100 word limit essay

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The Word Limit in Academic Writing (and How to Stick to It)

3-minute read

• 24th September 2016

Even the phrase “word limit” can cause panic among students . For some it’s the challenge of writing enough, while others find it hard to stick within the limit given. In either case, it can lead to spending more time worrying about the length of your paper than the content!

But why do college papers come with set word limits? And what should you do to ensure you don’t write too much or too little?

Why Have a Word Limit?

There are two main reasons that academic papers usually come with a word limit:

• Fairness It’s impossible to grade two papers of vastly different lengths (e.g., 20,000 compared to 2,000 words) on the same scale. The word limit makes sure that everyone taking the same class knows what is expected of them.
• Communication Skills As well as testing your knowledge, college papers are about communicating clearly and concisely. Setting a word limit forces you to consider what you’re saying more carefully, helping you to develop your writing skills.

Sticking to the word limit is, therefore, part of being a good academic, since being a long way over or under could suggest you’ve misjudged the scope of the essay topic or that you’re having trouble communicating your ideas.

How to Stick to the Word Limit

Although many colleges give you roughly 10% leeway on the word limit, you should aim for your finished paper to be as close to the suggested word count as possible. If you find yourself writing too much, you can reduce the word count by:

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• Editing out repetition, redundant words and padding phrases
• Cutting down long or unnecessary quotations
• Reducing the number of examples or case studies used (if you’ve included several)
• Using the active voice instead of the passive voice

More generally, you should re-read your work and eliminate anything that isn’t directly related to the question you’re answering. As well as helping you stick to the word limit, this will make your work more focused, which could boost your grades.

How to Increase Your Word Count

If you’re struggling to write enough, the temptation might be to add padding phrases like “in my opinion” or long block quotations until you hit the minimum word count. But this will simply detract from the clarity of your writing.

Instead, the answer is usually to go back over your work and look for things that could be improved with a little additional attention. This might involve:

• Addressing anything from your essay question that you’ve overlooked
• Adding illustrative examples to support a point
• Considering different sources and views on the same issue
• Using short quotations as evidence for your arguments

Moreover, whether you’ve written too much or too little, getting someone else to read your work and offer feedback is a fantastic idea (especially if you ask a professional for help). This will help you to identify areas that could be expanded or cut in the next draft, so eventually you should be able to get your essay to the required length.

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How to Make an Essay Longer or Shorter

Table of contents

What is word count?

7 ways to reduce word count, 6 ways to increase word count, word count faqs.

How many times have you worked hard on a research paper or essay , felt confident in your argument, and decided you were ready to turn it in, only to notice that you’re still behind on the word count? Or perhaps you wrote too much, and now you’re struggling to find parts to cut.

How do you increase the word count without being redundant or reduce the word count without sacrificing your key arguments?

You take a deep breath and continue reading our suggestions on the best ways to increase or reduce word count without compromising the quality of your paper.

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Word count is the number of words in a writing sample or document. Word counts exist for many reasons—print publications, for example, have them to ensure stories can fit in a defined space in a newspaper, magazine, or book.

But when it comes to research papers and essays , word counts are used to level the playing field: Each student has the same number of words to get their point across. A strong writer can do this without using unnecessary words to reach the minimum word count, while also avoiding rambling and exceeding the maximum word count.

One of the biggest reasons some students run into problems with word count requirements is that they may be too focused on it. The writer can become more focused on the number of words than on getting their point across clearly and concisely.

When trying to reduce word count it’s important to use a scalpel and not an axe—meaning you don’t want to delete large portions of your paper to ensure you’re below the maximum word count. Instead, you want to find small but significant ways to bring down your word count.

1 Look for redundancies in your argument

Look to see if you’ve repeated any information in your paper, and delete any redundant points.

If your paper has to do with climate change and you mention the rate at which the polar ice caps are melting twice, delete the second mention (unless it’s related to a separate point you’re trying to make). If you find yourself reiterating the same point in slightly different language, choose the one that is written more clearly and eliminate the other.

2 Eliminate unnecessary or ancillary information

Find any details that don’t serve your argument and delete them. For example, if you’re writing a paper about George Washington’s policy positions, you don’t need to mention his personal life unless it directly impacted his political career.

3 Get to the point

The best arguments are clear and direct, and your paper should strive to be the same.

We could’ve built up that last sentence by talking about the different styles of communication or the pros and cons of being direct, but instead, we got to the point.

Trying to build up your argument not only adds more words but may also weaken it, especially if you’re using unnecessary words.

4 Delete the and that

We often use the while speaking, but in writing, there are times when the can be removed without changing your sentence’s meaning.

That is another common word we use, which may be unnecessary in some sentences. An example is in the sentence you just read—the writer instinctively put that before we and then realized it was unnecessary.

• Original: We knew that he was active in the 1960s and the 1970s.
• Edited: We knew he was active in the 1960s and 1970s.

5 Eliminate unnecessary prepositional phrases

This is yet another example of separating how we speak from how we should write. Too many prepositional phrases can be a sign of excessive wording.

• Original: For many people, the reality of an entry into a new area of employment is cause for a host of anxieties.
• Edited: Changing careers makes many people anxious.

Getting rid of the prepositional phrases forces you to tighten up the sentence. The result is shorter, more direct, and easier to understand.

6 Use an active voice

Writing that utilizes an active voice tends to use fewer words than writing that uses a passive voice. Let’s show you what we mean:

• Active voice: Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440.
• Passive voice: The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440.

Writing with an active voice not only helps reduce your word count but can also help you communicate your argument in a more effective and clear way than using a passive voice.

7 Avoid unnecessary adverbs and adjectives

Adverbs and adjectives add extra words to your paper, and depending on their usage they may weaken or not add any value to your argument.

• Original: Thomas Jefferson’s entire presidency was undoubtedly controversial.
• Edited: Thomas Jefferson’s presidency was controversial.

The word count may make up a significant part of your paper’s grade, but your final mark will likely rest on how well you write and the clarity of your argument.

For that reason, you don’t want to use more words merely to reach your word count even though using more words is an easy way to reach the word count.

That last sentence is a perfect example of what not to do. Here are some ways to extend your word count without resorting to adding unnecessary words.

1 Investigate the paper’s topic more thoroughly

Read through your paper and see if there are ways in which you can further discuss your topic without adding redundant or unnecessary information. Two ways you can accomplish this are:

• Providing statistics: If applicable, use data from a reliable source to back up your argument. This could be a poll or a scientific study.
• Discussing your topic’s history: Whether you’re writing about politics or philosophy, it might be a good idea to write about your topic’s origins and how that subject has evolved over time.

2 Explore all angles of your paper’s thesis

Check to see if you’ve explored all angles of your thesis statement , which will not only increase your word count but will likely strengthen your argument as well. For example, if you wrote a paper on why people should exercise but only discussed physical health reasons, you could also discuss its psychological and economic impacts.

3 Include alternative points of view

Introducing alternative points of view can help increase your word count and show that you’ve thoroughly researched the topic.

For example, if you’re writing about capitalism, you could also discuss Karl Marx’s critiques of the economic system.

4 Flesh out thin body paragraphs

It’s important to note that you can flesh out thin body paragraphs without introducing redundant or unnecessary information. Instead, you’ll want to write detailed sentences to support your topic sentence , which can be accomplished by introducing facts, quotes, examples, or anecdotes backing up your point.

• Original: Fight Club deals with the theme of consumerism, such as when the main character criticizes people’s desire to buy new things.
• Edited: Fight Club deals with the theme of consumerism, such as when the main character criticizes people’s desire to buy new things. “Advertising has these people chasing cars and clothes they don’t need,” he says.

5 Find another primary or secondary source to include in your writing

Including additional primary and secondary sources is yet another tactic that can increase your word count and give your argument more legitimacy.

As a reminder, primary sources are anything that provides a firsthand account of an event (autobiographies or diaries, photos, artifacts, or videos). Secondary sources are descriptions, interpretations, or analyses of such events (textbooks, research papers, or documentaries).

6 Expand quotes

Writers will often paraphrase quotes in an effort to keep their argument concise, but there are times when you can expand on them to increase your word count and further illustrate a point.

Let’s revisit the Fight Club quote we used just a bit ago. If we wanted to expand the quote, we could’ve included the main character’s next sentence, which is, “Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what they don’t really need.”

When expanding quotes, it’s important that they add value to your argument. If the next part of that quote dealt with soap making instead of consumerism, it would not have been a good idea to include it.

Word count is the number of words in a writing sample. Word counts are used for many reasons, but in research papers and essays they’re used to level the playing field: Each student has the same number of words to get their point across.

How do you decrease word count?

• Delete unnecessary words, such as “that” and “the”
• Erase unneeded adverbs and adjectives
• Eliminate redundancies
• Use an active voice
• Remove unnecessary information

How do you increase word count?

• Investigate all angles of your topic
• Explore your topic in more depth
• Include alternative points of view
• Flesh out thin body paragraphs
• Find additional primary and secondary sources
• Expand quotes

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• How long is an essay? Guidelines for different types of essay

How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

Published on January 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper  or thesis .

In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.

In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.

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Table of contents

Essay length guidelines, how long is each part of an essay, using length as a guide to topic and complexity, can i go under the suggested length, can i go over the suggested length, other interesting articles, receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting.

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In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.

The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.

The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.

The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement , which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.

A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.

As you make an outline of your essay , make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.

The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading .

You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:

• Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
• Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
• Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
• Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
• Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.

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In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:

• Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
• Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
• Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
• Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
• Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion . These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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College Essays

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides seven "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you're too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it's one of the most common word limits, after all!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis !

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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How to Increase Your Essay Word Count

Add Examples

Skim through your essay looking for any place you have used an example to make a point. In most cases, you should be able to provide additional examples which will make your essay stronger by showing your understanding of the topic while also increasing the word count. You can also go through the essay and look for statements made where inserting an example would be appropriate to help support the statement.

Address Different Viewpoints

An effective way of increasing word count and improving your essay at the same time is to address different viewpoints to your own. You have the opportunity to discuss how these alternative viewpoints differ from the conclusions you have made, and it gives you an opportunity to explain why you believe your conclusions are superior. This shows you have considered a range of different opinions while coming to your conclusions, and in doing so make your essay stronger while adding more words.

Clarify Statements

When you find the statements in your writing, if inserting an example doesn’t make sense, then clarifying the statement may be appropriate. This can be achieved by inserting one or more specific statements to clarify the original one. A common way to do this is to follow the statement with, “In other words…” It’s important not to over-clarify statements or use this for every statement you write as it will begin to look like filler, but using it sporadically throughout your essay can increase the word count and show you perfectly understand the points you’re trying to make.

Find Additional Sources

Another way to improve your essay and increase word count is to find additional sources you haven’t previously mentioned which support the statements and conclusions you have made. The more sources you have, the stronger the essay will be in most cases. Spending some time searching for additional sources to add to the essay can be a great way to add quality content to it.

Use Quotations

Chances are you already have appropriate quotations in your essay, and if that’s the case, skip over this suggestion. Adding more will likely not add to your essay. If you haven’t used any, however, finding appropriate quotations from experts in the field that support your statements can be an excellent way to add words to your essay while improving it at the same time.

Rework Introduction and Conclusion

If all of the above haven’t enabled you to reach your word count minimum and you need some filler, look to put it in your introduction and conclusion rather than the body of the essay. Most teachers give more leeway with the introduction and conclusion to be wordy than the guts of the essay. This is something you should try to avoid if at all possible (it’s never good to be wordier than you have to be), but if you tried everything else, it’s better to do it in these two places than in the heart of the essay.

If you’re writing an essay which has a minimum page count instead of a minimum word count, the above suggestions will work, but you have a bit more wiggle room as well. You can make slight adjustments to the font and font size you use through a Words per Page Counter . As long as you don’t go overboard, this can be a relatively easy way to increase page count while not taking away from the essay.

(Photo courtesy of Caleb Roenigk )

I hate it when teachers give a word count. Word count shouldn’t matter at all. It should be the quality of the writing. If I can get my point across in 1000 words, why do I need to write 2500? It makes no sense at all.

You have never been a teacher. If you ever are, you will know why we give word counts.

That’s a lazy answer. Students who write well shouldn’t be punished with a word count because other students aren’t good students. It’s the teacher’s job to help those students who aren’t doing as well without forcing those good students to do stupid things that make no sense for them.

If you can make it more fun to read, this can also help with word count. Add emphasizes or explain something in more detail. There are so many great ways to increase your word count. It shouldn’t be too hard if you put your mind to it!

Word count never mattered as soon as I got to college, my professors used the “bikini rule,” short enough to keep it interesting, long enough to cover the important parts. Don’t use 2000 words to say what you can in 500

This isn’t the correct question to ask. It’s easy to increase word count on an essay, but it’s difficult to increase word count to make the essay better. So many people decide to increase their word count by inserting sentences, paragraphs, quotes and other non-necessary information simply to reach the word count. While it achieves the goal of increasing the word count, it doesn’t make the essay any better, and it usually makes it much worse. What you should always strive for is to increase the number of words in the essay while also making the essay stronger than it was before.

….Read the article you’re commenting on?

