One of my worst writing habits is writing filler text, the most common offense being passive verbs. Here are the 3 things that help me write clearer using fewer words:

1. Read every day. We emulate what we consume. When I go months without reading books I can feel my writing getting looser. Many great authors, like Stephen King, also offer free writing tutorials.
2. Stylewriter highlights writing errors. It costs $150, but is cheap if you want to write for a living.
3. Twitter offers 140 characters. Many 160 character messages fit in 140 characters when optimized.

What are your favorite writing tips & tricks?