Titles can be the most difficult part of writing. A title should be a brief window into the heart of your story. You can choose to be deceptive with your titling, but beware of the potential backlash should the audience not receive the trickery well. A title can be self-explanatory or leave a reader with questions. Often times, leaving a reader perplexed gives him a reason to continue reading.
Your introduction should clearly describe your main character and your setting. This draws the reader into the world you intend to show her. A good introduction will at least hint at the potential conflict of the narrative. This gives the reader cause to remain curious about the rest of the piece.
A clear voice is very important when writing a narrative. You must decide whether it will be properly formatted or if the character will utilize poor English or slang to prove a point. You should only do this if it furthers the story. Your voice should be engaging, compelling the reader to keep reading. This can include utilizing humor or imagery to add to the simple statements you are making. This voice adds to the drama of the story itself.
All good essays have a beginning, middle and end, but in a narrative there must be a turning point that leads to your conclusion. The turning point marks a change for and in your main character. This event or moment makes the story dynamic and the essay important. If nothing changes from beginning to end, the piece is stagnant, which tends to leave the reader disappointed.
You can choose to have a dark lead character, but you must ensure something about him is relatable. There are many types of "heroes" but all of them have a humanity about them that engages the audience. If you have a fun-loving, but dim character there has to be something the reader wishes she could be in that person. Maybe it is a sense of whimsy or honesty. Whatever the humanity is, it will make your character memorable.