Another quick writing tip here. This one, I think, I learned from a high school English teacher:

There’s always a better word than thing.

And I’d say about 95 percent of the time I can think of that word.

Next time you’re writing and find yourself using the word “thing,” stop and take a minute to think if there’s a more specific word you could use. If you can’t think of one, finish your writing and then come back to it. Think again. Give yourself about 5 minutes with it. I’ll bet you can come up with something better.