What makes a story you write read well, or sound good? It's been my experience that there are three big-picture things that really matter when you are writing a short story, or a book-length manuscript.
First and foremost is this: if you don't put it on page, it doesn't happen. There have been many times when I know a story so well that some things get past me. I forget to type the words. That means it never happened--even though I think it did--because you can't read the words that make it "real."
Second thing is: Characters say something, do something, or think something-or-other. They do this before, during, or after something else in their world happens. In first person, I can tell you that I dropped a glass of water while somebody was talking to me. Or, I can say that I said something after that same glass of water was dropped--by me--because I got scared by (bill in the blank).
Third is: Characters (Good Guys, Bad Guys) do something with-or-to each other. Think of it as interaction, or cause-and-effect. I talk to you, you say something back to me. They shoot at you, you duck for cover and reload. Back-and-forth it goes. Blend all three of these things together and you've got yourself a recipe for...something (which happens based on what your characters do).
If you want to bump this up a notch, please consider this: image and sentiment convey emotion. Characters who are afraid in a dark room have a better chance of making the reader feel that fear. Somebody who is very happy to get the birthday present they most wanted is more likely to make your readers feel good. The unfortunate fellow who got slippers (again) is, well...just out of luck. When you can, think of your movie as a book. No, wait. Book as a movie--yeah--imagine it. Everything has some kind of descriptor associated with it. Darkness can be pitch black. Vehicles,
meaning cars and trucks, can be large or small. Doesn't seem like much, but it matters.
Anything you can describe could happen in your story. that's true for what any character says to somebody in your fictional world. What's the other guy going to say as a reply? Figure that out and you're on your way to dialogue. Throw in some feelings (happy, sad, hate, rage) and you've got some give-and-take with more depth. Top is all off with some narration about surroundings and you are dangerously close to fiction that conveys mood, momentum, and some page-turning because readers want to know more. That's what makes any story readable.