I have written a few books, quite a few op-eds...and I have written and edited a CRAZY amount of research reports. Hence, the debate about 'writing tips' by @NateSilver538 and @Birdyword get me thinking...

Here are 7 writing tips I have been using, which have been helpful to me.

1/ When you are stuck, write down why. Right at the top of the article/chapter. Often articulating the problem, will solve it magically. And if not, you will at least have the problem specified when you go to battle the next time.

2/ When you are doing analytical writing, do not write down the steps in your analysis, but what the conclusion is. The actual steps will make the reader go to sleep, or something worse.

3/ When you have written something that is bad, do not spend too much time saving it. It is often better to put the bad to the side, and start fresh (especially if it is a long bad piece)

4/ Cut out most of the qualifications: ‘I think’, ‘most likely’, ‘all else equal’, unless you are under any specific compliance/legal restrictions in your writing, or really do not have much conviction.

5/ Use full stops liberally. There is no shortage of them. In the digital age, they do not even require ink. Reading page-long paragraphs is just a pain. Use lots of full stops.

6/ Some people have learnt in school that starting a sentence with 'But' is not ok. But it is ok (unless u have a very old-fashioned editor). And it makes it much easier to get on with your life / message.

7/ Try to write fast. Fast often means clear and connected. Slow means repetitive, disconnected, boring. Do not worry about the details when you are in fast mode, then can be handled later, when you are tired and just need the final polish.

These tips may not work for haiku poems or romantic love letters. But they have been helpful for econ/finance/policy/business writing, which is what I do more of. And they may be helpful for other communication to.

END

PS: If you have suggestions on your own, I am keen to hear them...