Writing to a Word Limit

When it comes to writing projects, some people write their fill and then prune it to the specified word limit. I always write to a word limit and seldom have to prune to make sure I don't go over it. I also tend to be at the lower end of the word guidance rather than the higher end. Maybe its because I am not voluble as a person and that aspect of my personality permeates my writing as well. Or, it could be years as I spent as a wires reporter where we were taught that every word needs to justify its presence. My writing was recently described as "elegantly economic", a compliment which made me smile. 

But, does a word limit restrict one's ideas? Obviously, if its too small. I find word limits quite helpful because the more the words, the more I am supposed to think about a certain topic. When writing an essay, it helps to make your argument sharper and more concise. Generous word limits are an invitation for meandering and obfuscation. While grading essays this term, it was obvious that many students had struggled to come close to the word limit and had rambled to make up the shortfall. 

When there is no word limit specified I try to keep my work as short as possible. People seldom complain about having too little to read and are usually grateful. Even if your work is crap, they can come to that conclusion faster and also have the satisfaction of saying they went through the whole piece.