Engineering complete, active sentences, often with an object in addition to a subject and verb. Although a prominent Biblical figure once said, "Turn the other cheek," I try to avoid passivity in writing. It's difficult, but as complete as I can make it in my world, "to be" is not to be.
Paraphrasing information and generating allegorical images to explain and illuminate important facts and concepts. Although it's best to get metaphors and similes from the horse's mouth, sometimes the horse ranks below Mr. Ed on the communication scale. I always try to translate science-speak into English, my language of choice, and compare the unknown to something that a reader can relate to. Sometimes a metaphor lays itself down at my feet and other times I have to think long and hard to come up with my own. In the latter case, it's usually worth the struggle.
Processing sentence length within paragraphical constraints to achieve rhythm and emphasis. A five-word sentence here, a twenty-five word, double-claused, prepositionally prattled, and semi-coloned behemoth there. All in the name of keeping the reader's interest.
Eliminating unnecessary words to proactively achieve concision. We're all allowed one little lie in life. So I'm a bit verbose. That's what editors are for.
Applying research and fact-checking skills to compose lay-level documents about unfamiliar, complicated topics. Jumping into a completely foreign field really makes you learn a lot -- I've learned things like what quantum effects are, or how a large corporate and government bureacracy amalgam can at times work, and even the appropriate usage of the word "proactive". (That's NEVER, incidentally.) Science topics aren't the only thing one needs to research.
Outwardly conveying receptivity to the editorial processing of my work. Usually the expression of this well-developed skill depends on the amount of coffee I've had. I'd say the correlation coefficient is 1. But I do say thank you when it's all over and my editor is lying in a pool of red ink behind the copier. I say it loud so they (see pronouns below) can hear me. Did I just use the verb to be?
Editorially processing colleagues' work to enable the enhancement of their messages. Let's just say what goes around comes around. You give me "trickle" for "move" and I'll give you "transmogrify" for "change". See. I'm easy.
Nouns I use them. I try to average between one and twelve per sentence, and balance one syllablers with larger, more colorful multi-plexed nouns. I strive to have as many unrelated nouns in one sentence as possible, if only so I can say I juxtaposed "underpants" and "neutron".
Verbs Active verbs will be left in the dust by the new revolution in writing -- using proactive verbs. Jump on the bandwagon now and feel the synergy.
Prepositions/prepositional phrases Knowing that a preposition is wherever a mouse can go, sometimes I dapple my prose with the meandering buggers to catch a little travel on the taxpayers' doll. Or is it dole?
Pronouns I resist change, fiercely at times, but I've gently nudged the use of the plural pronouns for the nongendered singular case along language's slow evolutionary path. Why doesn't an anthropomorphic, hermaphroditic comet hit the English language and put a little selective pressure on this problem, huh?
Clauses In general, a sentence will do instead of a clause. But in certain cases, clauses are really useful, such as when one has too many clothes, walk-in clauses are key to crisp sentences. I've also found that in the holiday season, bearded clauses are a great way to get new writing supplies.
Semicolons/commas Why they named them semicolons instead of supercommas is beyond me.
Conjunctions I dropped all my sandbags but my balloon wouldn't go any higher. A loudly pronounced conjunction can make up for many inadequate transitions. But not all.
Adverbs/adjectives Whenever I confused adverbs with adjectives growing up, I sang the Electric Company's jingle: You enter a very dark room, and sitting there in the gloom, is DRACULA-a-a-a! ! ! How do you say goodbye? IMMEDIATELY -- IMMEDIATELY -- IMMEDIATE -- L-Y.
m dash Whether it's two hyphens snuggled next to each other or a properly coded dash the length of an m's width, this punctuation mark frees me from being concerned about too many commas, or semicolons, or bonbons the night before. So often it fills the niche, the beat, between my thoughts. So small, yet so powerful. All hail the m dash.