Second Look
A Scene Can Become Clearer When You Remove an Explanation
Test whether a scene already conveys what its explanatory sentence says. Compare two versions before deciding which information the reader needs.
A place to follow a sentence
Second Look
Return to a piece with fresh questions about purpose, clarity and the experience of reading it.
Second Look
Make a List Earn Its Place in a Paragraph
Use a list within prose deliberately by choosing an order, testing its final item, and cutting details that repeat the same job.
Second Look
The Reader Should Not Have to Guess Which “She” You Mean
Find ambiguous pronouns in a draft by tracing who each sentence refers to, then make the smallest revision that restores clarity.
Second Look
A Title Should Promise What the Piece Actually Gives
Test a working title against the draft’s actual question, example and ending so it attracts the right reader without promising a different article.
Second Look
Turn an Abstract Claim into a Paragraph Someone Can Picture
Support an abstract sentence with a relevant example, explain the connection, and keep illustrative details from turning into invented factual evidence.
Second Look
A Tense Check Works Better When You Know the Story’s Present
Check narrative tense by identifying the main time frame and the purpose of each shift, rather than changing every verb to the same form mechanically.
Second Look
Keep a Revision Log That Explains the Change, Not Every Keystroke
Record major revision decisions in a few lines so you can compare versions, preserve useful experiments and avoid repeating changes that did not solve the problem.
Second Look
How to cut a sentence without cutting its meaning
Make prose leaner by identifying the action, removing repeated work and keeping qualifications that protect the meaning.