Here is a collection of useful latex tricks I have been using in my papers.
\usepackage{todonotes}
For sticky notes:
\todo{your sticky note comment}
For notes placed in the text:
\todo[inline]{your sticky note comment}
Read this for more options and the documentation of the todonotes package.
\usepackage{color, soul}
\setstcolor{red}
For highlighted text:
\hl{your highlighted text}
For crossing-out text:
Check this out for more options.
\usepackage{verbatim}
Then put the text you want to comment out inside the environment:
\begin{comment}
everything your want to not show up in the document
\end{comment}
Can be way more powerful and faster than appending the % character to the beginning of each line.
How to add "sticky note" annotations to your manuscript
In the preamble of the document, add\usepackage{todonotes}
For sticky notes:
\todo{your sticky note comment}
For notes placed in the text:
\todo[inline]{your sticky note comment}
For a missing figure box, such that you want to remind yourself to add a plot there later:
\missingfigure{figure description}
Read this for more options and the documentation of the todonotes package.
How to highlight or cross-out text
In the preamble of the document, add\usepackage{color, soul}
\setstcolor{red}
For highlighted text:
\hl{your highlighted text}
For crossing-out text:
Check this out for more options.
For commenting out larger chunks of text
In the preamble of the document, add\usepackage{verbatim}
Then put the text you want to comment out inside the environment:
\begin{comment}
everything your want to not show up in the document
\end{comment}
Can be way more powerful and faster than appending the % character to the beginning of each line.