The 24 Laws of Storytelling by Jonathan Baldie

Great summary of the top things you should watch out for in a book, and very readable.

Here’s the summary:

• Law 1: Be cruel to your characters
• Law 2: End quickly at the moment of catharsis
• Law 3: Trust flaws more than strengths
• Law 4: Show, don’t tell
• Law 5: Reflect reality in fantasy
• Law 6: Make your villain the hero of their story
• Law 7: Weave foreshadowing into the plot seamlessly
• Law 8: Structure your story around change
• Law 9: Subvert expectations
• Law 10: Conflict is everything
• Law 11: Characters must learn from their mistakes
• Law 12: Hero and villain must share the same goal
• Law 13: Series are a right, not a privilege
• Law 14: Make bold choices
• Law 15: Tighten relentlessly
• Law 16: Humor is always welcome
• Law 17: Write along the line of greatest intuition
• Law 18: Accord with timeless myths
• Law 19: Build tension with a ticking time bomb
• Law 20: Concentrate dynamic impact
• Law 21: Description is telepathy
• Law 22: Great dialogue is about what’s not said
• Law 23: Write proactive characters
• Law 24: Point everything to the end and beyond