Word count…

Some writers are super-conscientious about counting words. Maybe they’re ex-journalists—the editor says, “I want a nine-hundred-word story about the mayor’s birthday party”—or they’re submitting to a ‘zine—“We want short stories, three-thousand word limit.” Whatever the motivation, don’t worry about word count upfront. The right fixation should be making the words count!

Your story determines the words that are needed; how many there are is secondary. A short story can have as much impact as...