If the reader can tell you what is going to happen in your story by reading the first few pages of your book, then why should he read on? If everything that happens in your book is predictable, a reader, be it an editor or agent, will grow bored. Shake things up by adding the unexpected.

If, when doing your reads, you discover your book is predictable, look at all your plot points and make a list of ten different things that could happen. The first three may be as predictable as the one you've already written, the last three may be too farfetched, but study those in between. You may find a new twist to give your plot just the excitement it needs.

Look for those mundane conversations that lack sparkle. How can you add some bling? Can you make a suspenseful scene more suspenseful through dialogue, a humorous scene funnier, or a sexy scene sexier? See the following example:

Without Bling: As soon as the meeting was over, Jody walked through the restaurant to the booth where Tom waited for her. “Sorry it took so long. Can I buy you a beer to make up for it?”

Tom glanced up and scooted over at the same time. “It's okay. But a beer would be nice.”

With Bling: As soon as the meeting was over, Jody sashayed through the restaurant to the booth where Tom waited for her. “Hi, sugah,” she said, her voice oozing Georgia charm. “Sorry it took so long. How's about I buy you a drink to make up for it?”

Tom's blue gaze slid over her. “It depends. Are you the type of woman who thinks one drink means I'll be going home with you tonight?”

She blinked. “Do I look like that type?” Then she noticed the corner of his lips turning up in a sexy, crooked smile. That one smile of his had butterflies playing Hide n' Go Seek in her stomach.

He patted the small space on the booth's seat beside him. “A guy could hope.”

Use dialogue to make your characters jump off the page and come to life for your readers.

Your characters react to everything that happens to them in the course of the book. While to some degree, they should respond to the situation “in character,” it's wise to remember that in tense situations (which should happen frequently in your book), it is human nature for people to occasionally react and make choices that might seem shocking to others and sometimes even to themselves.

When doing your last polish of your book, look for character responses to stressful situations. Have you taken full advantage of your character's reactions? Do their responses sometimes give the reader an unexpected surprise or insight into their characters?