Word Padding

Oh, do you remember how you need to write 30 pages report on something, and your first draft ran out at page 8? Well, here's a little trick on how you can increase your word count.

Let's take this passage:
"The moored boat looked tired and sad. The paint has chipped and metals are rusty. The gentle waves rocks the boat as if it is a dog to be put to sleep."

A good passage illustrating a sleepy dock in a sleepy, small town. Now let's inflate the word count tremendously. Here's an example:

"The harsh, unforgiving, unrelenting sun beats down the little, rundown boat like a lion watching hungrily over a poor, desolate lamb that is yet to be his dinner. What incredible tragedy that will be! How true! How sad! How tragic! Now the little, rundown boat did nothing to prevent its fate from slow death. Look at how its paint chipped all over the place. The bow, the spirit, the deck, the masts! What glorious days it has experienced, it is nowhere to be seen today. Today, there is no glory, no fanfare trumpets, no parade. Today, there is just this little sad boat, moored to the rusty metal. The little sad boat took a sad shade of turquoise (reddish) due to all the rusty metals. Like an injured bleeding lamb in the eyes of a lion. The undulating waves slowly and gently rocks the sad little boat, as if rocking the cradle for the boat to sleep. To sleep the endless dreams, or perhaps, to sleep the dreamless end."

Notice that I introduced several unrelated elements: weather, lion-lamb, slow death. When in doubt, introduce a new character. In this case, I introduce new elements.

There is also extra details: bow, deck, masts. These are unnecessary details. You know the whole boat is in dilapidated shape. In this case, you merely go on through the details. The trick is to vary the details so that it won't become boring. I can, for example, warble on about the deck, perhaps by referencing the now non-existent little children who at one time happily running along the deck. But that will come in editing later. For now, brainstorm and inflate the word count like there is no tomorrow!

In fact, the word "sleep" gets re-written several times, each time invoking a new image/vision. At the end, it references death. Yet, it isn't necessary to do so. If you do so too much, it risks alienating the reader.

Still, as far as inflating word count goes, it's a good solid technique. Remember: You can always edit later!