Try to give your story as much depth as possible.
The one thing that really attracts me to a story is a lot of round (complex) characters, with a well-thought-out, original plot. Some things you'll want to avoid are things like having your pirate start out in the Bilgewater Jail (unoriginal, no offense to those that have used it,) creating a sporadic plot line, and making your story so simple that it doesn't have that kind of "PAZAZZ!" that other stories on here do.
Starting the story is always the hardest part of it, and there will be times when you feel your story is being unread or ignored. But, trust me, once you get off the ground, everything will just flow.
Best of luck
