Editing with scissors

Print the draft. Cross out every sentence that restates the previous one. Read aloud what remains. If you stumble, the rhythm is wrong.

We do this on client decks as often as on essays. Length is not generosity; clarity is.

A useful test: remove the first paragraph. If the piece still opens cleanly, the original opening was throat-clearing.

Keep the scissors nearby. Most drafts improve the moment they stop trying to impress.