1. Long clauses.  Many long clauses can be reduced to shorter phrases.  Scan your writing specifically for long clauses and see if it’s possible to express an equivalent idea using a phrase that’s shorter and more concise.
2. Phrases. Some phrases can be condensed into one or two words.  Granted, there will likely be less instances of this in your drafts.  If you catch one, though, change it quickly.  It helps.
3. Empty sentence openers.  Sentences that start off with “there” and “it” are the typical culprits here.  When you see them, rewrite the sentence to open using some other construction.
4. Too many modifiers.  Adjectives and adverbs are useful elements of expression. However, make sure you only use them when absolutely necessary.  Too many times, people insert modifiers that do nothing to actually “modify” meaning.   Use them only if they can actually serve their purpose.
5. Repetition.  Sometimes, repeating the same idea is warranted, like when you want to make sure the reader takes note of an important fact.  Do evaluate during revision whether your repetitions are necessary, though. If they’re not, chuck them out.

1. Use active verbs.  Strong sentences use strong verbs — ones that communicate a sense of action, rather than being or having.  Avoid using verbs like “seem,” “feel” and “know,” opting for more concrete ones that communicate a strong action.
2. Cut out clutter.  In strong sentences, every word counts.   If it can still convey the same meaning after you cut a word out, then what is it doing still in there?
3. No fluff.  Not every phrase or clause needs to be informative, but they all need to serve a purpose, whether for humor, emphasis or effect.  If a phrase or clause doesn’t carry its own weight, it’s better off removed.
4. No clichés.  Overused figurative language are a death knell for sentences.  The more educated the reader, the more trite the cliché-drenched sentence will come across.  Not only does it make your writing weak, it paints you as an unimaginative writer, too.
5. No empty subjects.  English allows for empty subjects, to the point that your grammar software won’t even warn you of them.  If you use such constructions, make sure the reader can identify the subject (usually in the previous sentence).

What are those qualities?  It varies, of course.  Most compelling titles, however, tend to be either intriguing, catchy, provocative, interesting, amusing or some combination of those.   In addition, they tend to be sufficiently informative regarding what the material is about.

Sometimes, you can come up with your compelling title before you even start the piece.  You can’t rely on that kind of inspired brilliance day in and day out, though.  Instead, most good titles are arrived at by some logical brainstorming that’s performed after the final draft is done.

When you’ve got your finished piece with all but the title missing, here are things you should do:

1. Write down the main key words of the piece.  Just write everything that jumps at you first — once you have a full list, you can work at finding one or two that are most prominent.
2. Look at your organization and your arguments.  Is there anything about either of them that stand out?  If there is, can you capture its essence in one or two words?
3. With the key words and the standout element now identified, you can then proceed to fashion a title that uses them.  Remember the qualities we outlined earlier: intriguing, catchy, provocative, interesting and amusing.  Make sure the title ends up falling under one or more of those items.

There are many types of writing exercises out there.  Choosing which ones to take on will depend on the specific area and skill you’re looking to develop.    There are two steps:

1. Identify what area you want to improve on.    Do you want to write stronger titles? How about more impactful introductions?  Maybe you want to master crafting compelling metaphors or integrating humor into your prose?  Whatever skill you’re looking to add to your toolbox, being clear on it is the first step.
2. Search online.  There’s no shortage of writing exercises available online.  Make sure you find one that serves the specific skill you’re working on, though.  If you find an exercise you like that isn’t an exact fit, you can tweak it to suit your exact needs.  It’s your practice session, after all.

As much as possible, pick out exercises that have you focusing on small details as those tend to be more interesting.     The more constraints each exercise gives you, the better your practice session is likely to be.    When you can go wild within the confines of tight rules, that’s when you know your skills are really advancing.

There are many of them currently in use.  While there hasn’t been a single universally-endorsed standard test, any of the more popular ones should offer a good barometer if you need to have your writing checked for clarity and readability.

If you own a grammar software or even an advanced word processor like Microsoft Word, you likely have access to some automated readability tests without even being aware of it.  We suggest getting yourself acquainted with them now, as they could really help your efforts if you’re looking to write in a clearer, more reader-friendly manner.

Most readability formulas will score your paper based on what reading grade level is required to understand it.  If you regularly score in the higher grades, that actually means that you writing style (i.e. sentence construction, choice of words) demands a high level of reading facility from your readers.  While that’s good for some types of writing, it could be detrimental if you’re looking to make your papers as readable to as many people as possible.  The better readability programs also give suggestions on areas for improvement — make sure you look into those as they can help you take your writing to the next level.

Most writers develop this “writing personality” over time.   As you write more, you find the unique aspects of your craft, discovering exactly what works for you and your readers.