In my experience, college is even worse than high school in this regard. I regularly have to conform to word counts and page counts. Right now, I’m writing a research paper that has an 8 page minimum. Why? Because the professor said so. I could certainly be a lot more concise if I didn’t have to pad it out, but this is what’s required of me. The kicker is that the prof is DEFINITELY going to take off points due to obvious padding. DON’T FORCE ME INTO AN ARBITRARY LENGTH, THEN.

Just change the font style to a bigger one and then do the same with the size of the font but not too big or it will seem too obvious.

My professor requires Times New Roman

Really? Great!

LOL i hate Times New Roman, it’s so boring. There are so many interesting fonts out there, why should we have to make it boring? Plus, cool fonts catch your eye and draw you in. I get not wanting super crazy fonts but at least a little wiggle room here! C’mon!

try using Bookman Old Style

Your prof is stupid

For me it’s either times new roman or arial

Mine too I just use it with other things I write now due to habit

bruh they LOOK at the word counts, just cuz the font will be bigger doesn’t mean that they’ll think you have gone over the limit

page counts tho

they are talking about page counts, not word counts

You’re a fuckin dumbass, increasing font size is too obvious

That’s mean

just make your periods a font style bigger, professors will notice a font style bigger for the text

Making a period a font size bigger isn’t going to do anything.

the teachers can see the word count so, there is no point in doing that

Teachers do check the font and word size y’know?

well, part of it is that you cannot be bothered to write out the word “professor” and… well let me show you a corrected version of your post.

*In my experience, college is even worse than high school in this regard. I regularly have to conform to word counts and page counts. Right now, I’m writing a research paper that has an 8-page minimum. Why? It was because the professor said so. I could be a lot more concise if I didn’t have to pad it out, but such are the requirements. The kicker is that the professor is going to take off points due to my padding. So don’t force me to an arbitrary length!

Don’t go ruining people’s self-esteem.

I’m only in Junior high and I have to write over that amount. Be grateful that your situation isn’t as bad as it could be.

That’s just nasty.

Yep, I agree!

I appreciate that I can put it to use when I tutor! Thank you.

LOL never heard of the bikini rule. I love it

Where did you go to college?

So basically you’re saying that you don’t trust your students to be able to write correctly in your class? Isn’t that more a reflection on your teaching than it is on the students who are writing?

See what you just did you got your point across in 18 words YOU JUST ARE STUPID! Anyways why are you on this web site if you are a teacher?

riiiight that’s what i was thinking like this is meant to help students lol

If it makes so much sense to give word count limits to teachers then please explain

but that makes no sense…there is no reason to do so if they are great at writing all ready…

what do i do if my word count is 800 and i only have 512

add another 288!

You keep going no matter what! Thats what i do!

This is a poor answer because it doesn’t give any reason for the word counts. The point was that they -don’t- know why the word counts are necessary, and just stating that “you don’t have my experience and if you did you’d know why” isn’t an argument or a good contribution to the discussion, when surely it would have been a better idea to just explain why word counts are necessary in the first place.

WHY DO YOU?

Care to explain? That was a super vague answer.

want to expand on that? XD

U realise this is an article for student right? u don’t need to be here dissing all of us. [EDIT]: so many dislikes on teach’s post. lmao

look, not. helping. this is why i hated a bunch of my professors, you all act like we should be overjoyed that you aren’t making us ruin our writing more because we have to stretch it out, you have students with real potential, why do so many ignorant professors waste that and take off marks for something the student cannot control? seems wrong huh?

I’m not a teacher but I do understand that word counts push students to do their best, although I according to everyone, have always been teacher’s pet, and I love to write so having a word count is an amazing way for me to experiment with my writing.

But I have an assignment in which they say use the set format, which doesn’t allow for many words, but they say it has to be 500. I physically can’t stick to the structure and the word count. I understand max word counts, but I can get my entire point across in 300 words, and I am seriously struggling to increase. I think that minimum word counts should not be put in place as I can get the point across in a lot less.

What is your essay’s point? Is it simple? I have to write 1250 word essays regularly, and I’m only on this article because I have 1156 and can’t come up with more. You sound lucky to me.

ill never be one so tell why >:(

it seems teach got the “nobody liked that” experience

We gotta keep this comment section going for 2020.

lol so many dislikes

Proceeds to not give the reason! just makes you sound like a moron with excuses. you have not proven her wrong in the slightest.

Oh my god, you are right.

Teachers too often tried to make things easier on themselves to the detriment of the students are trying to teach. I think making minimum word counts is one of those. On the other hand, I think that maximum word counts can actually be beneficial because it forces the students to better edit their writing.

“Teachers too often tried to make things easier on themselves to the detriment of the students [they] are trying to teach.” Are you making this very bold statement because you have experienced it as a teacher, completed an in-depth research on this topic, or are you just making your opinion seem like a fact? I ask simply because I am a teacher, a high school English teacher to be more specific, and I found your comment to be nothing but overblown opinion. I cannot speak for every teacher, but in my class, I have to put a minimum word count on my essay assignments or I would have the majority of the students attempt to turn in a paragraph and say it is an essay. It would not matter that I instructed them on the purpose of the essay, explained what an introductory paragraph, body paragraph, and a conclusion paragraph are and their individual purposes. It also would not matter if I also spent an entire six week grading period teaching, instructing, modeling, and practicing writing essay, I would still have some that would turn in a ridiculously short essay and argue that they have “gotten to the point.” However, any logical person would know that these student’s essays would not meet the required components of an essay and would not serve as evidence of mastery, which is what a teacher is suppose to do right? Help students master certain skills, regardless of what is “easier on” them?

Just grade them an F

Lol! Sorry to break it to you, but Z isn’t a grade. Sorry.

Lana! r/whooosh

yes it is, its a double f

nobody likes your long paragraphs.

Instead of using a minimum word count, say that you must have at least five paragraphs, and if they turn in 5 sentences, that’s on them. High school students know that a section is longer than a sentence. And if they pretend not too, that’s on them. And your problem that they turn in just a paragraph? They know what an essay is, they are lazy and, quite frankly, don’t care about the class. So give them an incomplete grade and the chance to rewrite it, if they decline, they have failed that assignment. It is harsh but necessary.

I don’t think you understand: if I can get it across in a short paragraph, and otherwise it would be graded well, then why should I have to write a three-hundred word long paragraph just to explain the same thing? I shouldn’t have to. That’s the answer.

I think that minimum word counts are fine with this reasoning, but I am very reluctant to agree with you due to your unnecessary rudeness. Also, teachers, please don’t make the minimum more than 800 words! For college, I understand, but not below college.

Exactly! 2000 words in 4 days! IMPOSSIBLE

2000/4 = 500/1

Just write approx 500 words per day; spend like 1-2 hours for the next couple day adding like 500 words every time. Or you could be a knucklehead like me and try to get it all done in one go, then me suffering the next morning because you fell asleep at 3:30

The only thing thats impossible is impossibility!!!

Hey you stole my Name!

Its Not Impossible, the only thing thats Impossible is Impossibility!!!

i agree 100%

Guidelines are so unaccepted. 🙁

I was researching but I got caught up reading you guys arguing

lmao yeah me too

Same here. Whoops.

Once more… same here.

I am supposed to be writing an essay then I just saw war in the comments so I had to read.

exactly, what is the point in a word count when you can make it easier on yourself and write shorter essays

i only have to write 400 words luckily, but it’s in a language im not great at 🙁 i only need 40 more but don’t have any ideass

Our teacher gave us a 20000 word count for the Australia Murray River Basin… I’d be lucky if my teachers ever give me a 2500 word count. Last year one of the students in our class scored a 38000 word count when the minimum word count was 25000. don’t complain. International School Of Hefei (CISH)

Just had to re-read that. Twenty THOUSAND word count? I was given that as a goal for a story in one of my classes, and we had the entire year to do it. I don’t know how long y’all had for it, but either way that’s too much for an essay.

yeah I’m in class right now in grade 8 and have to do a 250 word since assessment but I cant think of anything else to add because I stuck to the assessment sheet and used the teaches advise but I only have 227 words. (I will add my assessment below)

Energy comes in six basic forms that are chemical which is renewable, electrical, radiant, mechanical, thermal and nuclear. These types of energy are both renewable and nonrenewer, electrical, thermal and radiant are all renewable energy types but electrical, chemical mechanical and nuclear are non-renewable because there is not a infinite source of this type of energy. There are other types but these are the six basic types of energy that make up other types. Energy is the thing that powers most electrical items you can’t create and destroy energy but you can move it to an object like a light bulb or battery. Energy can be transferred by copper and other conductive materials. There are also materials that are nonconductive like wood and rubber. Energy is mostly transferred between thing with wires like when you charge you phone or turn on light. Energy can change form into other types of energy. for example if you turn on a light bulb the electric energy will turn into thermal energy and light energy. A car is also a good example of this because the car hold chemical bonds of fuel which later turns into several different types of energy and gases. The law of conservation states that every type of energy can not be created or destroyed it can and will only be transferred into other types of energy.

Now you need to write an article on how to decrease word count when you go hopelessly over the maximum allowed.

Yes! This is what I need. I don’t understand how people can write under the word count given. I’m ALWAYS over, and by a lot. I had a 1000 word paper to write and I wrote 2500. Teachers never give enough word count for writing.

I once had 200 word essay and i wrote 400!

I struggle to get to the word count, but once I’m there I go over and struggle to remove stuff without ruining it.

Here you go: https://wordcounter.net/blog/2016/01/26/101025_how-to-reduce-essay-word-count.html

The second link in the first paragraph is to just such an article.

A thesaurus is your friend when you are only a bit under word count. I’m glad to see you added one to your tool. it’s so much easier than going back and forth to another thesaurus website. Thank you for making this useful tool and not charging any money for it.

Adjectives and adverbs can help with this, but it won’t make the essay stronger. You usually want to eliminate adverbs and adjectives in your writing to make it better. You have to make a decision as to whether word count is more important or a better essay is more important before using these methods.

I’m 500 words short of the minimum word count my teacher assigned for my essay. What is the best way to increase word count fast without a lot of effort?

Did you even read the article?

Don’t use contractions.

Writing takes effort. If you want to write with no effort, your writing is going to suck.

I hate that I never seem to be able to write enough words for assignments. If I have answered a question, why do I need to write more meaningless words?

You should never write meaningless words. You would be much better off adding a different perspective or adding more support to your view. meaningless words will only lower your grade.

I have to write 7,000+ characters with spaces!!!! By thursday! I have 5,200 done. What should I do?

Write more… or put a ton of smiley faces in 😉

As a teacher, I’m glad to see legitimate ways for students to increase their essay word count instead of all the “tricks” students don’t think we know, but we do. Adding random words in white so it appears the word count is higher than it is doesn’t work because we know approximately how many pages the assignment should be. Best to actually do the work!

You are the exception. I have a great way to increase word count when I’m short on words. I will write a bunch of random text at the end of the essay, then change it to white so you can’t see it even though it’s there. Now the teacher thinks you have written the required word count. Brilliant! Teachers are so clueless that this works 100% of the time. Now you will never be under your word count and you don’t have to write a bunch of filler crap that isn’t needed. You can thank me later.

To add onto this, feel free to change the font size of the white text to fit in more words into less space.

There must be so many students who come to this article for the exact same reason as I did. (“hi” all you sleep-deprived people) I’m 500 words short on my essay and I need to figure out how to make it longer before tomorrow’s class. thank you for this list of ideas. I think I’ll be able to incorporate a few of them to make my essay long enough to reach the word count.

Yes, this is the exact reason I’m here, but I need to add 600 words to my essay. Why do teachers make the assignments so long when there is only a limited amount to say on the given topic?

I’m one of those looking for a way to extend an essay by 300 words when I’ve already said everything there is to say on the topic. I guess I’ll add a lot of useless quotes just to satisfy the teacher.

I think attitude has a lot to do with it. If you’re writing an essay you have little to no interest in writing, it’s much more difficult to write it and reach the word count. If it’s something you have a lot of interest in, then the issue is usually staying beneath the word count limit. One of the best ways to increase word count on essays is to take an interest in the topic. If you learn to become more curious and have an interest in things that may not at first seem to be interesting, you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to write essays and to always reach the designated word count.

That easy to say and all, what if your teacher assigns you a topic? And what if that topic is totally boring? It’s hard to write about things that are boring and you have no interest in, so of course it’s going to be difficult to reach the word count. If you’re in school, you have to write with the teacher tells you to write, not what interests you. So your suggestion sounds good and all, but in reality we don’t have that choice.

I think the best way to increase the word count of an essay is to add more examples. This clarifies what you’re trying to say which adds value to the essay so anyone reading will understand exactly the point you want to get across. All my friends are bad at giving examples, but I am good and I’m always going over the word count while they are always under.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. My entire essay is almost only quotes. This is the easiest way to make your essay meet word count. Just put in a lot of quotes and you’ll get there in no time.

It maybe the easiest way to increase your word count, but if your entire essay is all quotes you probably aren’t going to get a very good grade on it. Quotes should be used to support the points that you’re trying to make, but they shouldn’t be your entire essay. If you want to do well in school, you have to know the difference between these two.

