The 2026 [lit] 750 Word Project Support Thread

[IWroteThis]

I tested different online word counters just for shits and giggles and found that they varied from 1 to 5 words with some word counters counting ... as a word. I also take a screenshot showing the 750 word count in literotica's editor in case my vignette get rejected for being too short or too long.

MS Word appears to count any non-white space surrounded by white space as a word. ... is one word, but . . . is three words. The common scene separator of * * * * * is five words.

You can get around the ellipsis issue by touching one of the words with it, so using "oh..." instead of "oh ..." gets you one word instead of two. You can also cheat and touch both words. So, "um...no" counts as only one word. That's also why <em>I</em> still counts as one word.

 

[Rob_Royale]

You know there is something heady and so cool about getting an idea, writing, editing and submitting a story in 90 minutes. Submitted is my second, and probably last 750-word story for this year. I know I'm silly to put a 750 in LW again, but it's always worth it to witness the denizens that hide beneath the bridges of Loving Wives gnash their teeth and howl in rage.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

I just resubmitted both stories with longer prefaces. The Lit editor shows them over 780 now. (The stories themselves are still exactly 750.) Fingers crossed!

Both stories were rejected again for being too short, despite Lit’s own word counter saying they were well over 750 before I hit submit. I’m going to rewrite them both to be exactly 755 words before I resubmit them.

It’s a pity the process is so broken because otherwise it’s a fun challenge.

 

[Erozetta]

Both stories were rejected again for being too short, despite Lit’s own word counter saying they were well over 750 before I hit submit. I’m going to rewrite them both to be exactly 755 words before I resubmit them.

It’s a pity the process is so broken because otherwise it’s a fun challenge.

The only count that matters is Lit's count without the author's notes. A friend recently had hers rejected for the same reason, removed the note and found her word count was about 8 words shy of 750 because it was counting em dash connected words as a single word.

Lit's counter is fucked, basically.

 

[Erozetta]

I decided to do one. It goes live tomorrow.

 

[k_east]

Really nice concept! I hadn't planned at all to write anything today, but found this exactly 1 hour ago and now I've submitted a story. Totally agree with @Rob_Royale that there's something quite cool about an idea going from conception to a finished work in such a short amount of time.

 

[Fluftixxx]

My first attempt is out now: Leaking in Public.

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

The only count that matters is Lit's count without the author's notes. A friend recently had hers rejected for the same reason, removed the note and found her word count was about 8 words shy of 750 because it was counting em dash connected words as a single word.

Lit's counter is fucked, basically.

The em dashes did seem to be the problem. I fixed it by putting spaces around the em dashes, which had the bad side effect of counting the dash as a word as well! But I found a few adjectives to cut to cancel out the extra words from the dashes. Back to 750 and both stories resubmitted!

 

[MillieDynamite]

The em dash is a problem, but the counter doesn't exactly show 750 words on there's. You need that amount of words; despite hyphenated words or em dashes messing up your count, the number of words is what matters. I avoid em dashes or ellipses in the 750-word stories. And it's only what's below the line, the pre-matter, title disclaimer, and the declarations below this line.

The em dashes did seem to be the problem. I fixed it by putting spaces around the em dashes, which had the bad side effect of counting the dash as a word as well! But I found a few adjectives to cut to cancel out the extra words from the dashes. Back to 750 and both stories resubmitted!

 

[MillieDynamite]

Odd thing, some words that were once hyphenated words are now single words. Most of the 19th century, today was written as to-day, tomorrow was to-morrow. In 1910, to-day offically become today, and tomorrow was officaly change in 1898.

 

[IWroteThis]

The em dash is a problem, but the counter doesn't exactly show 750 words on there's. You need that amount of words; despite hyphenated words or em dashes messing up your count, the number of words is what matters. I avoid em dashes or ellipses in the 750-word stories. And it's only what's below the line, the pre-matter, title disclaimer, and the declarations below this line.

The key to using ellipses without changing the word count is to have them touch the word they trail, but not the word after them. Of course, they do allow you to cheat a bit, as you can count two words as one, two, or three words with one.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Yes, yes, you can. But then, it isn't really a 750-word story, is it? (I've done that a time or two, but don't tell anyone.)

The key to using ellipses without changing the word count is to have them touch the word they trail, but not the word after them. Of course, they do allow you to cheat a bit, as you can count two words as one, two, or three words with one.

 

[Erozetta]

Flames - 750 Non-erotic

 

[Rob_Royale]

Ho-Lee-Cow! What Goes Around has gotten the villagers riled! Torches and pitchforks everywhere. After 300+ votes it's at 2.65 stars. The sad thing is that if the roles were reversed they would be cheering.

