Count Words as You Type With These Tips and Tricks

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The art of writing is something that is a lifelong task. The ability to say what you want to say concisely, passionately, and effectively takes practice.

Why say something in 100 words when you can say it in 10? Especially in this day in age where people have insanely short attention spans so you really have to be strategic with your word count and word selection in general.

There are also many different scenarios where counting your words with tools like WordCounter Will come in handy. Whether it is to make sure you write within the limit for your magazine article or you write enough for your high school essay assignment. You want to be able to count your words effectively and not waste time with that part of it.

Before we get into how you can count your words though, here are the most common reasons why you should want to at all.

Reasons to Count Your Words

Regardless of your writing experience, you can benefit from counting your words. Here are two really common reasons why.

1. To Write Like a Professional

If you have dreams of becoming a professional writer and turning your passion into a living with a paycheck, then you should write like a professional in every instance you can. One thing that all professional writers do is count their words.

Whether it is a poet writing a haiku or a novelist writing a 300-page essay, word count matters for every type of assignment. If you get into the mindset now of what professional writers do, it will become second nature and also set the tone for your goals to become a reality as well.

While some writers simply try to measure their writing by actually measuring the page and playing around with fonts, spacing, and formatting, it is really an ineffective way to measure the quality of your work.

Measuring your word count for professional pieces is a consistent and reliable way to improve your writing skills and get taken seriously. Also, did you know that many publishers actually pay per word? So you will want an easy way to track how much money you are going to be able to charge on your invoice once you submit your assignment!

2. To Stay Motivated

Another great reason to count your words is to stay motivated and have a reason to practice every day. Did you know that some of the greats like Ernest Hemingway challenged themselves to write at least 500 words per day, or that Stephen King writes a minimum of 2,000 words a day even on Christmas and holidays!

There is a method to this madness. Setting yourself with a goal will inspire you to actually take your pen – or keyboard – out and practice for the day. The art of writing is really the art of practice. The more you write, the better your writing will naturally become.

The word counter will help you stay on track, stay motivated and continually challenge yourself every day. Once you hit that set goal of how many words you need to write, you will automatically feel fulfilled for the day too.

How to Count Your Words

So what are the best ways to actually count your words? There are numerous tools you can use, with these three being the best.

1. Microsoft Office Tools

The Microsoft Office tools are curated to help you easily keep track of your word counts. Plus, it is free. All you have to do is click on the review tab on the Microsoft Word program and select the word count option. From there, the word count will show up at the bottom of your screen so you can keep track as you type.

You can also add a shortcut so that you do not have to waste time setting this up every single time.

2. Downloadable Software

Of course, you can also up the ante with software you can download on your computer. These software tools will really come in handy if you are writing longer content such as a book. Not only does it keep track of your word count, but it also breaks it down into how much you have written for the day.

This helps you keep track of your time allotted on writing projects and manage your time better in general.

3. Online WordCounters

Of course, another great and reliable way to count words online is through WordCounter – an online and free tool that really does it all. You can copy and paste your content within, get a synopsis of how consistent all your paragraphs and sentences are in terms of word counts and also get given advice on how to make your content SEO friendly.

Conclusion

With so many great ways to track your word count, what tool will you be using?