Set a Word Budget for Each Section
Added 2026-11-06
Length usually runs away because there is no budget, not because of too much to say.
I am writing this piece: [topic, target length, outline]. Allocate a word budget: 1) assign words per section by its function — conclusion, evidence, limitation — with the reasoning; 2) flag which sections are over- and under-allocated now; 3) give the three things each section must say, and what to cut first when it runs over; 4) say whether an overrun means keep writing or split into two pieces; 5) design a post-draft check: actual words versus budget; 6) name sections that can compress to a sentence without losing information.
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[topic, target length, outline]
How to use
Set the budget before drafting; then an overrun tells you exactly where to cut.
Try tweaking it
- Ask for three openings in different tones, then pick one.
- Replace "make it better" with concrete limits: length, reader, facts to keep.
What you should get
- A publishable draft, not an outline
- A short changelog: what changed and why
Common mistakes
- Letting it guess the facts, so plausible-looking sources get invented.
- Dumping the whole text with just "polish it" — the result still has no point.
How to check the output
- The conclusion comes first; deleting the opening paragraph does not break it.
- Every fact, number and quote traces back to the source text.
Where it works
- Good for: turning a rambling draft into a conclusion-first, shorter version.
- Watch out: keep sources and figures verbatim — do not let it invent citations.