Examine your modifiers ruthlessly. What do they add to the story?
Cut adjectives, adverbs, similes and metaphors which do not shed light or develop the narrative voice.
Don't repeat yourself.
Give the reader small surprises: moments of humor, delightful metaphors, something that jolts.
Understand your characters. No one is a villain to him/herself. No one is clinically sane if you know them well enough.
