Random Advice for Writers: #1

Know the tropes of your genre. What will people expect, not only in terms of plot, but characters and character interactions.
Once you know them, decide when to work with them for flow, and when to work against them to surprise the reader and create something that stands out and feels original.
Also there are a few I think you should avoid completely. Deus ex machina and It Was All a Dream endings pretty much are going to feel to the reader like lazy storytelling that leaves them feeling cheated.