Any short story tips?

• The first commandment: enjoy writing them.
• You have to stay focused on the theme. As a novel writer, I use my characters. As a short-story character, my characters use me.
• Don't have a lot of characters. Three or four at a maximum. I've written a 500-word piece with 2 characters and an 8,000 piece with 3 and there's little variation between lengths.
• It should cover a short timeframe. The story must have a pulse so the reader keeps turning that page. Each word must hum with electricity. It has to affect the reader.
• Remove adverbs (I was recently educated that what I used to refer to as 'superfluous text' is commonly known as an adverb. I discovered the mechanical words used in writing have names. In the past, I made my own up. They usually end in -ly. Suddenly, quickly, etc. Superfluous. When editing, use the delete button).
• Enjoy writing them.
• It doesn't matter how big or small a piece of writing is. Both the 50-word flash fiction and 1,000,000 epic novel are written the same way: word by word. One at a time.
• There are 26 letters in our alphabet. With half a dozen punctuation marks, how far wrong can you go? Write the damn thing, then edit it. Don't let the reader sit on your shoulder.
• Develop an inner voice, whether you're writing flash fiction, short stories or novels. I call mine the 'Ancient Heart', which is in my opinion, closer to Carl Jung's theory on the collective unconscious than I dare admit.