Quick 50 Writing Tools - Dr. Roy Clark

I - Nuts and Bolts

Begin sentences with subjects and verbs. Make meaning early, then let weaker elements branch to the right.
Order words for emphasis. Place strong words at the beginning and at the end.
Activate your verbs. Strong verbs create action, save words, and reveal the players.
Be passive-agressive. Use passive verbs to showcase the "victim" of action.
Watch those adverbs. Use them to change the meaning of the verb.
Take it easy on the -ings. Prefer the simple present or past.
Fear not the long sentence. Take the reader on a journey of language and meaning.
Establish a pattern, then give it a twist. Build parallel constructions, but cut across the grain.
Let punctuation control pace and space. Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think.
Cut big, then small. Prune the big limbs, the shake out the dead leaves.

II - Special Effects

Prefer the simple over the technical. Use shorter words, sentences, and paragraphs at points of complexity.
Give key words their space. do not repeat a distinctive word unless you intend a specific effect.
Play with words, even in serious stories. Choose words the average writer avoids but the average reader understands.
Get the name of the dog. Dig for the concrete and specific, details that appeal to the senses.
Pay attention to names. Interesting names attract the writer and the reader.
Seek original images. Reject cliches and first-level creativity.
Riff on the creative language of others. Make word lists, free-associate, be surprised by language.
Set the pace with sentence length. Vary sentences to influence the reader's speed.
Vary the length of paragraphs.
Choose the number of elements with a purpose in mind. Each sends a secret message to the reader.
Know when to back off and when to show off. When the topic is most serious, understate; when least serious, exaggerate.
Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction. Learn when to show, when to tell, and when to do both.
Tune your voice. Read drafts aloud.