Writing Tips—How To Make A Story Interesting
1) Don't Be Repetitive
If you find yourself saying the same (your characters doing similar little actions: 'I stared at x'... 'later x stared at y'), think of a different way to say the action, in the same way that you'd choose different verbs of speaking to emphasise the dialogue or the action going on around it. Rephrase the sentence to make it original, to make it something that you wouldn't have thought of at first.
You'll also find that working to change the sentence can influence the way a story is going, which can inspire a new direction.
For example, I found myself recently writing 'they spoke in Russian' ... 'x said in Russian' ... 'z muttered to x in Russian', so I changed one of the phrases to 'X muttered in his native tongue.' Small changes like this can make a big difference.
The next tip is very similar to the first.
2) Vary Your Sentence Structure
Don't start every sentence, or even every paragraph with the same sentence structure. Change it up a bit; use a verb one time and a subject the next.
Though probably not the best, the following example will give you an idea of what I mean. This is a two paragraph excerpt of my current work in process.
Sarah nodded and headed down with the young girl. Thankfully, the girl had brought down a torch and lit a couple others that lined the wall, or Sarah wouldn't have been able to see a thing. Unlike at Griffon's and Bear's the light did not pour in from the kitchen and illuminate what was there. It wasn't hard to tell that the fall harvest was in full swing.
Deciding upon carrots, potatoes and peas Sarah brought an armful up to her station. Hickory she noted was standing by the door and Margaret quickly joined Sarah.
3) Use Interesting Synonyms ... But Make Sure You Get Them Right
Interesting synonyms can add a bit of spark to a dull sentence, making it bright again. However this is an area where you need to be careful. Not all the synonyms of a word will fit in the context of your sentence, and the last thing you want when trying to impress your readership with your impressive wordmanship is to have them scratch their head, wondering just why that sentence doesn't make sense.
4) Try Something New
You might have reached a stalemate in your story, where everything is kind of heading down a predictable track. Don't be afraid to have your characters suddenly have a new crisis to deal with, like an ambush, or a new character to liven up a group of characters which are now too comfortable with each other. A little bickering with a new character, or a new love triangle, can always add a little spice.
5) Foreshadow
When used well foreshadowing can be your greatest friend. There's nothing like amazing your readers later down the story by how early you hinted at an important plot point. Some authors do this well over several books, foreshadowing in the first book points from the last of a series. It is foreshadowing that will have your readers eager to reread your books, trying to find out what other hints they may have also missed earlier in the story. And it's not a hard thing to include. Sometimes all it requires are a few carefully placed words, a subtly mentioned item, a place mentioned in passing. Even one word can sometimes be enough.
6) Metaphores and Similes
The best works of fictions all used metaphores to create a picture and a mood. I find that the usage of a metaphor strengthens the image created, whether of a person, a scene or an action. For example, instead of saying, "He waited for the perfect moment" you could say, "He was a panther on padded feet, his bright eyes waiting for the perfect moment to pounce." Similes could be used in a similar way, although I feel metaphores do provide much more strength to a description.
