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Atop each column he would write the two elements being compared and contrasted.

In the Anglo-American tradition, strength manifests itself in specific, concrete nouns (especially in the subject position) followed by vigorous, active transitive verbs.

Don’t think reports or letters, King advises; think “picture postcard.” Look for a single image to imprint on the mind of readers and listeners.

Apply a 75 percent rule; that is, deliver the work in three-quarters of the expected length.

Delete words that mean little or nothing [kind of, really, actually]. Delete words that repeat the meaning of other words [various and sundry]. Delete words implied by other words [terrible tragedy]. Replace a phrase with a word [in the event that becomes if]. Change negatives to affirmatives [not include becomes omit].

Here is a list of the usual suspects: Adverbs Adjectives Strings of prepositional phrases (used as adjectives or adverbs) Intensifiers (very, quite, incredibly) Qualifiers (seems, kind of, sort of, mostly) Jargon (instructional units rather than lessons) Latinate flab (adjudicate rather than judge)

“brevity comes from selection and not compression.” Caution: never rip the fragment from its context.

Drehle would prepare himself to battle the clock with a set of focusing questions: Why does the story matter? What’s the point? Why is the story being told? What does the story say about life, the world, the times we live in? My colleague Chip Scanlan adds another question: What’s my story really about?