why it worked, and apply it.

Don't be fooled by flash-in-the-pan successes and don't try to imitate what is new and novel. If someone comes along and does something different, such as telling a story backwards, or out of sequence, it doesn't mean it's going to be the way things are done from now on. How many backward movies do you want to see?

Respect your audience. It's not their job to "get it"; it's your job to communicate it to them.

Understand that you are only as good as you are today, and don't beat yourself up. You'll get better.