Reducing your manuscript's length by removing unnecessary words, sentences, scenes, or subplots that don't earn their place.
Cutting word count is the revision process of making a manuscript shorter by identifying and removing content that doesn't contribute enough to justify its length. This can happen at every level: deleting filler words, trimming bloated sentences, condensing scenes, or removing entire subplots. Most first drafts are 10-20% longer than they need to be, and cutting is how you find the lean story hiding inside the sprawl.
Agents and editors have word count expectations for every genre, and a manuscript that runs 30,000 words over the typical range for its category faces an uphill battle. But the real reason to cut isn't hitting a number. Tighter manuscripts read faster, hold attention better, and let your strongest material breathe instead of competing with filler for the reader's attention.
Deleting adverbs and tightening sentences is a good start, but the biggest gains come from cutting entire scenes or subplots that don't advance the story. Think big before you think small.
Not every chapter needs the same trim. Some sections are already tight. Others are carrying dead weight. Read with fresh eyes and cut where the pacing drags, not everywhere equally.
Cutting 10,000 words doesn't help if you removed the wrong 10,000. Always evaluate cuts by their effect on the story, not just the number in the corner of your screen.
First drafts are for getting the story down. If you stop to trim every paragraph as you write it, you'll lose momentum and never finish. Save the cutting for revision.
Pick a page from your current draft and challenge yourself to cut it by 25% without losing any essential information. Print it out or copy it into a new document, then start crossing things out. Track your before and after word counts. You'll likely find that the shorter version reads more smoothly than the original.