Within the first page, you need to catch the reader’s attention.

• What does your character want or need? What’s in the way?
• What are they like as a person? Does a real sense of personality come across?
• Is everything happening in a vacuum, or is it solidly grounded in time and space?
• Is there a sense of direction in your story?
• Is there a sense of unease, of something wrong?
• How does the writing flow? Silly errors will put the reader off.