The great thing with an A to Z post is it gives you an instant framework! So my A to Z of story essentials (to be shared over the next couple of weeks or so) includes the following.
A = Action - without this there is no story. Something has to happen!
B = Belief - this can be the belief of the character, the beliefs held by the world in which they're set or both of course. The lead character has to have belief in what they are doing to be able to follow it through.
C = Credible Characters - there has to be characters a reader can get behind, whether it is to cheer them on, or hope said characters fail. (It is cathartic to boo on the villain!). We should be able to understand why your characters are the way they are/acting the way they are even if we don't necessarily agree with them.
D = Dialogue - also has to be convincing. Accents and dialects are best used sparingly. The odd word will give enough of a flavour of the relevant accent/dialect without overdoing it. Dialogue in characters should sound natural (read it out loud to see if it does flow well. If not, edit!)
E = Editing - this is the writer's friend, honestly. Nobody produces a perfect draft first go. Shakespeare didn't. Dickens didn't. We're not going to either. But put work aside for a while so you can come back to it and look at it with a fresh eye. Remember editing is not just about spotting the typos and grammatical errors. There should be structural and story edits to ensure the structure and the story holds together and works the way they should.
More next time...