My Favorite Writing Tips & Tricks

Delete the word "that". Most of the time, you don't need it.
Delete adverbs. Words that end in -ly are often unnecessary descriptions. Less adversb equals stronger writing.
Re-write. And if you can't re-write, put the first draft aside and write the whole thing again. The best parts of version 1 will find their way into version 2.
Just hit 'publish.'
Ignore word count. Focus on impact.
1/3/1 sequence: first and last sentence is 'candy'; the middle paragraph is where the value is.
Use niche language when writing for a niche audience. Otherwise, use general langauge.
Delete opening phrases that start with "I".
Delete needless word chunks like:
- "If it is..."
- "So as to..."
- "The fact that..."
Experiment with writing via different UXs (handwritten, computer, etc.)
Make the first sentence short, strong, and declarative
Don't use semicolons (most readers don't know what they mean).
Prep the page. Don't just stare at a blank document: label it, outline it, write your first sentence, outline your subheads -- build a skeleton.
Increase your ideas-per-word. The more ideas packed into the less words makes for potent writing.
Make the last word in a sentence the most important.
Write in an active voice. An active voice has a subject that acts on its verb.
Vary sentence length. Why? Read this and you'll understand.
Be mindful of how you use 'you' and 'we'.
Keep paragraphs less than 7 lines. Break paragraphs often. Each new idea deserves a new paragraph.
Be concise
Write to express, not impress.

For business communication:

Use shorter than 30 words per sentence.
- "Due to the fact that" --> "because"
- "Totally lacked the ability to" --> "could not"
Replace adjectives with data.
- "We made the platform much faster" --> we reduced server side tp90 latency from 10ms to 1ms
Eliminate weasel words.
- Nearly all customers"
- "Significantly better"
Does your writing pass the "so what" test?