Quote Originally Posted by spike
There are so many more things to add here that it is a bit daunting.
(snip)
All of these problems are addressed by finding yourself an editor or beta-reader to point up the moments when things go wrong. If they laugh in the wrong places, for whatever reason, something is wrong. If they are confused about how something actually works, something is wrong. If they are distracted from the eroticism of a piece, something is wrong (another thing I was guilty of recently ).

And when nothing is wrong ...
You start getting good reviews.
(snip)
Spike
Ah, yes indeed, Spike. The EASIEST way of improving our stories is not secret, not arcane, no human sacrifices involved. (whispered) Just have someone you trust (shouted now) READ the thing. That *is* why you wrote it, right? A good editor, one who cares enough to bitch as necessary, to correct those silly placements of commas and quotation marks, will help us sound intelligent to our readers.... even if we really aren't.

Plus it will help win the Story Contest (cheap plug, grinning, I'm a judge).