Construction
Every story must have an opening, body and closing. Without these three parts, your narrative appears incomplete. The opening can happen in several ways, but it must be used to grab the attention of the reader early and help motivate him to finish the story. You can start with a foreshadowing of what's to come or use an attention-grabbing sentence that will drive readers to continue. The body is the main part and most important portion of the story, covering the plot as a whole. The closing is a wrap-up of loose ends. You may leave the reader hanging at the end, just don't leave him completely confused.
Plot
The plot is an essential element for any piece of fiction. Your plot must be creative and intriguing and basically is the story for your narrative. For example, the plot could be a character who finds out that she was switched at birth and grew up with the wrong parents. After her discovery, she goes on a search for her biological parents, learning many important things about herself along the way.
Characters
A well-developed character is the one thing above any other that draws your reader into the story. The main character should be realistic with a some sort of element makes them stand out that keeps the reader intrigued with the story. Your reader must be able to relate with the character by the character having both weaknesses and strengths that create an emotional framework to identify with. Elements such as age, ethnicity, past and even setting all influence the make-up of a character.
Setting
The setting influences all aspects of your plot. A setting even affects your characters emotionally and set the mood for your readers. A setting includes everything from the region they are living in to the mobile home in which your character resides. Make the setting an integral part of your story, and you will find it becoming a more believable story.