I read it out loud, if it SOUNDS good, that's how I write it. The sentences and paras do just "flow out", but then I rewrite, and move things around, add or delete things. Then I rewrite some more. I can't imagine how writers worked before word processing.

A lot of the construction goes on at the subconscious level. I've noticed that sometimes when I re-read my old stuff I pick up on neat things I didn't even realize I was doing when I wrote it. Sometimes I feel like I'm reading someone elses writing. "Damn, did I say they THAT? I don't remember thinking that." Its like I have a ghost writer inside my head, helping me along, and not always telling me what he's doing.

My biggest problem is I always write too much. Less is more, prune your prose. I also show off too much, using too many adjectives in a sentence, or too many phrases and clauses in a paragraph. Give one example, not three. I have a good vocabulary, but I tend to abuse it. Always choose the simpler of two options, little words in place of big ones, keep it simple and keep your English non-technical, non-academic, non-fancy. There are times when you may actually want to sound like a professional monograph, or legalistically, or poetically; but make sure you know exactly why you're doing it and who you're trying to reach. Always choose the more basic or familiar way of saying things, The writing should be clear and simple and straight-forward, not dense and complex and convoluted. When I read my old stuff that's the flaw I see most often, I'm showing off and it sounds like I'm showing off. Its my biggest problem, I tend to run off at the mouth instead of letting the reader fill in the blanks. What you're really communicating to your audience is "You guys are too dumb to pick up on this, I have to explain it to you." They'll pick up on that real quick.

Another problem I have is style, sometimes different parts of a piece will differ in tone or style. Not good or bad, just different. A little bit of this is OK, it keeps the tone from sounding boring or monotonous, but too much is distracting. These issues are hard to spot while you're writing, but often stick out like a sore thumb during editing, or when read out loud. Try to duplicate the rhythms and cadences of spoken conversation in your writing, but don't feel you can't occasionally dump a real rococo rant on them. Again, don't over do it.

But remember, there are no hard or fast rules. Most of the errors you can make can occasionally work perfectly, but don't over-do it. Sometimes even deliberate misspellings or bad grammar can be right on target, but do it too often and it can bite you in the ass. The reader will think, "Oh, he's being cutesy again." If that happens, you've lost him.

And know your reader. If you're delivering the same message to two different people, it SHOULD sound different. And you should either write for a specific audience (easy), or come up with a message which will appeal to different audiences (very, very hard).