Respect Your Audience
Updated July 28, 2007
Since the quality of your story is a matter of opinion, make sure you are aware of who will be watching, reading, or listening to your story.
Don't Underestimate Their Intelligence
Your audience doesn't want to be treated like idiots, no matter their age. Don't explain things to them when they could easily figure it out on their own. Don't try to fill your story with inaccurate facts because you think they won't notice. Don't fill your scenery with things that don't fit. If you don't respect your audience's intelligence, they won't respect yours.
Let Them Play Along
Your audience wants to be involved. Make them laugh. Make them cry. Make them think. Surprise them. Don't just expect them to passively sit there.
Let Them Escape
Your audience wants something from your story that they can't get from reality (at least they can't get it at the present). Maybe it's hope or revenge. Maybe it's humor about a bad situation. Maybe it's the chance to come face-to-face with death and survive. Maybe they just want to be the hero for once rather than the screw-up. Write with the intention of pulling them into your fictional world and let them escape reality.
...by Feed