This is lazy writing. It will not help you become better in the long run, and the teacher will see what you’ve done and mark down your paper. The easiest way is often not the best way to approach increasing an essay word count.

Cite every single quote in a bibliography at the bottom to make the word count huge.

This is really a skill that every teacher should teach their students. Not just assign an essay, but explain how the steps they need to take to reach a word count. It would be a great benefit to most students (I know some students are wordy and always hit their word count, but most of us don’t). I wish teachers cared enough to actually help us.

On almost any topic you care to mention volumes have been written. To imagine you have covered the topic fully and still be 500-600 words short of required count is ridiculous. The idea that the shortfall is due to the clarity of your arguments or exceptional command of language & vocabulary is laughable in most cases.

If it’s too short, it lacks content. Do more research.

The quality of your writing may suggest you are the love child of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen, but if it doesn’t cover the assignment material you won’t get the marks.

Teachers know the key points they expect to be covered on an assignment and allow a word allocation for each point, as well as marks allocation.

For example, a 1,000 word requirement may indicate a short intro and conclusion and 4 x 200 word key points.

You might be able to work out the scheme by reviewing assignments where you scored well. How many key points did you make, compared to word count?

Word count = 170.

Not everyone is born with the ability to write or enjoys writing, so sometimes it can be extremely hard to write a long essay. These tips surely did help a lot. I would also suggest learning enjoy writing more. If you like to do it, it should be easier to do.

how do you learn to like something? either you like it or you don’t.

HEy! you stole my name!!!

Any teachers out there? Why exactly do assignments have a minimum and maximum word count assigned? Is it for the students’ benefit or the teachers? I’m curious as it would seem that word count shouldn’t really matter, but that actual writing for the assignment. I waiting to hear a good answer to this question.

Word count forces students to be more concise in their writing and focus on the most important points. Minimum word counts make the student research more to find alternative supporting evidence they may have overlooked without it.

If you can’t increase your word count, you don’t know what you’re writing about well enough. There should be no issue writing about any topic up to 5000 words as long as you are familiar with the topic. If you find you don’t have enough to write about something, it’s because you haven’t taken the time to study the topic well enough.

This isn’t true. Sometimes you don’t need a lot of words to cover the topic at hand and adding more words just to increase word count does nothing but add unneeded words. Sure, you can add the words, but they are useless and don’t make the essay better. Why would anyone want to do that?

Where did you get this Bogus Idea, I’ve been trying to finish an essay and I love the topic we’re doing, but it’s almost impossible to write 2500 words on it, and according to your logic “There should be no issue writing about any topic up to 5000 words” that’s a lie.

I stumbled upon this and it’s been helpful, but are there other ways to increase word count? I still have about 500 more words to write.

Any teachers out there? Why exactly do assignments have a minimum and maximum word count assigned? Is it for the students’ benefit or the teachers? I’m curious as it would seem that word count shouldn’t really matter, but that actual writing for the assignment

As teachers, we know approximately how long an essay should be to get the points across for that particular assignment. That is why we assign a word count. If the student is well under they have not explored the topic in-depth enough and if they are well over, they are being too wordy.

Still you don’t need a word count, just let the kids try and let them be creative 😒!

But wouldn’t addressing the prompt in fewer words than assigned show that the student is smarter? Why spend 1000 words saying something that’s equally if not more so effective in 500 words?

“if they are well over, they are being too wordy.”

Now here’s something *I* don’t get. I can understand being “wordy” as something bad if it’s a student looking in a thesaurus to make every word more complicated, but I’ve done essays where I’ve covered all the points related to the topic I wanted to talk about, delivered them with examples and references where needed, and accidentally gone over the word limit to where I either have to make my essay weaker to not get points taken off OR get points taken off for being “wordy”? Why??

Hello Prince Charming! Come and Save Me from School Please! NOW!!!

The best way to increase a paper’s word count is to do more research. The more research you do, the more information you’ll have, and the more you can write on the topic.

Look, everyone has a different opinions about Word Counts, I really don’t like word counts but I do the essay anyways! So quit complaining!

Or at the bottom of your essay type a bunch of random letters like this mkfneofheoughero; then turn that to a white font.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

you sir are a genius

well yes, genius solution, but uh— that’s cheating.

But like what if we have a page count minimum and the teacher can see if the page is full or not?

This helped a lot, thank you so much!! I don’t understand what it is with teachers and word-count. I’ve heard some teachers say, “When you become a teacher, you’ll understand why we give word counts” and I guess I do. It’s to make sure you covered all of the criteria and stuff. But If my essay word count is 800 words, and I’ve only written 300 and gotten my point across, why do I have to be marked down for it? I am in year 9 at school and I have a Geography essay due in last period today about biomes. I have gotten my point across and now I have to fluff about writing another 500 words. Thanks again, and wish me luck! 🙂

Bruh. You ain’t seen nothing yet. English 1301 has KILLED me. I’m 1500 words short….

bruh im currently 1500 words short on a 1500 word essay due tomorrow 🙁

All of you guys are complaining about essays of 2000 words or less, but I have to write a 25 000 word essay, in three weeks, which really isn’t that hard. I, for one, enjoy writing essays, but be lucky that you don’t have them of this length to write 😉

That’s not an essay it’s a book.

Actually, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone is 76,944, and that is the average length for a book so 25,000, is more like a 4 chapter fanfic…

I’ve never been a teacher but have been a university student. Personally, I get very uncomfortable when word counts aren’t given, because the fact is that the professor likely has a quiet expectation on the issue. I don’t want to try to have to hit that count by inference.

How one structures his essay depends on that word count (2000 v 3000 maybe not so much but say 1000 v 5000 is quite different). I’d like to know what kind of essay he wants.

heh, I once passed an essay online which had a minimum word count I just added random gibberish to the end in a white font to conceal it with tiny font size. try that if u really have to.

I have an idea – write a few words after each paragraph and make them white. The teacher will never know… 🙂

I think the refrigorator eat windows and the good skull

i’m 6 pages short on a compare/contrast religion paper focused around love that is due on tuesday. i have already gone over the five religions and though i need more substance (6 pages more), i don’t want to add so much that it’s just an information dump. my three options that i can see right now are: start over with a similar topic so i don’t have to just scrap everything, add more anyway, or just finish it and turn it in under the requirement but with good writing. what should i do?? do i have any other options??

use double space😂😁

i came across this because this is literally my problem now. well…

all i need is 12 more words! thats why i came to this website!

i only have 600 word for nuclear reactors i’m amazed how u guys can do 1000+ word without your brain exploding.

If i had a 2500 Word count minimum. I would die.

i love how everyone’s arguing on a blog. not complaining tho!

most of you are in college and are fussing about 1000 word essays meanwhile me still in middle school having to do 4-5 pages aka more than 1000 words

Word counts ‘work’ until students learn to hate writing, because only their word counts — not their points — matter.

UGH….. I’ve done this already and I still have 200 words to go! 🙁 It was pretty amusing to read through the comments saying someone is in Highschool or College and be like “Sucker, I’m still in Junior High”. RIP.

I had the best time reading your argument before I finished my essay thanks for the good times. 🙂

The word count at my University is a maximum word count, not a minimum. The word count is there to suggest the level of detail we’re expected to go into. For example, my last essay had a 2,500 word maximum. I could easily have written a 10,000 word dissertation or a 100 word summary. For the detail expected. I ended up with 2,464 words. If you’re writing 1,000 words for a 2,500 word essay, even if that seems OK to you, you’ve not added enough detail.

oh my god, this was SO helpful you dont understand how much this page helped me. Thank You!!!

if you have ever bean a teacher you would under stand why word counts exist jk I think text matters more than the amount of words

Im only in the 8th grade, we are righting an essay right now about the holocaust, we have to write 12 PAGES!! WHAT. i can explain it in a page or two😩

When writing a essay you got to stay on topic make sure you proofread and using correct grammar

word counts make me sad

me reading the comments in 2024 🙂 cuz i hate essay as well.

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100 Word Essay — Examples & Writing Tips

Composing a 100-word essay is not always as simple as it appears at first glance. The challenge lies in conveying the idea in just 100 words. Such a word limit requires you to be selective about the information you intend to cover in your writing.

A teacher may assign such a short essay to assess students’ understanding of the topic and the ability to express their thoughts clearly and concisely. A 100-word limit is common for discussion board posts and personal statements for a college application.

In this article, you’ll find a writing guide for a 100-word essay. You’ll also discover plenty of topics, prompts, and examples of 100-word papers. And if you want to see even more samples for inspiration, check out our free essay database .

⭐ 100 Words Examples

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• “Life After Death” by Ted Hughes: Poem Analysis The poem “Life After Death” by Ted Hughes is a hymn of the sharpest grief and devastation that can only appear after losing the dearest and beloved person.
• The “Eldorado” Poem Analysis by Edgar Allan Poe The structure of the poem is AABCCB. Edgar Allan Poe vastly uses metaphors and sight sensory in the poem.
• “The Hidden Power of Smiling” TED Talk by Gutman Another peculiarity of the speech is the fact that the speaker does not get distracted when switching through the slides. He does not look at the screen, and it adds credibility to the information.
• Philosophical Assumptions and Interpretive Frameworks The knowledge itself that those assumptions exist and vary allows people to perceive their own biases and question whether or not these biases influence their judgment.
• Overreaching Products, Suffering Sales The decision to rebrand the industry is always one of the hardest ones for the company, implying the scope of investment and the possibilities of recuperation in the near future.
• “The Curve of the Bridge” Painting by Grace Cossington Smith Title: The curve of the bridge Year: 1928-1929 Medium: Oil on cardboard Location: The Art Gallery of NSW, Australia Author: Grace Cossington Smith Grace Cossington Smith is known to be one of the first […]

📖 100 Words Essay in Literature

• Cinderella story in 100 words. In your 100-word essay, summarize the key plot points and conflicts of the story. Highlight the theme of family and love and analyze the influence of “Cinderella” on readers.
• King Lear summary in 100 words. Describe the tragic elements of Shakespeare’s play in your writing. Then, focus on the parent-child relationship conflict to identify the social and political commentary of the author.
• Hamlet summary in 100 words. Outline the Shakespeare’s Hamlet narrative and the major themes the author highlights in the play. You can also provide examples of symbolism and its role in understanding the story.
• Othello summary in 100 words. Give a concise summary of pivot events in Shakespeare’s play. In addition, you can analyze the main character’s emotions and the conflict between passion and love.
• Pride and Prejudice short summary in 100 words. Reflect on Jane Austen’s story, focusing on its perspectives on social life, particularly the institution of marriage .

The Necklace Summary in 100 Words

• The essence of true happiness in The Necklace.
• How does Guy de Maupassant highlight the importance of honesty in The Necklace?
• The theme of poisonous pleasure in The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant.
• The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and examples of symbolism.
• The role of fate in The Necklace.

Essay on Golden Temple in 100 Words

• The constructional peculiarities of the Golden Temple.
• The Golden Temple: the history and architecture.
• The Golden Tempel as the central worship place for the Sikhs.
• What are the challenges of preserving the Golden Temple as a sacred place?
• The historical value of the Golden Temple.

Macbeth Summary in 100 Words

• The role of omens in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.
• Macbeth: the concept of betrayal.
• Ambition as a core theme in Macbeth.
• Supernatural elements in the play Macbeth.
• The value of power based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The Tempest Summary in 100 Words

• The symbol of isolation in The Tempest by William Shakespeare.
• The Tempest: analysis of the main characters.
• The Tempest as a story of the magical loss and restoration of man’s power.
• What is the purpose of the epilogue in The Tempest?
• The primary themes of The Tempest.

Character Sketch of Othello in 100 Words

• Othello as a tragic hero in Shakespeare’s play.
• The peculiarities of Othello’s language and rhetoric.
• The impact of Iago on Othello’s character development.
• The role of Othello’s soliloquies in his revealing.
• The romantic relationships in Othello’s life.

The Gift of the Magi Summary in 100 Words

• The main symbols of the story The Gift of the Magi.
• What is the positive impact of The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry?
• The Gift of the Magi: analysis of the story structure.
• The theme of love and sacrifice in O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi.
• The analysis of key characters in The Gift of the Magi.

