on writing success - 7 ways to make a story great

Writer's Digest has some tips on upping the quality of your writing:

1.  Go beyond the five senses - what about smell, texture, weight, proximity
2.  Embrace idiosyncrasies - sharpen your characters
3.  Forget about being pretty - touch on dark, uncomfortable subjects too
4.  Be true to your IQ - don't dumb things down if its not true to who you are
5.  Use your best material only when it has a purpose - discretion
6.  Make then laugh - comb characters for humor possibilities
7.  Make them cry - your pathos must not be cheap

 Full article here.

By Alli Coate