1. Closure is required.
  2. Each character has an arc that gets them from point A to point B. Point B is noticeably different from point A.
  3. Describe with the five senses.
  4. Write such that the words make beautiful speech. Everyone reads in an internal monologue — so sentences that are easy to speak sound clearer and flow nicely.
  5. Given point 4: grammar is, for the most part, optional. I don't need to worry about the semantics and style of language; I just need to make sure you pause when I need you to.
  6. Making things up often seems more real than heavy research. Use this as a word of advice for fiction and a word of caution for nonfiction.
  7. Write like a human. Listicles give you points on the search engines, but there is something artificial about lists.
  8. That being said, use lists if you're lazy.
  9. Brevity is the soul of wit.
  10. Try not to think about it too hard.