• Reserve the apostrophe for it's proper use, and omit it when its not necessary.
• Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of ten or more words, to their antecedents.
• If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
• Hyphenate only between sy-llables and avoid un-necessary hyphens.
• A writer must not shift your point of view.
• Fragments of sentences.
• Be watchful of run-on sentences if you aren't careful they can become cumbersome and your readers will be confused your meaning may be lost.
• Punctuation; is, important (to) clarify?
• Remember to never split infinitives.
• Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.

• to for too (I want to come along too!)
  
• breath for breathe (Take one long breath, but don't forget to breathe!)
  
• they're for their (They're here! Take their coats from them ok?)
  
• it's for its (It's sad, but the elephant lost its memory.)
  
• theirs for there's (The two desks are theirs, but there's something of mine there!)
  
• your for you're (You're kidding, me right? Your sister is not here!)
  
• then for than (If it's easier than I thought, then we can do it.)

There is, of course, a Web site that goes into more detail, and if you still have questions, you can send them to me!

FYI: Prodigal means recklessly wasteful; extravagant. Be careful who you call prodigal. It's not just that they came back from being away or something!