📝 100 Word Essay on Social Issues

• Unemployment and Underemployment This decision became a major step in relieving the social strain and allowing millions of people to survive the economic hardships caused by the imposed restrictions
• Cultural Tension Sources in the 1920s After the First World War, the US received millions of immigrants who filled the streets and parts of the country. Moreover, a growing preference for leisure and glamour in the 1920s facilitated an ever-increasing interest […]
• Ethics of Facial-Recognition Surveillance Systems Facial-recognition surveillance violates human rights. Facial-recognition surveillance must be banned.
• Workplace Drug Abuse Over the past years, the issue of drug abuse in the workplace, whether the issue concerns the employees or their families, has become quite significant in the global context.
• Medical Ethics: Concealing the Truth from Patients They include patients’ condition, family situation, and the potential implications of telling the truth. However, the decision should be based on the mental well-being of patients.
• Discrimination Against Women and Immigrants at Work The case of the newly hired employee, who faces discrimination against women and immigrants, is a subject to the violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Noble Cause Corruption and Police Misconduct However, the phenomenon is based on a misconception about the purpose of the justice system and the role that the members of the police must play in society.
• Global Warming as Environmental Injustice A good example of environmental injustice is the issue of global warming. Developed nations should help developing nations deal with the negative effects of global warming.
• Transatlantic Slave Trade in the Early Modern Times However, the end of this slave trade was a relief especially for the Africans, who were deprived of their rights to enjoy a life free from oppression and cruelty.
• Racial Discrimination in Australian Society My sincerity and conviction on the issue of racial slurs convinced him that I was a champion of human rights, especially the rights of the minorities in the society.
• Inequalities in the World Today The other inequality is in cities around the world which are thought to be well of yet there are incidences of inequality.
• Climate Change in Canada The Harper government has done little to ensure implementation of the agreements to reduce emissions. Since governments around the globe have failed in their commitment to reduce emissions, going green remains the only option.
• Abortion as a Constitutional Right of US Women An abortion is the termination of pregnancy with the help of medicinal drugs or surgical interventions before the birth of the fetus.
• Gender Images Problem in Sports Films The research addresses three problems: the utilizing of traditional gender behavior in sports films; the reaction of the intended audience to the film: and the implication of sexuality of athletes.

👤 100 Words Essay Examples about Historical Figures

• Richard Nixon and the 1968 Elections Thus, riots within the cities, protests against the Vietnam war, and assassinations within the country assisted Richard Nixon to win in the 1968 elections.
• Loretta Perfectus Walsh: First Female Chief in the Navy According to Mosteller, born in 1896, Walsh worked at the recruiting station, when, on March 17, 1917, she was offered to join American Navy, becoming the first female to enlist in the Naval Reserve.
• Lucius Cornelius Sulla and the Roman Senate Sulla earned the secret dislike of the senate because he ordered to kill Gaius Marius a person who once spared Sulla’s life. Sulla did several things to offend the Roman people and the senate.
• Krishna Das (Jeffrey Kagel) He is famous for compositions and performances in a music genre known as kirtan. Das is the most famous American singer of the kirtan genre of Hindu music.

Essay on Isaac Newton in 100 Words

• English physicist and mathematician.
• Known for his discoveries in optics and mathematics.
• Formulation of the three laws of motion.
• Notable works: Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

Biography of Robert Frost in 100 Words

• American poet, poet laureate (1958-1959).
• Known for his depictions of the rural life of New England.
• Peculiarities of writing style: realistic verse portraying ordinary people in everyday situations.
• Notable works: A Boy’s Will, After Apple-Picking.

Hitler Essay 100 Words

• Dictator of Germany.
• Führer und Reichskanzler.
• Responsible for WWII, the Holocaust, and the Nazi regime.
• Known for aggressive expansionist policies.

📕 Ideas for a 100 Word Personal Narrative

• Introduce yourself essay sample: 100 words. Briefly describe your background, interests, and aspirations, providing a glimpse into what defines you as a person.
• 100-word essay on why I deserve a scholarship. Share your achievements, experiences, and goals and explain how they demonstrate your suitability for a scholarship.
• Why this college: essay 100 words. Describe what specific aspects of the college resonate with you. These can be academic programs, campus culture, or unique opportunities.
• 100-word essay on career goals examples. Outline your envisioned career path. Explain what profession you want to pursue, the skills you want to develop, and the impact you wish to make in your chosen field.
• My favorite food essay 100 words. Share a vivid and sensory-rich description of your favorite dish, explaining what makes it so special to you.
• My hobby essay 100 words. Describe the hobby that gives you joy and fulfillment. Provide details on why it captivates your interest and how it has enriched your life.
• My dream house paragraph 100 words. Paint a picture of your ideal living space, detailing its location, design, and the feelings it evokes when you imagine residing there.
• Practice makes perfect: essay 100 words. Reflect on your experience of honing a particular skill through dedicated practice. Your reflection should illustrate how you achieved growth and proficiency through persistence and determination.

✍️ How to Write a 100 Word Essay

One hundred words take approximately 6-10 sentences. Despite this limited word count, it is necessary to stick to the structure and include the most critical elements of the essay, such as the introduction, thesis statement, main body with core arguments, and conclusion. Also, planning your paragraphs in advance will help you make your essay well-composed and avoid exceeding the word limit.

Need help structuring your essay? Check out our free outline generator !

100-Words Essay Thesis Statement

Writing a full-fledged introductory paragraph is challenging in such a short essay. For this reason, you have full authority to use your thesis statement as an intro for your writing. It must take around 1-2 sentences and provide the reader with information about the topic of your essay and the arguments you will present in the body.

If you need help developing a strong thesis, try our thesis statement maker ! You can also use our hook generator to capture your readers’ interest with the first sentence and the research introduction generator to get an example of a compelling introduction.

Body Paragraph in 100 Essay Words

The main body of your 100-word essay should take one separate paragraph of 4-5 sentences long. Regardless of your essay topic, your body paragraph must present only one core point, supported by 2-3 sentences. To make the most of your 100-word limit, it is also a good idea to utilize longer, descriptive words rather than filler terms.

100-Word Essay Conclusion

The conclusion of your 100-word essay should take approximately 1-2 sentences, with a smooth transition from your main body. In the last part of your writing, you should return to the thesis stated at the beginning of your essay and emphasize how you supported it with your argument.

You can use our closing sentence generator to end your essay on a high note.

How Many References Should I Use in an Essay of 100 Words?

There are no specific requirements for the number of sources in a 100-word essay, but on average, 1 reference is enough. However, if you borrow ideas or unique terms from more than one author, you must cite all of them in your paper.

Feel free to use our citation generator for help with formatting your references.

100 Words Paragraph — Writing Tips

We’ve prepared some tips that can be helpful when writing an essay in 100 words:

• Choose the topic you are interested in to write a high-quality paper.
• Before composing the text, ensure you have enough information to write it.
• Remove all distractions and temptations and concentrate on the writing process.
• Stick to the requirements and guidelines from your teacher.
• To shorten your essay, remove unimportant or repetitive phrases.
• Double-check the paper multiple times before submitting it to ensure clarity and avoid any potential mistakes.

👨‍💼 100 Words Paragraph on Business

• Business Communication Principles One example of business communication is presented on this image, where a team of employees are discussing something. All of these considerations improve the ability of the people depicted to interact with one another in […]
• The Management Process: Involvement of Workers Modern personnel management concepts are grounded on recognizing the increasing importance of the employee’s personality and the ability to shape and adjust them following the company’s strategic objectives.
• Impact of Training Program on Business Job shadowing is an ideal training method because it generates interest and engagement on all three shifts. Team training is quite essential where all the members are assembled and trained.
• Teamwork Essay 100 Words The foundation of trust is likely to be beneficial because of the manner in which different interests are going to come together and be harmonized.
• Workforce Planning Issues and Solutions The methodology for the research data in the article was captured from a qualitative method, in that exploration of literature captured within a short timeframe was used to affect the wider exploration of development of […]
• Sabotaging Behaviors at the Workplace I believe that the most appropriate way to address the saboteur is to be ready with both handouts and the PowerPoint for meetings with a questionable number of participants.
• Employee Recruiting and “Fitting” the Company To ensure organizational “fit” of an employee, his or her knowledge of the company’s culture can be determined during an interview, by proposing scenarios and inviting the employee to respond to them. The two main […]
• Top Trends Impacting Modern Companies This Business Future is relevant to the HR department, as they can ensure that the company’s practices and regulations accommodate for a variety of workers from different cultures.
• Global Business and Just Institutions Promotion This has been attributed to the assistance they are likely to need and the lack of political background. This article has effectively described the pros and cons associated with the practice of corporate social responsibility […]
• Intuit Company’s Innovation and Competitive Position Combined with outstanding quality of the product, the company has managed to land on the eighth spot in the list of the world’s most successful companies.
• Baxter Robots and Company Performance This technology will impact the performance of companies by reducing the time spent on repetitive duties such as packing. In case my employers buy this robot, I will not be affected personally, but the performance […]
• Human Resource Development: Positive and Negative Aspects The negative experience associated with my job as an accountant was related to the fact that the HRD head of the company did not regularly interact with employees.
• Profit Maximization in the Price-Sensitive Airline Industry In addition, the challenge of fixed costs can be eliminated in case airlines increase the load factor and raise revenues for passengers.
• Employee Performance Software and Its Benefits The implementation of Employee Performance Software may seem to increase the quality of work that employees execute. Through the inclusion of EPS in worker-evaluation rubrics, companies may obtain a more productive organizational structure that is […]
• Entrepreneurialism and Its Characteristics in Business It is a well-known scale that measures the entrepreneurial orientation at the firm level. The cell phone is a notorious example of disruptive innovation.
• Total Quality Management as a Development Stimulus TQM suggests a wide array of techniques and methods that could be used at different stages of the production process to enhance the quality of goods and attract consumers.
• Organizational Culture and Its Business Definition A leader determines the behavioral patterns that have an impact on success of any organization. A leader should understand the motives and personal qualities of the members of a company.

Looking for a 100-word essay example? Check out this essay on the history of the Internet in 100 words.

Essay example:

The Internet began in the 1960s as a means for government researchers to share data. The first computers were enormous and immovable, needing personal presence or postal services to share data.

The ARPANET was the forerunner of the modern Internet. It was first restricted to a few universities and research institutions, which complicated the process of its use. On January 1, 1983, inventors introduced the TCP/IP protocol, allowing disparate computer networks to connect worldwide. This marked the formal birth of the Internet, forever transforming how people access and exchange information.

Nowadays, the Internet has become an essential aspect of modern life, linking people, businesses, and devices around the world.

Here are two more 100-word essay examples about the Internet. Check them out:

• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Internet Users In the past, the majority of studies were focused on quantitative indicators reflecting on the number of visits and similar information, whereas this approach is insufficient for predicting the outcomes of the above advancements.
• Freedom of Expression on the Internet Randall describes the challenges regarding the freedom of speech raised by the Internet, such as anonymity and poor adaptation of mass communication to the cyber environment.

🎓 100 Words Essay Example on Education

• Essay about face-to-face classes 100 words. Explore the benefits and drawbacks of face-to-face courses, considering factors like peer collaboration, student-teacher interaction, and educational outcomes.
• Importance of homework essay 100 words. Study the role of homework in reinforcing classroom concepts and fostering a sense of responsibility in students.
• Make a 50-100 words essay about the importance of research. Examine how research in education helps develop effective teaching methods, improve the curriculum, and enhance the learning experience.
• Reducing Physical Education Classes The teaching process has a significant amount of waste regarding the excess number of teachers dedicated to sports training compared to math and technical subjects.
• Physical Education Is an Academic Subject These aspects make physical activity one of the core subjects at school, including for younger students who need a surge of emotions and energy.
• Increasing Student Interest in Social Studies An equally successful strategy for increasing a child’s interest in social studies is to create opportunities for children to learn and act from different roles in the community.
• Schools in the UAE for Children of Expatriates Western expatriates could choose International schools and later transition to community schools after children are accustomed to the culture and language.
• The Consequences of School Cheating Cheating also leads to corrupted morals since students begin to cheat more frequently and try to rationalize their dishonesty. Academic dishonesty also affects personal relationships since friends and family can begin to question one’s honesty […]
• Education World: Handwriting vs. Typing It is not surprising that they prefer to use tablets, laptops, and smartphones as tools of communication. Schools should not focus on handwriting because it is no longer as necessary as it used to be […]
• Recognizing and Avoiding Plagiarism Using the phrase “conflict of interest” has amounted to a plagiarism report as this is a big percentage of the sentence The rest of the errors were in the last sentence where borrowing the words […]
• Home-Based Literacy Program and Educators The selection and training of home visitors should be based on the ability of these teachers to handle children and their families.
• The Constructivist View of Learning The critical challenge of the constructivist view of learning was to relocate the educational emphasis and provide the students with the option of controlling their education.
• Cross-Cultural Interactions at Wake Forest University Therefore, it is necessary to be open to the perception of other people’s cultural experiences and, at the same time, to be ready to share your own culture with other people.
• Philosophy Teaching and Learning Motivation The best method to teach and be close to students is being receptive to their criticisms. The teacher’s goal should be to always have students understand the lesson but not its end.

⚖️ Controversial Short Essays 100 Words

Check out the list of controversial topics for a short essay (100 words) with possible arguments for and against:

Essay on Food Waste 100 Words

• For: We should care about food waste because it contributes significantly to climate change, accounting for around 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
• Against: The war on food waste is challenging because it takes much time, resources, and company money. As a result, buyers frequently pay extra for recycled items.

Can Money Buy Happiness: Essay 100 Words

• For: Money gives access to necessities, such as healthcare and education. It can buy safety and security for you and those you care about.
• Against: Happiness often depends on things money cannot buy, such as love, hope, support, friendship, etc.

Organ Donation Essay 100 Words

• For: Organ donation is vital since it saves lives and gives transplant recipients hope. It can aid a family in coping with their loss if they know their loved one is saving other people’s lives.
• Against: Organ donation can lead to the exploitation of donors, illegal organ trafficking, and kidnapping or murder.

