Cutting properly.
THE INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS
"Reduce this to [length]. Keep every substantive point. Remove only padding, repetition and hedging."
WHY BE EXPLICIT
Asked simply to shorten, the model removes content indiscriminately, including things that mattered.
WHAT SHOULD GO
Preamble Restatements
Hedging: "it could be argued that", "in many cases"
Transitions that announce themselves Adjectives doing no work Examples that duplicate each other
WHAT SHOULD STAY
Every distinct point Specific figures and examples Qualifications that genuinely qualify
CHECKING THE RESULT
List the points in the original. Confirm each appears in the shortened version.
Tedious for important documents, and it catches real losses.
THE TWO-PASS APPROACH
Ask for a version at half the length. Then ask what was removed.
That surfaces losses you might not notice.
WHY SHORTENING IMPROVES MOST WRITING
Most drafts, human or AI, contain a quarter that could go without loss.
