Duration of story. Is this too long - or too short? In a short story, such as one intended for a magazine, many editors seem to prefer stories where the action is confined to a time period of a few days. The thinking is that a duration of months or years is far too long. Conversely, an epic 150,000-word novel can comfortably have a duration within its pages of a century - or even more! If writing any work of fiction, always think - have I started far enough into the story to 'get it going', without a lot of possibly boring (and unnecessary) preamble. You need to put 'the hook' in quickly to catch your reader!Complexity.It's been said that in some ways, a story is like a pudding - make it too rich and it won't be enjoyed the same as if you kept it simple but well-made. Have a look at what your story is really about - do a summary. Is it too complex? Has it 'run away from you'? Is your lead character still really your lead character? You may well find that suddenly you really have two - or more - stories bound up together!Over-writing. Don't over-elaborate on your settings. It may be tempting to wax lyrical about the beauty of the surroundings, the perfect sunset or any one of a dozen things - but ask yourself: does it really contribute towards the story as a whole or is it just so much verbiage? Certainly include details of the location if it's important but keep it brief. And as for sunsets - we all know what one is like and the words 'it was a beautiful sunset' are usually quite enough! Too much depth of description can be seen by readers as what's termed 'authorial intrusion.' Avoid it!Characters should lead the plot, not be mere puppets in its service. If your characters suddenly start behaving in a way that is 'out of character', an astute reader will soon recognise this for what it is - an attempt to force the action along due to badly-plotted story lines. Too, key characters should not be introduced late in your story - it gives the feeling that they are again a 'plot-prop' used when you've made a bad plotting error. Always have your main characters introduced in the first part of the story - in novels in the first quarter of the book.Viewpoint. Is this being maintained correctly? One of the commonest mistakes a short-story writer can make is to lose control of viewpoint. In magazine stories it is usual to have a single viewpoint only - that of the lead character. In longer works, where several viewpoint characters are included, the same applies - a chapter starting out from character 'A' viewpoint should not mysteriously slide into that of character 'B' - and this mistake really confuses readers! Remember too that, in viewpoint writing, you can't say things like 'Jeff would find out later what Mary was about to do' - because Jeff has no way of knowing that, has he? From his viewpoint he can have no idea that Mary is going to do anything! This sort of intrusion distances the reader from the action - beware of it!Dialogue. Remember that each character should have their own 'voice' and beware of falling into the 'me-speaking' trap. This can easily happen when the story is hot in your mind and the words are flying onto the page - you start writing as you would speak, acting as you might act - only it isn't you, is it? Think - would your character really say it like that? If not, re-write your draft making them the star - not you! Also ensure that dialogue doesn't carry too much information, as in one character saying to another something like 'you must know that, when we first arrived here by spaceship a thousand years ago there were only one hundred inhabitants . . ' etc. etc. Of course the other person knows this - it's common knowledge to him - but it's a device some writers use to convey information that should be introduced by other methods. It's just plain poor writing!Read it aloud. Does your story 'flow'? Or does it get bogged down by passages that, however good they look on the page, simply do not 'read' well? It's sometimes an idea to strike a piece of writing out that you consider to be very good. This may sound crazy but sometimes these rich passages are written not to improve the story but to satisfy the writer's sense of style. It's true - I've done it! Try it for yourself - does it weaken the story? If not - leave it out!Conclusion. If you have a twist-in-the-tail story, ask yourself - have I been fair to my reader? Have I dropped clues throughout for them to follow? Readers (and editors) don't take kindly to stories where the twist is a complete fabrication, used just to make an otherwise weak tale 'interesting'. Always be fair - leave clues throughout so, when the story ends the reader either nods in satisfaction at being hoodwinked or at the least groans in frustration at having missed your clues along the way! In action stories, finish the story once you've finished the action - don't drag it out. The reader will usually be able to guess that Jeff and Mary are made for each other if you've done your job properly!Overall impact. As a writer for women's magazines, I've found that editors - especially these days - don't always want the happy ending at all costs; real-life predicaments, problems and even bereavement can be included but - and it's a big but - the story should end on a positive note. Some people call it the 'feel-good' factor - and that's a good way of summing it up: leave your reader with a positive mental image of your story and they'll remember you next time round!Targeting of story. Is your story targeted towards your intended market? Has this affected your 'writing voice?' One of the easiest traps to slip into, particularly when writing short stories for magazines, is that of writing in manner you think your reader will like. This is not the same thing as writing the kind of story they'd like - that's a given. You must write in your own 'writing voice' and, if you're not constrained by editorial guidelines, write from the heart. This will aid your development as a writer so that, with practice, you will be able to write for any market but still retain your identity as a writer - an identity that readers will come to know and recognise. And, when you've finally decided that your final draft really is final, you'll know that it is your voice, as a writer, that shines through!