Whatever genre you’re writing, remember that the fewer characters a reader has to remember, the better their reading experience will be. Make sure that every character or living person you include plays an integral, and not just a sentimental, role.
If a writer sticks to speaking words (said, asked) for their dialogue tags, then the tags will fade into the background for the reader, keeping their attention on the good stuff, the actual dialogue.
Not acknowledging the passage of time can leave readers confused about “when” they are in the story.
Story elements are the building blocks of a story.
Specifically, characters, plot, and setting are the foundational pieces. No character? No story. No plot? No story. No setting? No story.