Actually having _too_ many letters makes the choices a lot more limited. Six to eight letters or so would be a comfortable range, I should think, for optimum word selection and audience participation.

We're at TEARLESS, but I did figure out a three-step uses-a-proper-noun solution from LATEST to SATELLITE, which unfortunately this margin is too small to contain.

...

LATEST + E = SEATTLE
SEATTLE + L = STELLATE
STELLATE + I = SATELLITE
...