The KISS method on word count
We’ve all heard of the KISS method, applicable to most facets of life.
Keep
It
Simple,
Stupid
The KISS method should also be used for word counts. Any editor will tell you that newspaper space is real estate; because a paper can always run an advertisement, there should be a reason why a 800-word story is better than a 400-word story with the same plot elements.
Granted, hard copy real estate is different than online real estate, but that’s no excuse for writing fluff just because you can.
Sandy Cohen, an Associated Press entertainment writer, wrote this story about Paris Hilton’s first night in a LA jail. But because the press is not allowed inside the jail and the paparazzi are barred from photographing the hotel heiress for the next few weeks, only a few sentences carried content on the jail cell’s description and her soon-to-be activities.
Ms. Cohen wrote 787 words for this mindless drivel. Is this really necessary?
