> Cut out explanations of stuff you're about to write about. The danger zone for these is introductory paragraphs. It depends. You have to let the reader know

> Cut out explanations of stuff you're about to write about. The danger zone for these is introductory paragraphs. It depends. You have to let the reader know (i) what you're talking about, and (ii) what you're really saying. An example: Suppose you write about how taxes are bad. What do you mean by "taxes"? What else happens other than the tax change? What current event is behind your decision to write about the topic? The author is right if there's an introductory paragraph with a dictionary definition of taxes and then describing how taxes are collected in the US. If the introductory paragraph provides different tax rates (income, capital gains, etc.) and explains what they cover, who pays them, and so on, it's useful to include. You should err on the side of too much background rather than too little.