adapted from St. Martin's Guide to Writing
1. Draw a straight line under any words or phrases that seem especially effective: strong verbs, memorable details, striking images.
2. Circle any words or phrases that you consider empty, flat, stale, or vague. Also circle any words or phrases that seem unnecessary or repetitious.
3. Look for pairs or groups of sentences that you think could be combined. Put brackets around these sentences.
4. Look for sentences that are confusing, overloaded, or awkward. Put parentheses around these sentences. Put them around sentences that seem even slightly difficult to understand.
5. Look for sentences that need specific examples or further explanation. Place an E at the beginning of these sentences to let the writer know you would like more information.