I have a small critique for point #3. While no one will instantly love a character at first, there has to be something in the first chapter to hook people in. In the first paragraph. As you said, the structure of a story can interest people.

A point to add for this post is for writers to find the strong areas of their writing and use that as a hook. For example, I've been told that my descriptions and dialogue are nice and organic, so starting with them is my best bet to hook a reader. 

Another point of writing that I've thought of thise summer is the trust relationship between reader and author. One way in which it's hard for new authors and writers to 'break in' is because people have such limited time to invest in something that may not be quick to reward. Fanfiction can be easier as there's people with invested interest in the original media, but what about original authors?

One example that comes to mind is a story that's written in the POV of a mental patient that's suppossed to be confusing. The chapter was over 20 minutes long and their was no answer/reward anywhere in it (that I remember). Maybe if I knew the author better, I would have read on to chapter two, but that didn't happen.

On the other hand, I've read stories from my friends on Penana, stories that I otherwise would never even glance at, because I've read their stuff before and I know that I'll enjoy what they make. Even if some paragraphs are confusing, I know that I'll find out about it at the end.

This is a great idea for a blog and I hope to see more posts.