Word Count

regdog · Aug 6, 2008

How do you fingure out your word count? I've been told the way I've been doing it isn't right.

I've been counting the words in each line and multiple it by the number of lines on a page and multiple that by the number of pages.

What do you guys do?

Bufty · Aug 6, 2008

That method cannot work at all the way you've outlined it.

MS Word gives an ongoing word count, as I assume does pretty much whatever word processing package one uses.

Are you handwriting, or typing on a typewriter?

regdog · Aug 6, 2008

Bufty said:
Did you do that for both your last novels?

MS Word gives an ongoing word count, as I assume does pretty much whatever word processing package one uses.

Are you handwriting, or typing on a typewriter?

Yes that was how I figured the word count for my last novels. I'm using a computer and still like WordPerfect over Word.

leon66a · Aug 6, 2008

In WordPerfect under the File menu, click on properties, then on the information tab. It will give you the word count.

Cybernaught · Aug 6, 2008

Number of pages x 250 is what I do.

rainboy · Aug 6, 2008

You can also c/p your stuff into this form and click "calculate words"

http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/countwords.shtml

TheIT · Aug 6, 2008

"GENERAL MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING" stickied at the top of the Writing Novels forum:
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26621

Follow the link in the first post and look for "Word Count".

stormie · Aug 6, 2008

I have yet to have any editor question Microsoft Word's word count, even though it does come out different from all the other ways of figuring it out. I've even entered contests where word count has to be exactly between, say, 900 and 1000 words, and Word's word count is accepted. (That should include Wordperfect, too.)

shannonmac · Aug 6, 2008

rainboy said:
You can also c/p your stuff into this form and click "calculate words"

http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/countwords.shtml

hey cool link!

Word Count

regdog

The Scavengers

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

regdog

The Scavengers

leon66a

Cybernaught

Decker

rainboy

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

stormie

storm central

shannonmac

Typing Boxer Types The MS