1) Start in the right frame of mind. Looking for the powerful ideas in your copy is like looking for bone structure in a pudgy person.

2) Save words with meaning but trim the "nothing" words. Purge phrases such as:

• in order to
• to enable to
• that we are attempting to do
• which we are trying to reach for
• It is important/essential/crucial that...

3) Decide whether present tense might work as well as present progressive tense. Instead of "we are seeking," try "we seek."

4) Reduce redundancies—witnessed firsthand, visibly saw, possible future options, various kinds of different ways.

5) Use more possessive terms (church's mission) and fewer prepositional phrases (the mission of the church).

6) Cut clichés. Some clichés serve as verbal shorthand or make your audience feel comfortable. But are “at the end of the day” or “when all is said and done” essential to your message?

7) Say it once. Piling on similar clauses may not be necessary: Clearly we are at a crossroads, a precipice that could lead to disaster. Given how on edge our finances are, we have to wonder what our future path will entail.

8) If your writing seems stuffy, consider replacing Latinate words with Anglo-Saxon ones. Why use longer, formal words (implement, facilitate) when shorter, vivid terms (tool, help) create a warmer, more direct connection between you and your readers? Sometimes, however, you’ll have to write “organization,” because no synonym will fit your meaning.

9) Give your topic sentence top billing. Have you meandered through a few sentences before expressing a paragraph’s key idea? If so, delete those useless sentences.

Bonus tip: Feel it in your head. This idea won’t work for everyone, but do try it. Breathe deeply, lower your shoulders, and relax. Focus your awareness inside your skull. Now skim your copy and notice which words have weight and which feel like irrelevant fluff.

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