Cut the excess

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A 10-minute editing pass that works for almost any post:

  1. Cut the empty opener
  • Remove the first paragraph if it adds no context.
  1. One idea per section
  • If the section drifts, split or delete it.
  1. Verbs over adjectives
  • Trade descriptions for actions and examples.
  1. Shorten sentences
  • Aim for ~20 words; break the long ones.
  1. Add a takeaway
  • End with an actionable next step.

Clarity is mostly subtraction. If the draft got shorter, it probably got better.

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