tighten-thislisted

# tighten-this First drafts carry padding the idea doesn't need. Keep the ideas; cut the words around them. This skill is one editing pass: keep the meaning, cut the padding, surface the point. ## When to use Any draft that feels long or buried — an email, a doc, a PR description, a message, a launch post. Run it after the draft exists, not while you're writing. ## The pass ### 1. Put the point first Find the one sentence that says what you actually want. Move it to the top. If a reader stops after the first line, they should still get the message. ### 2. Cut the throat-clearing Delete openers that carry no information: - "I just wanted to reach out to..." → start with the ask. - "It's worth noting that..." → just note it. - "In order to" → "to". "At this point in time" → "now". "Due to the fact that" → "because". ### 3. Drop the hedges "I think maybe we could possibly" says nothing. Pick one: you recommend it or you don't. Hedging reads as insecure or evasive. ### 4. Active voice, real subject "A decision was made to delay" → "We delayed." Name who does what. Passive voice hides the actor and adds words. ### 5. One idea per sentence A sentence with two "and"s and a "which" is usually three sentences crammed into one. Break it up. Short sentences are easier to trust. ### 6. Replace adjectives with the fact behind them "Blazingly fast" tells the reader nothing; "under 200ms" does. When you reach for an adjective, ask what made you reach for it, and write that instead