 

[Rambling_Chantrix]

The em dashes did seem to be the problem. I fixed it by putting spaces around the em dashes, which had the bad side effect of counting the dash as a word as well! But I found a few adjectives to cut to cancel out the extra words from the dashes. Back to 750 and both stories resubmitted!

I found this so annoying because the whole point of using em dash html entities was that I wanted them to display formatted properly. I coulda just put a hyphen if I'd not cared Sorry you had to deal with the same thing I did.

 

[Rambling_Chantrix]

So, while my first offering is one of my best-performing stories of all time and has garnered a response in the comments I truly couldn't anticipate, my second is... well, pretty much what you'd expect of a 750-word comedy in Loving Wives

Behold The Greatest American Husband, a piece written to a prompt after I lost a bet.

I had fun with it. It's hovering around 2 stars.

 

[BeechLeaf]

All the comments are very positive (as mine will be once it's moderated), but of course they're all from the whitelisted. The common herd might see it differently. (That might explain the votes.)

 

[Rambling_Chantrix]

All the comments are very positive (as mine will be once it's moderated), but of course they're all from the whitelisted. The common herd might see it differently. (That might explain the votes.)

Yep, my first "ugh" came through. Can't wait to drown in the phlegethon surely coursing my way

Edited to add: wow comment moderation is blitzin' today. i just got a "morality was unnecessary" and a "don't write in 2nd person, you don't know me" . i love media literacy

 

[IWroteThis]

I found this so annoying because the whole point of using em dash html entities was that I wanted them to display formatted properly. I coulda just put a hyphen if I'd not cared Sorry you had to deal with the same thing I did.

It wouldn't matter, as hyphens and em dashes are counted the same. If they touch a word, they're considered part of that word. If they don't, they're counted as their own word. If they touch two words, it's all counted as one word.

 

[Rambling_Chantrix]

It wouldn't matter, as hyphens and em dashes are counted the same. If they touch a word, they're considered part of that word. If they don't, they're counted as their own word. If they touch two words, it's all counted as one word.

Well yeah but like. I coulda put spaces and hyphens [and not bothered manually entering &mdash; html entities throughout my piece in the hopes of making things look right].

 

[BrightShinyGirl]

The problem children got published!

Carvanafer
Dark Water

 

[k_east]

Published! Human Needs

Very fun challenge, really enjoyed having to get creative with the pacing and word choice.

 

[yowser]

I know this is a 'support thread' and I've gone on record before as claiming that the 750 word challenge can be a good writer's exercise, but I'd like to tap the brakes on this one a moment and urge some reflection.

Please consider the reader while writing these. They flood the February season, well over four hundred this year, (over 200 last year and twice that the year before) and they are, with a handful of exceptions, awful. Largely because the difficulties are built-in: not very many words to do much of anything, never mind a story, but the vast majority of offerings feel like they have been tossed off with maybe an hour's worth of effort. And that shows, in scores, reader commentary, etc.

If you are going to do one:

1. Make it good. Really get a good scene/story/mood piece produced that is spare and engaging.

2. For yourself, put some work in to make it a worthy exercise. A perfect 750 word piece will be worse off if one word is left out, not improved much by one word added. This takes editing, and careful choice of words, forcing each one to carry its weight.

Finally, those with long memories may recall I made an oath last year (which I will repeat below) that I would never do another one of these things. There was some doubt expressed about this, and I want to report that my vow has been tested and handled with honor.

(I have been tempted. Sorely so. Oh, a nice little nugget of an idea that could work, test my paring-knife powers and center of creativity...)

But my will only wavered but a moment (alright, a few days), and I conquered the impulse.

Don't misunderstand me, there are some really good ones here, and a few folks who do gems, but for the most part, sub-meh.

Okay, a repeat, and reaffirmation, of last year's vow:

My name is yowser, and I am a 750 Word Addict.

Amen, brother.

I have no control over my urges.

Tell it yowser, spill your guts.

Every February comes to me like a bad wind off the mountains, first the Pink Orchid challenge, Valentine's Day, and then the 750 word curse. My fingers itch, I start typing: 687, then 736, finally 821 words. Ahh no! I have to pare back. My throat tightens, my editing instincts crawl over my body like tarantulas, and I get the bastard down, exactly, to 750 stiletto-like indispensable words.

We hear you brother! You need a higher power!

I promise you that I will never do another one of these things, ever.

Yes! You've saved us from your incontinent drivel yowser! Thank you! May your will stay strong and your awareness ever vigilant! Good luck!

 

[Trionyx]

I promise you that I will never do another one of these things, ever.

I was about to drop another one when I read your post. I may hold off and contemplate expanding it to a more fluffed out story. Maybe that’s the key; bring the core of the story down to the bare minimum and then expand it as appropriate.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Just submitted a new 750 for the challenge. Not sure how long it will take, this late in the game, to go up.