While you’re still on the journey towards finding that special character in your writing, here are some things you can do now to give your work some identifiable qualities:

1. Catch phrases.  Using a catch phrase or a common line to open or close your articles can be a good way of giving it a personal touch.  Just be careful, though — doing this can leave your work bordering on the side of cheesy.
2. Maintain a consistent tone throughout different articles.   Some folks do this by lacing all of their writing with an angry barbs, others by staying light and cheery.  At any rate, they lend your body of work a consistent tone, giving it a unique character that some readers can identify with.
3. Use a recurring theme.  Some writers make their work identifiable by using recurring themes throughout multiple pieces of writing.  Often, you’ll need some creativity to be able to steer the discussion onto your favorite theme, but it can work really well if you pull it off.

One of the things you’ll have to do during revision is take out a bunch of text.  Words that merely add clutter, sentences that parrot an already stated idea and constructions that don’t add any value will all need to go.   And you’ll have to take them out ruthlessly.

Many people will second-guess themselves during this phase of the writing process.   It’s healthy.  After all, you want to delete material confidently and the best way to do that is to really consider how the text comes across.  Once you’ve ascertained something is best left out, though, then delete it permanently and don’t look back.

Sometimes, we find it hard to delete something we love, like a clever quip or a funny line.  If they really don’t add any value to the ongoing discussions, though, your feelings about them don’t matter.  They need to be trimmed, lest have your paper saddled with too much extra fat.

Consider the reader.  Will reading a piece of text really improve their experience of your material or will it only waste their time?

If you’ve been falling into the trap of repetitive writing, it’s a bad habit you’ll need to nip in the bud.  Here are some ideas to help you put an end to it today.

1. Repeating an idea.  You can present an idea more than once in writing, provided they are a critical component of the piece.   By critical, that means the reader needs to be reminded of them more than once, lest they lose track of the big picture.  Restrict yourself to one or two particular ideas that receive this treatment — any more and you’re probably kidding yourself about how important your thoughts are.
2. Empty modifiers.  If a modifier is implied, such as in “absolutely qualified,” you should remove it.  In that example, saying someone is “qualified” is no different than if they are “absolutely qualified” — the modifier adds no meaning to the construction.
3. Repetitive descriptions. Saying someone is “tired and weary” may sound  sweet to your ears.  You could have just written “tired” and the reader will likely have gotten the same picture.  Double-descriptions where each modifier says the exact same thing are unnecessary in good writing.
4. Key word excesses.  We understand the need to repeat key words to drive a point home.  Do exercise restraint, though.  We don’t need the same key words in every sentence on a single paragraph — use a pronoun or a synonym at some point. Please.
5. Negative statements.  Writing in the negative encourages redundancy.  You can cut down on your redundant elements by simply rewriting everything into a positive form.

If you’re trying to compose more descriptive paragraphs, here are steps you can take to practice writing them.

1. Organize your thoughts on the subject.  Gather your ideas on the topic of the paragraph and make a rough outline of how you’re going to present the details.  You can skip the outline part if you’re more comfortable that way, but it will help, especially for larger projects.
2. Star with a topic sentence.  Follow conventional rules of paragraph writing by starting with a topic sentence, then delving into your discussion after it.
3. Discuss yout topic.  For the purposes of your practice sessions, complete your discussions in four to five sentences, so that it’s neither too short nor too long.  To aid description, don’t just discuss the parameters of the item — use at least one illustration to ensure its clearly understood.
4. Write an appropriate conclusion.  Always conclude your paragraphs to close it effectively.  For the purposes of this practice, emphasize the importance of the subject as your conclusion.

Forget about tricks, techniques and fancy styles.  Instead, focus on the basic necessities: vocabulary, grammar and the elements of style.  Only when you have those down can you really soar to new heights, so make sure you’ve got them well-honed before moving on to more complicated matters.

Much of any skill has to do with the fundamentals.  Watch boxing, for instance.  Any random dude can punch hard and have a strong chin, but without having a grasp on the proper posture and timing, that same random dude is likely to be left beaten and bloodied by someone with proper training.

Having a grasp on the fundamentals can turn you from a competent writer to a very good one.  That’s how vital it is to quality prose.  A mastery of the fundamentals can give your writing clarity, effectiveness and a whole host of other qualities without requiring pulling out any extra tricks up your sleeve.

Of course, those tools and tricks have their place.  Treat them as supplementation and ornamentation, though, rather than the necessary core where the reader’s experience will be built upon.    Depend on the fundamentals to get you understood, then use the fancy tools to heighten the emotional connection for the reader — that’s how good writing should be.