The quick list comes from Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark.

Self-editing is a skill that any writer can benefit from, though sometimes as writers, we don’t know what we don’t know. In other words, we struggle with precisely what to focus on to improve our writing. In times like these, we can use Roy Peter Clark’s 50 Writing Tools: Quick List as a starting point and a checklist to help us shape and hone our prose.

Based on Clark’s book, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, each tip is designed to improve either your writing or your writerly workflow.

While Clark wrote his tips with journalists in mind, there are plenty of great ideas for those who write flash fiction, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or prose. Here’s just a sample of some gold:

• No. 2: Order words for emphasis. Place strong words at the beginning and at…