Dream and Reality Paragraph 100 Words

• For: Dreams motivate people to work harder toward their goals. Also, dreaming helps improve memory and emotional healing.
• Against: Excessive dreaming can lead to dissatisfaction with reality and impractical expectations.

Role of Volunteering in Society 100 Words

• For: Volunteering aids in community building and addressing social problems. Volunteers can also develop valuable skills, achieve personal fulfillment, and gain health benefits.
• Against: Volunteering can be exploited since some organizations may rely too heavily on volunteers.

📌 100 Word Essay: Answers to the Most Pressing Questions

📌 100 word essay is how many pages.

How long is a 100-word essay? It will typically be one page double-spaced or a half page single-spaced. The exact number of pages a 100 words essay takes will depend on the citation style you use, the number of your footnotes (if you have any), and the length of your bibliography section.

📌 How Many Paragraphs Are in a 100 Word Essay?

How many paragraphs is a 100-word essay? Since a typical paragraph in academic writing contains 50-100 words, an essay of 100 words will consist of 1 to 3 paragraphs.

📌 How Many Sentences Is 100 Words?

How many sentences is a 100-word essay? A typical sentence in academic writing consists of 15-20 words. So, 100 words is not less than 5-8 sentences.

📌 How to Outline a 100-Word Essay?

When you write a 100-word essay, proper planning is the key to success. Such a short piece will consist of three to five concise paragraphs. A 100-word paper outline can contain a short introduction with background information, 1-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

📌 How Long Does It Take to Write 100 Words?

How long does it take to write a 100-word essay? It will take you 2-4 minutes to type 100 words on your keyboard (the total time will depend on your typing speed). Writing an academic paper will take more time because you’ll have to research, make an outline, write, format, and edit your text. It would be best if you planned to spend not less than 20 minutes for a 100-word paper.

📌 What Does a 100 Word Essay Look Like?

Regardless of the exact word count, a well-written essay meets several characteristics. It should cover the assigned topic, answer the research question, and follow the standard structure. A 100-word essay outline usually consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, November 23). 100 Word Essay — Examples & Writing Tips. https://ivypanda.com/essays/words/100-words-essay-examples/

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Bibliography

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How to Write a 100-Word Essay

19 jul 2018.

Writing a 100-word essay is often not as easy a task as it sounds. Many teachers will assign short essays to test the student's ability to write concise essays that demonstrate knowledge of the topic, without becoming too wordy. Whether you are writing a long term paper or a short response, formulating your thoughts onto paper can be tough. With a 100-word essay restriction, writing too much is not the issue. The problem in a short response essay is getting your point across while maintaining less than 100 words.

Explore this article

• Know Your Topic and Guidelines
• Outline the Essay
• Write a Thesis Statement
• Compose a Body Paragraph
• Conclude the Essay
• Revise Your Work

1 Know Your Topic and Guidelines

The purpose for an essay varies according to its type, so it's important to know whether you are writing a persuasive essay, an informative essay or some other type. Carefully read the instructions to determine what type of essay is required and if your professor has established any specific guidelines that you must follow like certain margins or font size. Decide on a topic and conduct research on that topic.

2 Outline the Essay

Create an outline for the essay. Since the essay can only include 100 words, plan to only write seven to 10 sentences. Leave one or two sentences for the thesis, four to eight sentences for the body paragraph and one sentence for the conclusion.

3 Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the heart of an essay because it lets the reader know what the essay will be about. Write a concise thesis statement that identifies the points you will be making in the body paragraph. A thesis can also serve as an introduction in a short essay.

4 Compose a Body Paragraph

Write the body paragraph of your short essay. As you write, make sure your sentences are supporting your thesis. To make the best use of your 100-word limit, choose longer, descriptive words instead of filler words.

5 Conclude the Essay

A strong conclusion is naturally short and sweet while bringing the essay full circle by re-establishing your thesis statement. End the essay using one sentence that summarizes your topic and reinforces your thesis statement.

6 Revise Your Work

Read through your short essay and try to find a more concise way to reword a sentence. Look for grammatical errors and places you can use stronger words that take up less of the word count. If you are using a computer and writing software, use the spell-check tool, if applicable.

• If you are writing the paper on a computer with writing software, check the word count of your short essay before turning it in to ensure you are under the limit.
• 1 Fastweb: The Simplest Way to Write an Essay
• 2 Massey University: Essay Writing

About the Author

Paul Lin has been writing professionally since 2010. He has written scripts for the National Science Foundation and short films that have won awards at film festivals. His knowledge of broad topics along with visual scriptwriting allows him to write articles that brings words to life. Lin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scriptwriting from the University of North Texas.

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How to Write a 100-Word Narrative: A Guide for Our Tiny Memoir Contest

Step-by-step directions for telling a meaningful, interesting and short true story from your life — with 25 mentor texts to help.

By Katherine Schulten

Can you tell a meaningful and interesting true story from your life in just 100 words? That’s the challenge we’re posing to teenagers this fall with our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest , and in this guide we’ll not only prove that you can, but we’ll walk you through steps that can help make your submission sing.

Our contest was inspired by Tiny Love Stories, part of the Style section’s Modern Love column , and we’ve used examples from that series throughout as mentor texts to illustrate various “writer's moves” for narrative in general, and 100-word stories in particular.

Many of you know that for three years we’ve run a Personal Narrative Contest that allowed students 600 words to tell a story and that we have created a whole unit for teaching with it. The good news is that nearly everything in that unit is applicable to and useful for this challenge. In fact, in the places below where individual lesson plans expand on something we discuss, we’ve linked them so that you can easily go further.

Of course, this time around we’re asking you to shave 500 words, but as our 2021 Six-Word Memoir Challenge showed, less can definitely be more. We hope you’ll have a good time experimenting with new ways to tell the stories that matter to you.

Finally, to give you a place to practice as you learn, we’ve posted a student forum that asks the question, “ What Story From Your Life Can You Tell in 100 Words? ” Whether you plan to participate in the contest or not, we invite you to experiment there with writing tiny stories just for fun. If there’s a prompt that spurs your imagination as you follow the steps of this lesson, consider posting your draft in the forum for others to enjoy.

Have fun! If you are submitting to our 2023 contest , do so by Nov. 1.

Step 1: Read and analyze some excellent 100-word narratives.

Before you start crafting your own story, take a look at our 2021 lesson plan, Writing Narratives With “Tiny Love Stories, ” to learn more about how 100-word narratives work. (Keep in mind, however, that for our contest you can write about anything you like, not just relationships.)

The lesson includes a PDF with 16 great examples , along with guiding questions about how storytelling elements like conflict, characters, setting, dialogue, voice and dramatic arc show up even in this miniature form.

As you read, ask yourself: Which of those stories interest me most? Why? What do I notice about them? What makes them different from longer narratives? Then, you and your classmates can share your answers to come up with a list of observations about what makes a successful 100-word narrative and why.

As you go through the steps in this guide, you’ll be looking closely at 25 excellent 100-word narratives, which we have also collected in this PDF , but here are two additional sources where you can find many more:

An index of all The New York Times’s Tiny Love Stories

100wordstory. org , an organization that publishes 100-word stories and essays

Step 2: Brainstorm ideas for your own piece.

How do you begin to tell a story in just 100 words? Well, you can start small by focusing on just one scene, moment or memory and exploring why it’s meaningful to you. Or, you can start big and scale back until you’ve carved out just one telling moment.

For instance, let’s say you want to write about your current group of friends and why they mean so much to you. You know that in 100 words there’s no room for a detailed back story or lavish descriptions of multiple characters. That is, you can’t tell the full story of that time in sixth grade when the person you thought was your best friend ditched you and you spent a lonely summer with your dog. You also can’t tell the full story of the five different personalities in your friendship group and how they play off one another. But you can spotlight that one Friday afternoon when all of you were together and everything felt right. You can focus on just one friend and describe the playlist he made for you when you were sad. You can describe a moment from that lonely summer after sixth grade and focus on how it changed you.

Here are some ways to find a topic you’ll want to write more about.

A. Use our list of 445 Writing Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing .

We have collected these prompts from our long-running Student Opinion column, and even just skimming the headings and questions might provoke memories and ideas. Clicking into any one of the prompts will reveal more questions on the topic and link you — for free — to a related Times article.

B. Or, brainstorm memories inspired by these categories .

Another way to get started? The list below, which we hope will help you brainstorm “moments that matter” from your life. Go through them and put down the first answer that comes to mind for each. Try not to repeat yourself — though if you find one answer coming up again and again, that might be a sign that it is a topic you should write about.

Here are the categories. You can also find them on this PDF :

— A moment from childhood I think about often

— A moment from the last week or month that comes to mind

— A relationship that has had a significant impact on my life

— An experience that showed me something important about family

— An experience that showed me something important about friendship

— An experience that showed me something important about myself

— Something that happened to me that still makes me laugh

— A story I tell often

— A moment with a parent, guardian, teacher, coach or mentor that stands out

— A romantic moment

— A conversation I’ll always remember

— A moment I regret

— A time I took a risk

— Something I am proud of

— An experience that changed the way I look at the world

— A moment when I realized I was different

— A time I faced one of my fears

— Something unexpected that happened to me

— A time I felt truly satisfied

— A time I felt terrible

— A time I failed at something

— An object I own that says a lot about me

— A moment in nature I’ll always remember

— An experience I had while traveling

— A song, book, piece of art, game, or other work of art or culture that changed me

C. Freewrite.

Once you’ve chosen a topic or question, set a timer for 10 minutes and freewrite, putting down anything that comes to mind on the subject. If you get stuck, you might ask yourself these questions:

What is most interesting or unforgettable about this moment I’ve chosen? Why does it stick with me?

What images come to mind when I think about it? Is it a person, a scene, a place? Do I hear a conversation or a bit of music? Do I smell, taste or feel something?

What does this memory mean to me? Why does it matter?

Finally, go back through your freewriting and highlight the lines, words and phrases that stand out for you and that might become a part of your final piece. Why do you think they resonate?

Step 3: Focus on a small story.

Now that you’ve chosen a broad topic, your job is to hone it to its essence, most likely a single scene, and tell it the best way you can.

Here are three key elements, or “writer’s moves,” to help you do that, along with examples from the Tiny Love Stories column to show you what we mean.

Note to teachers: As your students go through all the steps below, you can find the 25 mentor texts we use collected here, all in one PDF .

A. Focus on a single important moment and show how it rippled out.

That sounds hard, we know. But take a look at the piece below, “‘Hey’ Is Not ‘Heyy,’” one of our very favorite Tiny Love Stories. The story couldn’t be “smaller” in scope — just a text exchange that took a minute, maybe two — but the way the author tells it, the piece has suspense, character development, voice, humor and even a surprise ending:

“Hey” Is Not “Heyy” “Heyy,” his message read. My heart fluttered. One “y” may have left me upset, but the second “y” — that was promising. Such a simple yet ambiguous greeting. Did he want to hang out? Was he going to confess his love? Oh! He was typing. A double text! It was my lucky day. I broke a sweat waiting for his response. How should I respond? “Hi!”? “I am in love with you”? My message had to show the same amount of interest as his. He responded! “Sorry didn’t mean the extra ‘y.’” Oh. — Julia DiGeronimo

Here are three more stories that focus on just one small event or moment, yet say much more — about the narrator, about a character in the story, about a relationship, about life.

As you read, first define for yourself what “moment” each writer has focused on. Then, look for the lines that take the reader from the events to the meaning that the writer makes of them. How does the writer show you why this moment matters?

Fender Bender While looking the other way, I rammed into the back of her car. “Are you all right?” I asked. “Yes, but I don’t know about my car,” she said without anger. “Are you OK?” Still in shock and worried about being liable, I noticed the slight damage to both of our cars, then the sunflower on her dress. She’s the type of person I could be friends with, I thought. I replied, “I’m all right.” With mutual relief, we hugged spontaneously, then drove off our separate ways. My bumper was bruised, but my faith in humanity was restored. — Carrie Klein A Kind of Cinderella Story In second grade, I was cast as Cinderella’s wicked stepmother in my school’s medley of fairy-tale skits. Tall, with dark hair pulled back, I forced Cinderella to scrub the stage floor. With a body I thought was too big for fairy wings, I ached to be fragile. Backstage, I playfully shoved my crush Vito (dressed as one of the three little bears). He fell back, squashing Tinkerbell’s wings. Everyone hurriedly helped her. I felt shame. Had Sister Rosemary sensed my inner wickedness and cast me accordingly? She found me hiding and whispered in my ear, “You were magic out there.” — Lisa Fogarty Music in the Woods Jenny plays music from her MP3 player. Christmas carols in July. Operatic voices fill the woods as robins flutter down and surround her. Jenny stops moving and stares. The robins sing. No words are spoken. Complete contentment in nature. She turns to me and plants an awkward, resolute kiss on my lips. It is only now in her teenage years that she can tolerate touch. I pull my autistic daughter to my breast and feel her love. — Grainne Armstrong

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Telling Short, Memorable Stories From Your Life: ‘My Secret Pepsi Plot.’

