Many drafts find their real beginning only after the first explanation is removed.
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.
Cut the opening paragraph 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 small trial
Apply the idea to one ordinary example this week. Keep the change only if it reduces searching, maintenance, or uncertainty.
Apply the idea to one ordinary example this week. Keep the change only if it reduces searching, maintenance, or uncertainty.
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.
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