Thoughts on word count

[Scarlettpawprints 5]

I've personally never played where there was a strict word count and at this point I would stay away from games that required them. 

Now, sometimes I can struggle with an RP partner that have a low word count and therefore gives me little to interact with. In those cases it can be frustrating because things lack depth and the thread tends to run its course. Most of the time this isn't done intentionally, but there are a few occasions I wonder if the low word count is intentional and it's used as a technique to control the plot. That's the only thing that irks me. 

Overall, I'm for no word count. Writing, to me, should be allowed freedom past a quota. It's stress relief for me and adding in additional pressure defeats the purpose. 

[crybbage 6]

I used to be all about word counts. Used to think they were the best for producing the best quality posts.

 

I now lean the very opposite way on that. I believe the best posts come from when someone is allowed to simply [i]write[/i]. Not write to hit X words or X paragraphs. I struggle with places that ask for a set wordcount as I automatically feel restricted. As much as I believe in giving your partner plenty to work with, sometimes one line is all an interaction might need at that moment!

Edited December 13, 2021 by crybbage
typo

[jess 2]

Like crybbage above, I also used to be a big fan of word counts but now I'm absolutely loving the freedom that the site I'm on offers by not enforcing one. I think it just makes it less stressful when writing when I know I don't have to hit a certain number of words every post. Some can be more succinct and that's okay.

[Herald of Andraste 5]

 I used to be all about having the word counts. But over the years I have settled to feel quality over quantity. And have found (while not ALWAYS) I sometimes do like rf just to get through ideas with friends. But generally I find when my rp partners are not stressed over how many words they are getting into a post, the more inspired the posts tend to be overall.

[Prophecyte 0]

I don't think word counts really make a huge difference or attracts people. The reason why I say that is because some adults (including myself) don't want to be pressured into writing a certain amount after a long day. I know some people do prefer it for one way or another. If there are IC currencies, achievements or rankings or something to that measure, then maybe I can see that being a more useful tool.

[Untold Tales 2]

On 6/19/2020 at 12:03 AM, Ice said:

Are word counts helpful? Do you think they push some members away? How do you go about making sure that they are followed without it taking up a ton of time(since setting it in mybb counts the table code as well)?

I think this is more of a personal preference for a site. Personally, our sites don't have it but there are some benefits depending on how your site works. Personally, I'm on the fence about word count mainly because our stuff takes place on a forum setting and sometimes a writer can find themselves in a pickle if the other writer doesn't offer much of a post and leave their partner with little to work with. I say if it isn't an issue, it's really up to preferences at that point. 

[Nypromi 1]

I believe in quality over quantity.

 

I mean, yes it is great when you get long replies from someone but horrible when those long replies have nothing of value for you to reply with.  What good does it do me that you gave me a 1k word reply with 1 line of dialog and nothing substantial for me to work with?

 

I would much rather have someone give me a paragraph that has foundation and substance as a reply that I can work with. Dealing with replies that have enough is draining on the mind and the muse for the thread and unfortunately I have had to close out threads because the other person was giving me long replies but they were empty for me to reply too and the struggle was killing my muse for other threads.

[AETU 0]

I hate word counts. I get that it can suck if someone always just posts short little paragraphs, but requiring people to type a certain amount when they may not be inspired too or have reason to for a particular response is crappy. 

[vvintersoldier 3]

I don't really care for word count requirements! On most sites I've been on, they haven't had a word count but most people typically wrote 3-4 paragraphs per post. But it was nice to know that it wasn't a requirement to have long, lengthy posts.

[Neowulf 5]

I'm from a background of a word count of like.. 150-200 words per post, usually, but most people exceeded it voluntarily. I'd say posts averaged 500-800 words, sometimes running up to 2k if somebody had a lot of internal stuff to process. These days I try to have no guilt about making shorter posts, and I've seen beautiful threads where each post is relatively short.

 

Typically on the sites I were on it was obvious if somebody didn't "fit" the roleplay type (usually marketed as beginner-friendly intermediate). Their posts would be just a few sentences (below word count), and since all new characters had to pass through a certain area it was easy to catch and discuss it with the player. Over the years I've seen a fair few roleplayers grow from that into something a bit more wordy without becoming purple or long-winded - most retained a relatively succinct writing style but they fit with the rest of the site's writing culture.

 

Overall I'm a fan of a low word count limit. It gives freedom and relieves pressure if you're just not feeling like waxing poetic about something.

[Xerca 1]

I personally don't mind word counters, if they are kept low. Or if they are more like a guideline than a hard rule. For me, around a 100 words is not that much and it helps me give it some time to think through the post an extra time. Is there something more my character could be commenting on? Something extra to react to or do? Perhaps I can add in a small description of how the way my character is looking at someone etc. Something that becomes more than just a couple of sentences. But I also don't feel like those I write will have to mirror my posts in anyway. I can fluctuate between 150-500 words from one post to another. If I write 400 words and I get a reply of 50, that is totally fine with me as long as the reply is some kind of action/speech that my character can react to in turn. I think it's more important that you give your co-writers something to go on in a short post, than write several hundred words of fluff that no one can give any response to. However, while I can easily write up a few hundred words myself currently, if I had a demand on me to write +200-300 words I think my creativity would die out pretty soon.

[lynncia 1]

I believe it depends on what you write. Heavier subjects could be longer, but when I write some goofy scenes, I prefer to keep it shorter, since it feels like a tennis match between me and my partner. I believe it is best to decide how you'll write beforehand or adapt to the situation.

[Wes 3]

Ours has a minimum of just 100 words but honestly we're not super strict on it. One should write what they feel like writing at the moment, whether it's heavily padded or not, so long as it's a fun time and everyone's happy with what they're getting. Enforcing word counts for the sake of appearing "literate" is something I don't really like, though. Literacy doesn't mean writing huge posts. If anything, it kind of just turns into work instead of a hobby 😕

[Finn 3]

I despise word counts. I would never be on a board that has them and I would never want anyone to feel like they owe me a certain amount of words. It seems like such a way to kill the flow of a thread.

 

My own 'word count' (I don't count) varies wildly. I might sometimes to rapid fires and I might sometimes have way more to say and it'll just flow out of my fingers.

 

I don't understand how word counts are still a thing. It amazes me.

[huntandmoon 5]

I have only been on one site that had a word count, and it wasn't a specific wordcount even. Just 'three sentences'. I could do something that basic again, but pretty much the mere mention of a wordcount has me close a page without looking any further. I just don't want to be bothered to keep track, and find they tend to encourage purple prose far too much.