1. START IN THE RIGHT SPOT: Just before the catalyst-that life-altering opportunity that changes the direction of your character's life.
2. SHOW: Don't tell a backstory. Show it.
3. TIGHTEN IT UP: Wordy writing drags the pace and creates more work for the reader.
4. RAISE A QUESTION: Include one on the first page to engage curiosity.
5. BUILD EMPATHY: For readers to fall in love with a story, they need to care about the character.

 Things to avoid:

• Repeated or unnecessary words and sentence structures
• Reliance on dialogue to convey information to the reader
• Characters using each others' names repeatedly in dialogue
• Superfluous adverbs (he said angrily, she walked away quickly)
• Too many adjectives (the puffy, white, cotton candy clouds)
• Play-by-play-character movements that don't need to be included(picking things up, crossing rooms, standing and sitting, etc.)