---
title: "10 Baseline Writing Strategies"
description: "These strategies apply to ALL content. Apply every one, every time."
type: skill
canonical_url: https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/baseline-strategies
source: "Claudary"
difficulty: intermediate
author: "Claude Code Knowledge Pack"
date: 2026-07-10T11:08:12.346Z
license: CC-BY-4.0
attribution: "10 Baseline Writing Strategies — Claudary (https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/baseline-strategies)"
---

# 10 Baseline Writing Strategies
These strategies apply to ALL content. Apply every one, every time.

## Overview

# 10 Baseline Writing Strategies

These strategies apply to ALL content. Apply every one, every time.

## 1. Reader Zero Context

**Rule**: Add 3-6 word orienting phrases for proper nouns and references.

**Why**: Readers drop into content without your context. Orient them immediately.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "Stripe handles billing" | "Stripe, the payments platform, handles billing" |
| "We partnered with Acme" | "We partnered with Acme, a logistics startup" |
| "The RFC was approved" | "The RFC (Request for Comments), our design proposal, was approved" |

**When to skip**: Universally known entities (Google, Apple, Einstein).

## 2. Subject-Verb First

**Rule**: Subject and verb within the first 5 words.

**Why**: Readers parse subject-verb-object fastest. Front-load meaning.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "There were many students who completed the course" | "Many students completed the course" |
| "It is often the case that errors occur" | "Errors occur often" |
| "What we found was that users preferred..." | "Users preferred..." |

**Pattern to avoid**: "There is/are", "It is", "What X is"

## 3. Activate Verbs

**Rule**: Precise verbs over is/was/has/have.

**Why**: Active verbs create energy. Being verbs create lethargy.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "Markets were down sharply" | "Markets plunged" |
| "The team was in agreement" | "The team agreed" |
| "She was the leader of the project" | "She led the project" |
| "It was a surprise to everyone" | "It surprised everyone" |

**Find-replace targets**: was, were, is, are, has been, have been

## 4. Watch Adverbs

**Rule**: Let strong verbs carry the load. Cut redundant adverbs.

**Why**: Strong verbs don't need modification. Weak verb + adverb = lazy writing.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "whispered quietly" | "whispered" |
| "ran quickly" | "sprinted" |
| "completely destroyed" | "destroyed" |
| "very angry" | "furious" |

**Keep adverbs when**: They change meaning ("she smiled coldly" vs "she smiled").

## 5. Limit -ings

**Rule**: Simple tense over continuous tense.

**Why**: Continuous tense adds words without meaning. Simple tense is direct.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "We are running tests" | "We run tests" |
| "The team was building features" | "The team built features" |
| "Users are experiencing issues" | "Users experience issues" |

**Keep -ing when**: Action is genuinely ongoing or progressive.

## 6. Prefer Simple

**Rule**: Everyday language unless technical precision requires otherwise.

**Why**: Simple words are faster to read and harder to misunderstand.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "utilize" | "use" |
| "terminate" | "end" |
| "facilitate" | "help" |
| "leverage" | "use" |
| "implement" | "build" or "do" |
| "optimize" | "improve" |

**Keep complex when**: Technical precision matters (legal, medical, scientific).

## 7. Cut Big to Small

**Rule**: Edit hierarchically. Paragraphs → Sentences → Words.

**Why**: Cutting a paragraph saves more than cutting 20 words.

**Process**:
1. **Paragraph level**: Does this paragraph advance the argument? If not, cut it.
2. **Sentence level**: Does this sentence add new information? If not, cut it.
3. **Word level**: Does this word do work? If not, cut it.

**The test**: Read without the cut element. If meaning survives, the cut was right.

## 8. Ban Empty Hypophora

**Rule**: No self-answered questions unless the answer surprises.

**Why**: "The payoff? Amazing results." wastes words. Just say the results.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "The payoff? Our app launched." | "Our app launched." |
| "The solution? We hired more." | "We hired more." |
| "What happened next? Sales doubled." | "Sales doubled." |

**Keep when**: The answer genuinely surprises or subverts expectations.

## 9. Present Active Tense

**Rule**: Direct, immediate language. Now > then.

**Why**: Present tense creates urgency. Past tense creates distance.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "The feature debuts today" | "The feature is out now" |
| "We will launch soon" | "We launch next week" |
| "The update was released" | "The update is live" |

**Keep past when**: Historical accuracy matters or sequence is important.

## 10. One Idea Per Sentence

**Rule**: Single clear point per sentence.

**Why**: Compound sentences hide ideas. Simple sentences reveal them.

**Transform**:
| Before | After |
|--------|-------|
| "The team launched the product, which was well-received, and sales increased dramatically." | "The team launched the product. Reception was strong. Sales increased dramatically." |

**The test**: Can you state the sentence's one idea in 5 words?

---

## Quick Reference Card

| # | Strategy | Question to Ask |
|---|----------|-----------------|
| 1 | Reader Zero Context | Would a stranger need more context? |
| 2 | Subject-Verb First | Are subject and verb in first 5 words? |
| 3 | Activate Verbs | Can "is/was" become an action verb? |
| 4 | Watch Adverbs | Does the adverb do work the verb can't? |
| 5 | Limit -ings | Is continuous tense necessary? |
| 6 | Prefer Simple | Is there a simpler word? |
| 7 | Cut Big to Small | Would meaning survive without this? |
| 8 | Ban Empty Hypophora | Does my question-answer add value? |
| 9 | Present Active Tense | Can I make this more immediate? |
| 10 | One Idea Per Sentence | How many ideas in this sentence? |

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Source: [Claudary](https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com/skills/baseline-strategies) · https://claudary.paisolsolutions.com