B. Remember: “Without conflict, there’s no narrative.”

This is advice from Daniel Jones, the editor of Modern Love. If you look at the pieces above, you’ll see there is conflict — trouble, tension, struggle, thwarted desire — in all of them. Something happens. Something changes. There is a kind of “dramatic arc.”

In many of the Tiny Love Stories you will read, that conflict is between two people. But read “Saving My Life, and Savoring It.” What is the conflict here?

Saving My Life, and Savoring It I nervously decided to study abroad the summer after my junior year in college. Four years recovered from my struggle with anorexia. My body had healed but my mind was still at war. Italy charmed me like a lover I hadn’t expected to meet. Rome courted me on cobblestone streets. Capri caressed me with its sea. Florence spoon-fed me gelato. In a country far away, my body finally began to feel like home. I had saved my life, but Italy taught me how to savor it. — Stephanie Kennedy

Though the advice for Tiny Love Stories and for our contest is to focus on a single moment, the two stories you’re about to read describe longer time periods. What is the conflict in each of these? How is it resolved? How do these writers use the theme of the conflict to quickly summarize events that happen over a long time?

Inseparable Twins Sick of being “the twins,” we made rules for freshman year. Keep my hair short and red, Anushka’s brown and long. Live in different dorms. Sit on opposite sides of lectures (nature and nurture against us, we’re both biology majors). No eating in the same dining hall or going to the same parties. Meet once a week, max. That didn’t last. I couldn’t live apart from someone who’s a part of me. After a year of enduring impossible problem sets, roommate drama, assorted heartbreaks and our parents’ divorce, we laugh at how we once thought we’d do it alone. — Anjali Walia Netflix, Cake and SNL For a decade, I’ve watched my former classmates settle into the conventional domestic pattern: husband, wife, baby, house. They look grown up now. They look like their parents. I, however, remain single at 34, pulling all-nighters and eating cake for dinner. I drive an hour for good ramen. I skip town for the weekend. I watch Netflix with impunity. No one is angry about the dishes. Marriage sent my classmates down a steadier path, one that rarely crosses my itinerant course. I do miss them. For me, saying, “Congratulations on your engagement,” is too often another way of saying, “Goodbye.” — Adam Chandler

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Crafting a Narrative Arc: ‘The Ballad of Tribute Steve.’

C. Stay true to your real voice.

What makes your point of view unique? How does your identity, however you define it, affect the way you see the world? How does that come through in the way you speak, the words and phrases you use, and your sense of humor? Even though you only have 100 words, you can use them to tell your story in a way that is true to your personality and perspective.

Here are two examples. Where do you hear the voices most strongly? How do they match the subject matter?

Calling Anyway When my friends ask me over FaceTime how I’m doing, I tell them that I spend a lot of time crying. It’s easier than admitting that I can’t seem to get out of bed before 2 p.m. Or wash the dishes that are stinking up my sink. Or get done any work that I normally love doing. But it’s more honest than “good.” Sometimes they laugh and say “same,” and sometimes they look down and don’t know what to say. The rest of the conversation limps along. I apologize for being a stranger. They call me every week anyway. — Jemma Dooreleyers A New Twist to a Family Tradition In my Appalachian family, love tastes like apples. Each teenage woman goes through a family tradition: mastering a signature apple-based recipe to feed her future husband. (There are a lot of apples in Ashe County, N.C.) My great-grandmother made tarts; my grandmother, pies; my sister, cakes and strudel. My cooking fails were not so laudable. I burned dozens of desserts before I came out as gay. Fortunately, my family accepts me, and we still cook together. Being queer in Appalachia can be sour, but also sweet. My family saves their apple cores and peels, and I ferment apple cider vinegar. — Laken Brooks

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Writer’s Voice: ‘Intolerance and Love in Jamaica.’

Now you try it.

First, try writing a draft of your story as if you were telling it to an ideal reader with whom you can be completely yourself, whether that person is a close friend, a respected mentor, or even someone imaginary you invent just for this purpose. Remember that no one needs to see this draft and that you can always edit later, but for now get the truth down on paper the way you want to tell it.

When you’re finished, ask yourself the questions below. Then, if you are willing to share your work, you might switch stories with a classmate and answer them about each other’s essays.

What is my focus?

What is the conflict, tension or problem in my story?

How is it resolved? What happens or changes?

How does my small moment “ripple out” to have greater meaning or offer a message other readers might relate to?

Does this story sound like me? Can I hear my own natural voice in it?

Step 4: Experiment with technique.

Once you have a draft you’re happy with, it’s time to play with the piece so that it’s as strong as it can be. Here are three ways to experiment.

A. Show, don’t tell.

We know you’ve heard this advice many times before, but take a look at the two examples below to see what a difference it can make.

As you read, notice what the writing helps you see, hear, smell, taste and feel. What metaphors and similes do these writers use? What verbs, nouns and adjectives make the descriptions vivid? What would the pieces be like without these stylistic choices?

My King in the Uniroyal Jacket Dad, do you remember when you came home late from work (as you did in those days) and scooped me up out of bed, wrapped me in my blanket and set me on the back of your borrowed motorcycle? We rode to the A&W and sat on a bench under the egg-yolk-yellow lights with root beer floats: the orange awning flapping, the moonlit sky, the future, childhood that would last a lifetime, the smell of work in your shirt, me, the prince of your moment, and you, the king in your Uniroyal jacket. — Theodore Groves Addie’s Life Advice Addie’s face was a sun-bronzed book cover, every line a different story. “Grandma,” I said, “tell me the secret to life.” I was 8. We were shelling peas under a large Alabama cottonwood tree. She slipped her hand into the pocket of the flour sack dress she had sewn and deftly searched with her fingers. Then, as if by teleportation or magic, an unfiltered Camel cigarette appeared in her mouth. She scratched a match, lit up, took a long drag, and with smoke whirling around her head like a lazy tornado, she winked mischievously and whispered, “Try it all.” — David Powell

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Using Details to Show, Not Tell: ‘The Iguana in the Bathtub.’

B. Open by dropping your reader right into the action.

Mr. Jones, the editor of Modern Love, has been interviewed about the column many times, and much of his advice is collected here . One tip from that collection?

As part of your revision process, try starting your essay a little later, in the midst of dialogue or events. Sometimes it’s more intriguing for us to be dropped into the action than to receive all the background information up front.

For example, look at how these two pieces start. What back story does each imply? How does starting in the middle of the action grab your attention?

Fleeing the Flames “Got your passports? Underwear? Flashlight radios?” My family of five split into two cars, figuring a car saved was a car gained. Mid-dinner, “Evacuation Order” pinged on our phones. The inferno scorched the foothills, threatening our San Jose, Calif., home. We sped to a beachside inn, the waves our protector. Amid the hazy Pacific air, Dad — bereft of utensils — whomped a watermelon open. My sister, Arianna, humored spotty video classes. My mom and my brother, Aidan, dug a sand tunnel. Whether our house would survive was anyone’s guess, but in this salty seaside suite, we found hearth and home. — Melody Cao I Said, “I Love You.” He Said, “Thanks.” We were in my hammock when I looked at the socks I was wearing, the ones he had lent me, and told him the words I was so scared to say: “I love you.” The hammock swayed, crickets chirped. “Thanks,” he said, “but I don’t yet.” He pointed at my feet. “Those don’t fit me. Do you want them?” I thought the hammock had tipped, thrown me violently out; he didn’t love me, this was it. But years later, we still lie in my hammock and I still wear those socks. He was right; they are too small for his feet. — Madeleine Fawcett

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Dropping the Reader Into a Scene: ‘A Wedding Dress I Never Expected: A Sari.’

C. Use dialogue.

A quick way to bring voice and energy to your piece is to use snippets of conversation, whether spoken or written in texts, emails or social media messages.

Here are three examples, each of which uses quotations from characters to show something that narration couldn’t. What do the quoted lines add to the pieces?

A Simple Friendship “Blah-blah?” she would say, knocking. Only 2, Isabelle would venture through the building’s halls to my apartment. Together, we’d water my plants or scribble a story. At 3, she told me all about Peppa Pig. At 4, Isabelle came to my door, saying, “Bra-bra, taste Mommy’s kheer.” We savored its delicate sweetness. On East 84th Street in Manhattan, we watched tulips bloom, leaves fall, snow arrive. “Hi, Barbara,” Isabelle said at 5. Sitting on my window ledge, she’d count taxis and doggies. Unlike the complicated men I dated, if I offered Isabelle a tangerine, she’d simply relish it. — Barbara Field ‘Gram Loves You. Please Call.’ My grandmother Ruth was like a secret agent. Before cellphones or the internet, she would covertly track her grandchildren. At 23, I moved to Mexico to work for a resort. I was, at last, on my own. One night, while I was drinking with my co-workers at a beach bar, a man from a nearby village walked in and shouted my full name. When I responded, he marched up to me and said, “Your abuela has called each house in our village. I was chosen to find you with this message: ‘Gram loves you. Please call.’” — Amy Gotliffe Reply All “Your child doesn’t have to bring valentines, but if they do, they’ll need one for each student,” the fourth-grade teacher emailed. “Do you really need to waste class time on this?” a parent replied all, beginning a long, email-chain argument among the adults. No interest in engaging, I conserved my energy for work and my three children. Yet for two weeks, my daughter Shiloh spent her evenings handwriting messages to her classmates: Words of encouragement, appreciation and friendship — language that the parents forgot to use. I imagine replying all, “Time is well spent when sharing words of kindness.” — Jessica Keith

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Writing Dialogue: ‘The Missing Piece Son.’

Read your own piece again and ask yourself the questions below. You might also switch stories with a classmate and answer them about each other’s work.

What parts of my story are especially vivid or alive? Why? What nouns, verbs and adjectives am I proud of? Where is my story less effective? How could I fix that?

How does my piece start? Is there a way to “drop the reader into the scene” somehow? How does that change the piece?

Are there places where I could tell my story more effectively through some brief dialogue or a quote from an email, a text or social media? What can dialogue do in my piece that narration alone might not?

Step 5: Make your ending matter.

Here is what Mr. Jones has to say about endings :

In many cases, the pretty good essay is stopped from being more by an ending that fails to boost it to another level. The ending is where a writer’s thinking and understanding and level of sophistication comes to full bloom. The ending is where the emotional impact remains flat or fizzles or soars. The ending, when done well, can feel simultaneously inevitable and surprising.

In another interview, he adds:

For me, a happy ending is when the writer understands something he or she didn’t understand before. Wisdom is a good thing; sometimes it’s all we’ve got, the only thing in our control, all we can take from a bad situation. Acquiring it is, in my view, a happy result. A story can end sadly in that the storyteller doesn’t get what he or she wants, but those aren’t “depressing” endings to me as long as the person learns and can express that beautifully. Sometimes it’s harder to learn and accept a hard truth than it is to find new love. Sometimes it’s more valuable too.

Here are some techniques you can try, with examples to show you how.

A. Make your last sentence soar.

Maybe it will make the reader laugh. Maybe it will offer a surprise. Maybe it will be emotionally satisfying. Here are examples of all three of those kinds of endings:

My Mini Me “Are you going to have a baby?” I asked my mother over a game of mancala. I was 8. Though she had told me to be careful asking women about pregnancy, I was curious. She cocked her head then answered yes. “I would like a little brother,” I replied. Twelve years later, the moment is still on my mind. “Hey, Big Head,” my little sister says whenever I return from college. I can’t help but grin in response. My parents gave me an annoyingly charming Mini-Me. Not a brother but someone with a similarly big head. — Eghosa Eguakun New Announcement, New Name, Still Ours When you were born, we sent announcements — name, weight, date — engraved on thick white cards with pale pink stripes and polka dots. “It’s a girl,” we said. We were thrilled. Now, 16 years later, so much is new. The pink was wrong. The name was too. This time, we know. It’s a boy. There will be no pastel stationery. This time, we are telling everyone, face to face. He’s ours. — Maria Blackburn More Chess? “Yes.” We met at a chess tournament when we were 17. He asked me if I wanted to play more chess. I said “yes.” The next morning, we met in a nearby Montreal park and played a few games. We continued playing through lunch, on the bus ride to an amusement park, on a picnic table, under the picnic table, during dinner at KFC. We even played “blind chess,” visualizing the game while in line for ice cream. When the day ended, he leaned over and kissed me. Quickly, we realized that we loved chess much more than this kissing stuff. — Olya Kaye

B. Reflect on the meaning of your story.

We talked about this back in Step 3, when we asked you to notice the way the most successful small stories “ripple out” and offer something beyond the bare bones of the story itself.

Here are three more examples of how it can be done — not artificially, the way students sometimes slap “And that’s why I want to attend X University” as a final sentence on the end of their college essays, but organically, as an essential part of the piece.

For example, what does the penultimate sentence of this piece reveal? How does the author expand that idea in the final sentence?

The Last Biscuit Before the city pool in Johnson City, Tenn., got drained at summer’s end, dogs could take a swim for five bucks. Sporting his green life jacket, Barney leaped in as if he weren’t tired, deaf, toothless. We stayed until no one else was left. It’s a small thing in life, a dog, but small is relative. I packed biscuits for our last trip to the vet. I sat on the floor in the lobby, feeding Barney biscuits one by one, and for a moment it seemed possible that we might never run out. — Shuly Xóchitl Cawood

Now, look at two more. How do the endings elevate these pieces?

