Style & PolishingTips

Try not to use more than two commas in a sentence. It keeps you from saying too many things at one time. Also, it prevents the overuse of adjectives.

Be specific; avoid generalities (blue instead of colorful, Ford instead of car, and so on).
Vary lengths of your sentences and your paragraphs.

Arranging the elements of a series from short to long, from simple to compound, helps comprehension. For example:

-Place longer words at the end of the series. Example: Change "oranges and pears" to "pears and oranges."
-Place phrases at the end of the series. Example: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" flows better than "liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and life."
-Place compound elements at the end of the series. Example: "He made the bed, mopped the floor, and washed the glasses, dishes and silverware" is far more readable than "He washed the glasses, dishes and silverware, made the bed and mopped the floor.

"Exceptions: When chronology dictates the order of a series (breakfast, lunch and dinner) — When familiarity dictates the order (peaches and cream).from Edit Yourself by Bruce Ross-Larson

In his essay "Politics and the English Language," George Orwell offered guidelines that are even more pertinent today:

-Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech you're used to seeing in print.
-Never use a long word where a short one will do.
-If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out.
-Never use the passive where you can use the active.
-Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.