Every character counts and that is never more true than when you can only use a limited (finite) number of them. This post was written with grant applications in mind, but the tips will help any time you have a character limit to meet.
It can be enough of a challenge (task) to articulate your message when you have a word count to contend with, so when there’s a character count in the mix, you’ve gone up a level in the difficulty stakes.
So, in a similar way to (like) when you face a word count, focus on the key points of your message: perhaps even just one key point if you are really up against it. Try to concentrate (focus) on what the funding will give your organisation’s beneficiaries, rather than the organisation itself. Don’t waffle.
Don’t worry about trying to meet the limit at first, to avoid a vicious cycle of writing and editing. But, depending on how many characters are available, try to at least bear it in mind.
A character-counted application is not one to write in a hurry
There are two reasons. You may find that inspiration for both the writing and editing strikes on a subsequent day. And it’s always worth asking for a second opinion: they might spot a way to cut out valuable characters.
What’s the point of character counts, anyway?
Online applications collect responses in boxes, and so it might be set up to hold just a certain number of characters. And if a funder is expecting a lot of interest, the overall time needed to review each application is reduced when there are fewer words to read.
Always draft your responses (answers) separately to the form itself: that way you can play with the counts. Keep an eye on (watch) the numbers by clicking Review on the top menu bar (between Mailings and View), and then Word Count. Look at the Characters (with spaces) counter: this is almost certainly the figure used in the application.
People’s Postcode Trust is a major funder who uses character counts, and their forms are only open one day a month (sometimes only for the morning). It’s stressful enough to apply before the window closes (in time) with all the information to hand, let alone try to write the application on the day! But be prepared to make little tweaks, as there are sometimes minor differences between the Word count and the online form.
When faced with a character count, it can be tempting to think about the equivalent number of words. But that will depend on the number of characters in each word. Focus instead on getting your message through.
When trying to meet a character count, think lean, not elegant
- Use the digits for all numbers (e.g. ’11’ not ‘eleven’)
- Use ‘&’ not ‘and’: not always necessary but a great way of shaving off a few more characters
- Consider punctuation: for example use a colon (:) then a space to save one character compared to a hyphen* with a space either side
- Bullet points are still a good way to present a short list, where relevant. Use hyphens* in place of circular bullets to achieve this effect, but do check that extra characters haven’t crept in (see below)
- Don’t add full stops at the end of bullet points
- Think about the shorter version of words, where you can. In this post, I’ve given shorter alternatives in brackets
- It’s important to write out the acronym the first time you use it, in the first question you answer, but then you can just use the letters. e.g. The National Lottery (TNL)
Get to know the paragraph mark ¶ in Microsoft Word
It’s an X-ray for your text and a great way to look for hidden characters. You can find it on the Home menu, by clicking the top right option on the Paragraph sub menu.
- With the paragraph mark on, you’ll see a dot between each word; any more than one, and you’re wasting characters. So put your cursor in the right place and hit delete
- If you’re tempted to add two spaces after a sentence, don’t! The paragraph mark helps you to identify and delete any of these
- Extra characters can also sneak in before lines: the ¶ mark appears at the end of a paragraph or bullet point, but be careful that you’re not adding an extra space (or dot) before the line
I’ve written before about the importance of adding quotes (e.g. from beneficiaries). But how do you manage this with a character count? Look at your quote and find the most important few words. Try to find the shortest word or way to introduce them, or don’t… if you’ve just been talking about your beneficiaries, then a quote with initials should be enough for them to grasp that (e.g. AB) is one of the people you’re talking about.
When you’ve finished, make yourself a cup of tea to celebrate. Better still, treat yourself to a slice of cake. Writing to character counts isn’t easy.
Found this useful? Got any more tips to share? Please let me know.
*those with a keen eye for grammar will usually substitute a longer en dash (–) for a shorter hyphen (-), but in this case hyphens are more likely to be recognised as characters so are a safer choice.
Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash
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