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:
- Paragraph level: Does this paragraph advance the argument? If not, cut it.
- Sentence level: Does this sentence add new information? If not, cut it.
- 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? |