Edit for the reader

A final pass should remove the assumptions only the writer can see.

The observation

Clear writing begins by deciding what the reader should understand or do next. Draft the direct version first; qualification and texture can follow once the main line is visible.

Edit for the reader is less a rule than a useful test: does the arrangement make the next encounter clearer?

In practice

During revision, look for hidden assumptions, abstract nouns, and sentences carrying two jobs. Concrete nouns and working verbs make a paragraph easier to inspect.

A closing note

A useful final test is to read only the headings and first sentences. They should form an honest map of the whole piece.