’s a smaller chance of writing yourself into a corner before eventually hitting a wall.
And no, outlines are not set in stone, so if you’re feeling spontaneous, you can readily add your new objectives and see where they best fit.
Add examples
Users love reading about examples to help them empathize with the author’s points. In fact, many self-help and self-developmental books rely heavily on historical allusions to prove their points. These examples also give a realistic expectation for the readers and a sense of hope: if a person did it once before, who’s to say they can’t do it, too?
Examples can add to your word count and help expound the point you are trying to make.
Use quotations
If you found a moving paragraph and can’t find a way to express it in your own words, use it as a quotation for your article!
Don’t forget to credit the source to avoid being branded as a plagiarist. Plagiarism is a crime.
Although most cases of plagiarism are considered misdemeanors and can go away if you pay a hefty fine, some laws think plagiarism is a felony in certain states. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Explain unfamiliar terms
An easy way to increase your word count is to explain unfamiliar terms. If you’re writing a highly technical article with many industry-specific terms, don’t expect your readers to understand it on their first read.
Be considerate and explain it to them to help them better understand your writing. This technique can help both you and your readers.
Analyze your sources
It goes without saying that you need to do some research to varying degrees, no matter what you write. There will be sources that will resonate with your theories, and you’ll use them as references.
However, be cautious about letting your references speak for you. Be critical, analyze your sources, and check if they show any biases. If they are, try to get to the source of their bias. What makes them say this? Why aren’t they saying that instead?
These questions are worth asking when you’re choosing sources. If you see that you agree with most of their points but disagree with some, point it out in your article and explain to your readers why.
Acknowledge opposing viewpoints
There are two sides to every coin; the same can be said for your sources. Not everyone will agree with the reference you’ve chosen. An excellent way to increase your word count (and, you know, enhance the depth of your content) is to acknowledge opposing viewpoints.
You can start by briefly explaining these opposing viewpoints before eloquently and respectfully discussing why you disagree without discrediting their efforts.
You can minimize the negative tone by pointing out key factors that made sense to you and why they would have been a perfect source for someone else.
Take a breather
Writing and researching are hard work. Even if you’re just sitting all day and most of the work is done by your hands, your brain is being exerted for long periods, and it’s not good for your health to go without rest.
From time to time, take a break and decompress. It won’t hurt anyone if you step out for a half-hour to walk and enjoy a warm, pleasant day. If you’re afraid of overdoing it, try doing the Pomodoro Technique.
You’d be surprised at how much better you perform when you give your body time to recuperate and energize itself. You might even have more ideas to put on the page!
Don’t be afraid to express yourself.
This article is yours. Don’t ever forget that. When writing content, you should never be afraid to express your honest opinions, thoughts, and beliefs.
The danger of having such reputable sources as references is that the writer loses his or herself in the research. They forget they have their own opinions and theories to begin with.
To combat this, make sure the research supports your theories and opinions, not vice versa.
Follow these simple steps, and you won’t have trouble increasing your word count!
