I know of few editing techniques that can improve copy then the great word shuffle. First drafts can simply be described as a true ‘stream of conscious’ – whatever pours out of your fingers. One might say it’s diar4hea of the fingers as well, because it’s so verbose. But that’s OK – it’s the first draft.

As I start my editing process, I watch for easy word shuffles as the first step to punching up my copy. For example, “She sprang off the branch, glancing over her shoulder for the redcrest,” can be tweaked with, “Glancing over her shoulder for the redcrest, she sprang of the branch.” As simply as that, a sentence has more action.

Whenvever a sentence leads off with he, she, they, it’s my first red flag it’s probably queued up for word shuffle.