Between the Sunflower Stalks August in a West Virginia sunflower field, early morning but already hot. Charlie’s blue helmet bobs through brilliant yellow flowers. He smiles as I eye other infants between the sunflower stalks. I envy their round heads, symmetrical faces, bare scalps. Suddenly, I miss Charlie’s smell, so I duck beneath his helmet to peck his cheek. “Why can’t I have a helmet like Charlie?” my older son moans, tugging at my shorts. A seed of jealousy planted in him, the root of my own problems, too: To believe our gifts are burdens, the inability to recognize our own bloom. — Anna Rollins Still Cooking Side by Side I fry cutlets for chicken parmigiana, doing math: In my 53 years, I have fried thousands. My mother taught me. When I was 7, we would fry chicken side by side, her hip touching mine. “Cover yourself,” she would say. “You’ll get hurt and dirty that shirt.” As a teenager, I’d snap, “Ma, I hate when you use ‘dirty’ as a verb.” But, no matter the age, I would listen and grab an apron. More math: It’s been over two decades without her. But still, like magic, she reminds me to separate the cutlets and back away from the flame. — Kathy Curto

For more practice with this skill, visit our lesson plan Reflecting on an Experience: ‘The Monster of Kings Island.’

Look at your own piece and ask yourself these questions. You might also switch stories with a classmate and answer them about each other’s work:

What is my last sentence? How does it fit the rest of the piece? Does it surprise? Enlighten? Deepen the meaning of the previous lines? Does it heighten the emotional impact? If not, why not? How might I fix that?

Now look at the whole piece, keeping in mind what we said about conflict and arc earlier in this lesson. What does the narrator learn by the end? How is the narrator changed? What happened? Why does it matter?

Step 6: Edit to make every word count.

At this point you may want to share your work with others to make sure everything in your story is as clear and interesting as it can be. If you’re planning to submit to our contest, keep our rubric at hand. How well do you think you have met the criteria?

But before you submit your piece, do a final edit to make sure every word, and even every punctuation mark, is working as hard as it can to make your story shine.

A. Play with sound, punctuation, sentence length and repetition to make every word matter.

The Modern Love editors have a suggestion: Approach your story as if it were a poem. Here are three pieces that offer inspiration.

Read the piece below aloud. What do you notice? How is this writer playing with sound, rhyme and rhythm?

A Rap for Rebecca Was surrounded by my pals, but my mind was on a gal. Her car pulled up and that was it — should’ve put cuffs around my wrists. My heart beat red then flashed blue (felt sad that the party was through). Only time she had my spirits low wasn’t her fault; she simply had to go. I wanted her to come back, kept messaging like a maniac. Four years later, she’s still here, slapping at my hand that nervously tugs at my ear. Grabbing my waist during concerts as if she protects me from monsters. — Joshua Corona, California State University of Northridge

Now, look at this piece. What do you notice? How does this writer use punctuation?

No More We. Just I. He asked me to marry him on our first date. Over the next 25 years: We (mostly I) raised four daughters while moving between two continents, three countries and seven states. We (mostly he) gained career success, rising through the corporate ranks. We (mostly I) mourned then transitioned to life with a handicapped child. And then we (both) fell apart, just when we should have been enjoying the fruits of our labor. He left me on April Fools’ Day last year, six days after we opened our (now my) dream restaurant. There is no more we. Just I. — Jennifer Brulé

Finally, read this piece slowly. Again, list what you notice. How does this writer use repetition? Punctuation? A variety of sentence lengths? How does everything come together to make the story powerful?

Without Him After dinner this March, my 28-year-old son decided to leave this world. He left me his cat. I didn’t want his cat; I wanted him. His cat didn’t want me; she wanted him. She cries all night. I cry all day. She sneaks into his bedroom to look for him; so do I. She smells his sheets; so do I. She waits by the front door; so do I. We’ve learned to find comfort in each other. We snuggle, sleep and mourn together. I had a beautiful boy named Elias. Now I have a beautiful cat named Damie. — Deirdre Stein

B. Don’t forget your title.

If you are submitting to our contest, the title doesn’t count as part of your 100-word limit. Don’t waste it! If you’ve done this whole lesson so far, you ought to be able to identify the pieces below by their titles alone. Don’t look back — just see what you remember about each one:

“A Kind of Cinderella Story”

“My King in the Uniroyal Jacket”

“I Said, ‘I Love You.’ He Said, ‘Thanks.’”

“Saving My Life, and Savoring It”

“My Mini Me”

All of these titles draw words from the pieces themselves, and help guide the reader to what is important about the stories. A few sum up the main idea; others are more whimsical. A good title makes someone want to read on. What title would achieve this goal for your story?

Read your piece aloud, and then ask yourself these questions. You might also switch stories with a classmate and answer them about each other’s work:

What did I hear reading the piece aloud that I didn’t notice when I read it silently? Are there places where it sounds awkward? Can I substitute a word or change a sentence to make it flow better?

What punctuation marks did I use? Is there a way to experiment with a different mark that might make my piece stronger? How?

How varied are my sentence lengths? Is there any benefit to shortening some and lengthening others, or to using punctuation to provide natural pauses? Why or why not?

What is the title of my piece? Will it persuade someone to read on? What is its function? For example, does the title sum up the piece? Does it add to the meaning? How?

Good luck! We can’t wait to read the stories you write, whether you submit them to our contest , or just post them to our student writing forum for fun — or both!

Katherine Schulten has been a Learning Network editor since 2006. Before that, she spent 19 years in New York City public schools as an English teacher, school-newspaper adviser and literacy coach. More about Katherine Schulten

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• Writing Tips

The Importance of the Word Limit

3-minute read

• 17th July 2014

Academic writing typically requires you to stick to a word limit. It is important to do this for a number of reasons.

The most important factor is that you are likely to be penalised if you exceed the word limit on your essay. Equally, a finished piece of writing which comes in well under the word limit implies that you have not put enough work into the essay, or that you need to do further research.

Typically, you should aim for the finished essay to be within 10% of the word limit either way. However, some universities are very strict about staying within word limits, so you should check this with your school/department before submitting your work.

Another important consideration is not padding your work to meet a word limit. Markers can easily see when someone has used long or repetitive sentences to artificially inflate the word count of an essay, and you will often be penalised for this.

Planning for the Word Limit

Since word limits are important, whether you are working on a short report or an 80,000 word thesis, it is a good idea to work out how many sections you will need to cover the topic adequately. You will then be able to work out the rough length that each paragraph or section should be to meet the word limit.

Find this useful?

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Remember that the word limit sometimes only applies to the main body of your work. If this is the case, you won’t have to include things like appendices or the reference list in your total word count. This isn’t always the case though, so this is another thing you should check before submitting your work.

Keeping an eye on how much you have written, rather than continuing to write without regard to the word limit, also makes it less likely that you will have to go through your essay and cut words later!

Some Editing Tips to Help Reduce your Word Count

• Simplify your style. Look for long sentences and try to make them more succinct. This will make your work easier to read, as well as reducing your word count.
• Be ruthless! Cut any unnecessary adjectives or adverbs, as well as any repetition that isn’t essential to your argument.
• Replace phrases with words. For instance, there is no need to write ‘provides an opportunity to examine…’ when you could say ‘enables examination of … ‘

Having worked hard to perfect your essay, it’s worth giving yourself the best chance of a good result by making sure you stick rigorously to the word limit.

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What Is a 100-Word Essay?

A 100-word essay is a very short piece of writing that consists of approximately 100 words. It requires the writer to convey information or express an idea within a tight word limit.

How Many Paragraphs Should a 100-Word Essay Have?

In a 100-word essay, you can typically expect to have around 1 to 2 paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point or aspect of the topic, ensuring that the content is concise and impactful.

How Long Is a 100-Word Essay?

A 100-word essay consists of approximately 100 words. In terms of length, it is typically very short, usually spanning about one to two paragraphs. The exact number of sentences or lines can vary depending on the formatting and spacing used. However, regardless of the layout, the essay's content should be concise, focused, and effectively convey the main idea or information within the limited word count. It's important to remember that a 100-word essay requires careful selection of words and prioritization of essential information to ensure the message is clear and impactful.

Where You Can Find an Example of 100-Word Essay?

You can find examples of 100-word essays in various places, including online resources, writing websites, academic databases and online writing communities. While looking for examples, ensure that you use them for reference or inspiration rather than plagiarizing or copying the content. Analyze the structure, style, and effectiveness of the examples to improve your own writing skills.

How You Can Make Your 100-Word Essay Effective?

To make your 100-word essay effective, prioritize clarity and coherence. Choose your words carefully and make every sentence count. Focus on conveying your main ideas concisely and providing relevant supporting evidence or arguments. Edit and revise your essay meticulously to ensure that it is polished and impactful within the limited word count.

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How to Meet an Essay Word Limit

Last Updated: October 11, 2022

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 13 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 6,695 times.

Sometimes, you may have a word limit for an essay that you need to write. Meeting that limit can be hard, especially if the topic was hard to research. If you'd like to know how to meet the word limit for an essay, then read this article.

• Anytime you get stuck; read it again to see whether any additional phrases or words flow out from reading over it.
• Also, some more thoughts may come to mind if you copy it over, and they probably will follow well from what you already have written.

• Do not start the essay with "Hello, my name is _______ and today I will be writing about ________. Instead, start it with the thing that you will be talking about. That should be the first or second word in the essay.
• Also, do not end your essay with "Thank you for reading this essay." This makes the essay look unprofessional.

Expert Q&A

• Remember to cite any other sources you may use. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Know whether you are allowed to go over the word limit. Some teachers may allow this, while some may not. Either way, it's helpful to check. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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Free 100-Word Essay Samples

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How Many Pages Is a 100-Word Essay?

A 100-word text usually takes about 1 page. All the major citation styles assume that an essay will take approximately 250 words per page. The most common format is double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt. The details might differ – for instance, in MLA 9 and APA 7, Calibri and Arial are also accepted. However, 12-point Times New Roman remains preferable.

How Many Paragraphs Is a 100-Word Essay?

A 100-word essay should include 1 to 2 paragraphs. In academic writing, a paragraph should contain at least 50 words and three sentences.

How Does a 100-Word Essay Look Like?

A 100-word essay is quite a short piece. However, it should be properly planned. Your essay should contain four to five concise paragraphs. It is to consist of an introduction paragraph, two to three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

How Long Does a 100-Word Essay Take?

It will take you about 2 to 4 minutes to type 100 words on your keyboard, depending on your typing speed. However, if you also need to perform research, make a reference list, add in-text citations, and graphic materials, you’ll need more time – not less than 20 minutes for 100 words.

How Many Body Paragraphs Are in a 100 Word Essay?

An average 100-word essay contains 1 to 2 paragraphs. Each paragraph should be 70 to 150 words long.

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Assignment length requirements are usually given in terms of numbers of words.

Unless the lecturer tells you that these limits are strict, it is normally acceptable to be 10% above or below this word limit (so, for example, a 2000 word assignment should be between 1800 and 2200 words). If the assignment uses the words “up to” (as in “up to 2500 words”) that usually means that you cannot go above the limit.

Use the tool below to calculate the acceptable range for an assignment (based on +/- 10%).

Unless the lecturer tells you otherwise, the word limit does not include ‘administrative’ sections of the assignment: the cover or title page, table of contents, table of figures, reference list, list of works cited, bibliography, or any appendices.

The word limit that you are given reflects the level of detail required . This means that if your assignment is too long, you're either taking too many words to explain your point or giving too many / too detailed examples. If your assignment is too short, either there is more to the answer than you have written or the assignment has not gone into enough detail about the answer.

• Don't try to remove single words from your assignment. It is unlikely to reduce the assignment's length significantly, but it may confuse your argument . Instead, aim to remove or condense whole sections of your assignment.
• You should not include something just because it is a fact, or just because it is included in your course materials. Include something only if it is relevant to your argument.
• Be direct. State your point rather than writing many paragraphs to ‘lead up’ to it.
• Go back to the question . Which sections relate to the point and which are secondary?
• Go back to the plan . Which paragraphs fit in the overall structure? Which paragraphs overlap and can be combined?
• Remove sections where you
• Over-explain your point
• Over-specify your point
• Repeat yourself
• Write off-topic or ramble
• Remove multiple examples where one or two are sufficient.
• Remove hedging language that adds little to the argument (e.g., it would seem that, it is possible that).

If you are often over the word count you should look at your writing style. See writing concisely for more.

Explain your argument fully

• Make sure every argument in your head and in your plan is on the page.
• Would a general (i.e., non-specialist) reader understand your point? Have someone else read over your assignment and ask you questions about it. What do they think is missing?
• Are there gaps in your argument?
• Does each point logically follow the last one, or do you jump over important points?

Look for the ‘hidden’ answer

• What theories do you think the marker expects?
• How does this relate to the materials from lectures and study guides? Use the course information in your answer to the assignment question.
• Are there complications or contradictions in the argument or in your research? Explain them and explore them.

