One of the first things to remember about any kind of writing and revision is that all rules can be broken (and I wouldn't call these rules since I am not nearly qualified enough to proclaim what the rules are). But breaking any kind of rule or guideline should be done knowingly and with a purpose in mind. Of course, I break rules and guidelines all the time just because it sounds better another way or it makes the writing more "real" to me. In the end, whatever you write is yours. Only you can make the decision what works for your story and what doesn't. And only you an decide whether it is important to keep it as is or whether or not to make a compromise, even if it is a publisher wanting you to change it before they publish.

When revising, ask the following questions:

* What is my story about? or what is he pattern of change?

* Is there unnecessary summary?

* Why should the reader turn the page? is the language fresh? are the characters alive?

* Is it original? are there stereotypes, clichés, etc..

* Is it clear and easy to follow?

* Where is it too long?

* Where are any of the following underdeveloped: character, action, imagery, theme, dialogue?

* Where is it too general?

And watch for the following markers of good fiction:

* SHOW DON'T TELL!
Use action when possible, explain as little as possible.

* Professionalism:
Marked by punctuation, grammar, spelling; easy to follow/understand; smooth reading, do not stumble over writing/word choices; use variation in sentence structure, vocabulary fits meaning and the feel (i.e. don't use "educated language" for someone who isn't even out of junior high); good imagery (something to note: many writers wait until they have the story revised to what they want before they start actual editing for grammar and punctuation, which can help with just working with the ideas of the story. i find glaring errors too distracting and have to edit them when revising, but little stuff that doesn't distract me waits until I’m done revising. when it comes to editing for "correctness", do what works for you.).

* Setting
Should feel real, is convincing; use the 5 senses to help the reader experience it (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste - although this last one can very often be optional); detailed, comes alive, descriptive.

*Character Development
Believable, consistent characters; change, growth (particularly over novels); revealed in actions and dialogue; well rounded with good and bad personality traits - remember, no one is completely good or evil even if they appear to be; language, behavior, and dress takes into account age, gender, education, occupation, circumstances, etc..., and tend to change when reacting with other characters.

* Plot
Should ring true and seem believable; have a beginning, middle and end; not seem contrived, artificial or forced; everything makes sense; events are believable and the pace keeps readers going.

* Dialogue
Should also be believable; develop character and plot; match setting and character; each character has his/her own voice and can tell who is talking even without the dialogue/character tags.

* Detail and Description
Should be as specific and accurate as possible, watch for qualifiers and descriptions that are too general and change them to something more specific and accurate; avoid using two words together where the meaning of one encompasses the other, be aware of word meaning; be sure the metaphors fit and don't require the reader to work through them to understand the imagery you want; be aware of voice and pov as description can indicate a change in these areas, be clear of what voice you are using and which character you are staying with; make sure pronoun references are clear; make sure sounds fit object size, etc; be clear with time; be aware of effects over time, be realistic with actions of characters and effects of actions and events; carefully go over personifications and make sure they work/fit.

Other considerations:

* Voice
Cut as many -ly words as possible - use strong nouns and verbs instead; cut passive voice where possible by deleting to be verbs (is, was, were) and 'had' before a verb whenever a verb can carry the action or be adjusted to carry the action by itself.

* Repetition
Watch for words and concepts that are repeated close together ("She considered their conversation from earlier...they had talked about...since that discussion she..." all in one paragraph); use repetition only if the sentences can't be reworded or easily combined, or if trying to emphasize a something

*Wordiness
Especially in the short story, we need sharpness, economy, and vivid, telling detail: more than necessary is too much; but don't use this to limit detail either - some authors are extremely detailed in their novels.

* Sentences
Vary sentence length and structure: several short sentences together can sound choppy, unconnected and even like a child wrote them, especially when combined with repetitions (extreme example: "she has the ball. she is running with the ball. her name is Jane."); a number of long sentences together can overwhelm a reader, make a reader feel out of breath, and slow the story down; combine short sentences and break up long ones when possible, but keep in mind using a consistence sentence length can reinforce what's going on at a particular point in a story (example: "it was one of those long, languid July days, when the sun seemed to crawl across the sky, and the oppressive heat shimmered in the air without a breath of wind to provide relief. most of us avoided being outside, preferring to be inside in the cool air, drinking Macy’s homemade lemonade, and lazing about like a cat in a sunny window.").

* Drama
Some drama is good, too much or using words considered overly dramatic can come off as melodramatic and soap opera-ish (which is ok if you’re writing a soap opera, but tends to not do so well in other genres; and romance novels do NOT have to be melodramatic).