Editing: The “Kill Your Darlings” Rule

Beginners write to add; masters write to subtract. The most powerful copywriting lesson is usually "delete the first paragraph." Fluff words (like "very," "really," "basically") dilute your message. They are the "umms" and "ahhs" of text. Powerful copy is dense. It respects the reader's intelligence and time by saying the most with the least. Every word must fight for its life on the page.