Flesh it out

• Define any special terminology you've used that a general reader would not be familiar with.
• Illustrate with more examples and/or quotations.
• Contextualise and explain the quotations you use. How do they relate to your argument?

Page authorised by Director - Centre for Learner Success Last updated on 12 December, 2018

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Writing the 100-Word Memoir

by Fija Callaghan

With more and more life-changing memoirs hitting the shelves, emerging writers are feeling themselves increasingly drawn to the creative nonfiction genre. But embarking on any book-length project can be intimidating… even when the subject is your own life.

To warm up your writer’s muscles and get some practice crafting a narrative, why not try challenging yourself with a 100-word memoir? These snapshot stories may not take up much space on the page, but they can pack a substantial punch.

We’ll take you through everything you need to know to start writing your own miniature masterpieces.

What is a memoir?

First, let’s clarify: what exactly is a memoir? And is that the same as an autobiography or personal essay?

A memoir is an exploration of a memory or series of memories—often the ones that shaped the person you are today. Unlike an autobiography or biography, it isn’t a landscape of your entire life. Instead, a memoir will usually just focus on a period of a few years.

Some memoirs combine other types of nonfiction, too. For example, many cookbooks are hybrid memoirs—they feature recipes alongside anecdotes about the writer’s personal experiences. Our lives are rich in engaging stories, and these moments can make traditional nonfiction feel more accessible.

To learn more, you can check out the link to our detailed lesson on memoirs and autobiographies here .

Why write a 100-word memoir?

Writing a 100-word memoir—or a series of them—is fantastic training for emerging writers and students at any stage of their journey. It forces you to focus on your word choice and figurative language in a precise, crystalline way; it develops your ability to create a big impact through small moments in time—a good thing even in longer works of writing.

Through the writing process, you’ll learn to make every single word fight for its place on the page. These are skills that you can take with you into other types of writing—whether it’s a longer short story, a personal essay, a poem, an academic paper, a teaching lesson, or your breakout debut novel.

Does your memoir need to be exactly 100 words?

Really, any short story should be as minuscule or as sprawling as it needs to be—whether that’s 50 words or 5,000. But consider your 100-word memoir as a personal challenge, or an exercise for the mind. If your memoir ends up being 103 words, which of those three words can you live without? If it’s 80 words, which moment can you give a bit more depth?

Your mini-memoir doesn’t need to be exactly 100 words, but you’ll find the practice more beneficial for your journey as a writer if you push yourself to hit your target dead centre. Plus, publication outlets often set strict word limits and won’t accept submissions that are too short or too long.

We’ll look closer at ways to send your 100-word memoir out into the world below.

Micro-memoir examples

To get an idea of how to create small stories of your life, take a look at these excerpts from honest, thought-provoking literature.

Reasons to Stay Alive , by Matt Haig

My mum and dad were at the airport. They stood there looking tired and happy and worried all at once. We hugged. We drove back. Mum turned around in the passenger seat and looked at me and smiled and the smile had a slightly crumpled quality, her eyes glazed with tears. I felt it. The weight of Mum. The weight of being a son that had gone wrong. The weight of being loved. The weight of being a disappointment. The weight of being a hope that hadn’t happened the way it should have.

This example, an excerpt from a longer memoir and guide to understanding mental illness, creates a big picture in a very small space. It doesn’t waste time setting up the writer’s challenges, but instead lets them come through naturally in the actions of the characters.

This snapshot makes a point of focusing closely on one small moment in time, and the experience of the narrator as they struggle to understand what they’re feeling.

The Bell Jar , by Sylvia Plath

My grandfather and I had a standing joke. He was the head waiter at a country club near my hometown, and every Sunday my grandmother drove in to bring him home for his Monday off. My brother and I alternated going with her, and my grandfather always served Sunday super to my grandmother and whichever of us was along as if we were regular club guests. He loved introducing me to special titbits, and by the age of nine I had developed a passionate taste for cold vichyssoise and caviar and anchovy paste.

Sylvia Plath’s iconic work of autofiction takes this moment to reach back into the protagonist’s life and visit a happier time. This vignette creates a clear relationship between the narrator and their grandfather, as well as framing the person the narrator goes on to become.

With only a few words the reader can see an entire childhood.

“Crush,” by Brenda Miller

Years ago, on the island of Santorini, I walked the village at sunrise, gazing at vineyards that grow differently there—close to the ground, like mounded beans, rather than the upright regiments I knew in California. In Greece, the grapes sprawl in leisure, indifferent to the future. Or not indifferent, but plump with it, glad to be turned to a greater purpose. I always want to be there, in that village at dawn; I want to be those grapes beholden to the wine, born to a pleasure that comes only after the crush.

Unlike the first two examples from larger works, this piece of flash fiction stands alone as it takes the reader to a Grecian island through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time. The author uses figurative language and personification to bring the setting, and their experience with it, to life.

Art Matters , by Neil Gaiman

I was lucky. I had an excellent library growing up, and met the kind of librarians who did not mind a small, unaccompanied boy heading back into the children’s library every morning and working his way through the card catalogue, looking for books with ghosts or magic or rockets in them, looking for vampires or detectives or witches or wonders. They were good librarians. They would help me find other books. They would help. They treated me with respect. I was not used to being treated with respect as an eight-year-old.

This excerpt from Neil Gaiman’s novella-length memoir shows how a storyteller was born in a short, standalone story from the writer’s childhood.

Childhood memories are excellent short story fodder, especially since we can understand their effects on us better in retrospect (we’ll look at more at ideas for 100-word memoirs below).

Conversations With Friends , by Sally Rooney

Bobbi and I often performed at spoken word events and open mic nights. When we were outside smoking and male performers tried to talk to us, Bobbi would always pointedly exhale and say nothing, so I had to act as our representative. This meant a lot of smiling and remembering details about their work. I enjoyed playing this kind of character, the smiling girl who remembered things. Bobbi told me she thought I didn’t have a “real personality,” but she said she meant it as a compliment.

Although this example is from a work of fiction, the first-person narrative effectively illustrates how evocative a mini-memoir can be. In this excerpt, the narrator focuses on a singular memory in order to explore her relationship with her best friend and co-performer.

Tips for crafting your own 100-word memoir

Now that we know what these micro-memoirs look like in practice, here are a few things to keep in mind as you begin the writing process of crafting your own story.

Choose a small moment in time

As you can see from these examples, the most effective way to create a 100-word memoir is to zoom in on a specific moment or memory and crystallise it for the reader. Instead of trying to tell your entire life story, focus on a pivotal moment that would go on to have a larger impact and shape your onward journey.

This might be something like an eye-opening first date, a family event, the moment you discovered a small fortune behind your house, or a childhood summer memory that stayed with you all your life.

Our existence is a series of these small, interconnected moments; your job is to choose one and show the reader why it made an impact on the person you are now.

Moments that might inspire your memoir:

Here are some more ideas to spark your creativity.

A life-changing minute during a summer holiday

An early memory with your mother or father

A conversation overheard on a bus ride

A moment with your friends that still makes you laugh

A stranger who taught you an unexpected lesson

The moment you met your husband/wife/partner

One of the many adventures you had as a child

The time you learned the truth about a childhood belief

If you’re looking for more ideas, follow this link to some writing prompts to get your creativity flowing!

Consider your theme

Even though you’re only taking up a small amount of space on the page, your 100-word memoir should resonate emotionally with the reader—and you accomplish this by giving it a message.

Think about what you want your short story to convey. Hope for a better future? The importance of intergenerational storytelling? Stranger danger? What key lesson do you want the reader to listen to as they read your story? See if you can condense your 100-word memoir into a single, clear idea.

Themes to explore in your 100-word memoir:

When writing about events in our lives, we want to extend a powerful message to the reader. Here are some more core themes you can touch upon in your short memoirs.

Self respect is worth more than an easy payout

Real friendship means always having your back

Always keep learning, no matter your age

Money can’t buy happiness

Lived experience is the best education

Mean people are mean because they’re afraid

When something seems too good to be true, it probably is

Life is too short for regrets

You don’t have to travel far to find adventures

Teaching is the best way to learn

Found family is more important than blood family

These are just a few ideas. A good way to find your theme is to look at the moment you’re writing about and ask yourself, “What lesson did I learn from this?” “What new perspective did I gain?” “How did this moment in time change me?” Your answer will reveal the story’s true theme.

Embrace specificity

Instead of wasting valuable words on sprawling description, focus on just a few key details and bring them to life. If your 100-word memoir is about a love affair gone wrong, how can you hint at the broad scope of the story in the space of only a few moments? How can certain elements hint at the past and future of the characters? Consider sight, smell, sound, mood, objects and their meaning.

A great example is this poem by Katie Wilson , which uses the smell of burning to ground a pivotal memory about the writer’s mother.

See if there’s a way you can condense a big story into a single sensory detail—using targeted word choice to convey an entire life in the same amount of space as a few minutes of lived experience.

Tips for specificity in your micro story:

In prose writing, we’re often told to use all the senses. Because you’re working in such a small space, you may find it more effective to describe just one or two. You can zoom in on something you hear, like the sound of someone’s voice as they tell you some bad news; something you smell, like Katie Wilson’s burning toast; or something you feel, like the sensation of sand caught in a bathing suit.

The more close and detailed you can get to a particular sense or sensation, the more your memoir will come to life for the reader.

It also helps to avoid sprawling across time too much. Instead of writing about an entire music lesson, write about the moment you hit the right note. Instead of writing about the two years you spent in therapy, choose a few minutes in which the therapist said something that opened your eyes.

Limit your characters

While it can be tempting to introduce all your friends and family into your 100-word memoir, you’ll find that your story will be more powerful if you focus on just a couple of people—two or three at most.

Remember, specificity is your secret weapon. 100 words is a small amount of space to get to know these people, so you’ll find the process less challenging if you allow fewer characters more real estate on the page.

Plus, with fewer characters you can focus on the ways these relationships affected you and your growth as a person. How did your experiences with your friend, partner, or parent shape the person you’ve become?

Stories are all about humanity, and the 100-word memoir is a good place to explore these relationships.

Ideas for characters to explore in your memoirs:

There’s no limit to the sort of people you can write about in your 100-word memoir. Your mother, father, sibling, husband, and squad are all rich in writing inspiration. But , consider reaching farther out and discovering people who have impacted you in small ways.

Here are a few ideas.

A stranger who helped you when you were in trouble.

The cashier who made you feel better when you were having a hard day.

An encouraging teacher who changed the course of your life.

Your first childhood crush

A kind stranger whose compliment made you smile for the rest of the week

A child who taught you an unexpected lesson

A writer who encouraged you when you were feeling lost

A tourist you met while on holiday

Use an objective voice

Because you’re expressing a small, precise moment, you may find it helpful to use the objective voice—letting the actions of the story speak for themselves, rather than using a lot of character emotion.

Instead of saying, “My parents hurt my feelings when they missed my graduation,” show the way you reacted and what you did to cope with those feelings (this, by the way, comes from the classic writing rule of “ Show, don’t tell ”).

When you use objectivity in your 100-word memoir, you don’t lose the emotional impact of your words—you make them even more powerful.

Your title is your last step

While you may want to choose a title at the very beginning, you might find that the right title becomes clearer after you’ve written your 100-word memoir and have a better idea of its core theme. The right title can make your reader laugh, or reveal more nuance in your story.

Next steps for your 100-word memoir

Now that you have an expertly crafted 100-word memoir—or a series of them—how can you get them into the hands of readers?

Unlike a novel, a 100-word memoir isn’t going to sit on the shelves of your local Barnes and Noble. But! There are a few ways you can send these words out into the world.

Seek out journals for miniature stories

There are a number of literary journals that specialize in 100-word stories including the OG 100 Word Story as well as Friday Flash Fiction , The Citron Review , The Drabble , Microfiction Monday , Splonk (through their 100-word branch SplonkMicros), and, for you genre fiction aficionados, Martian Magazine .

All of these journals focus on microfiction and nonfiction of 100 words or less! Plus, they’re a great source of inspiration for how other writers have flourished within the constraints of the 100-word story. (And if there’s one word you just can’t bear to part with, there’s a journal for that too— 101 Words .)

Gain international renown

There are also contests devoted to the short-short form, including the internationally respected Fish Flash Fiction Prize and the Bath Flash Fiction Award—both of these have upper limits of 300 words. The Bridport Flash Fiction Prize has a limit of 250 words.

Other contests, like the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize, have higher word counts but welcome small, concise stories.

Use small moments to create a big picture

But sometimes, you may have several 100-word memoirs or stories that fit together to create a larger whole—a mosaic of your life. In this case, a long-form book might be the answer after all. You can link together a string of your 100-word memoirs so that they work to create a complete novella-length memoir. This novella-in-flash story format is becoming increasingly popular, and it’s a good way to reach an audience with your bite-size memories.

Explore your life through the 100-word short story

Our lives are made up of tiny moments—the beautiful, the challenging, the inspiring, and the defining. Using these experiences to create these mini memoirs is a great way to stretch your limitations as a writer, improve your mastery of language and word choice, and convey the story of your life in a fresh new way.

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