What makes a story good?

[Lillith]

I've read some things that looked promising, but were awful in the way they handle something or were written. By contrast I've read things I don't normally read and marveled at how well the story was written and how much I enjoyed it. Which leads me to this question, what makes a good story?

For me a good story depends on these factors:

1) Is the spelling and grammar correct?

I can't get into a story with constant mistakes that could be easily corrected the majority of the time. It's distracting to read something and HAVE to edit in your head to read it.

2) Was I able to suspend disbelief while reading the story?

If a story doesn't seem possible in the universe the story is set I'm not going to think of it as a good story though it may be enjoyable to read. To do so I would have to imagine it as an AU of some sort, where the circumstances presented are plausible.

3) Is the plot clear but not obvious?

This is one of the more difficult to explain of mental criteria for me when enjoying a story. As the reader I want to be able to see where the writer is going but not have everything given away. A story summery should give me the basics to follow the plot and a good story builds upon it so that the stories intentions are clear but don't bash me on the head. Leaving the real development of plot to character insights. Essentially, Trip is doing something crazy? Can I see why he's doing it and if it makes sense to the summery the author gave? I don't want the story given away and do enjoy twists, I just prefer the story fits what the author presents.

As a writer I try to give my readers a clear picture of the plot without giving away any plot twists I may have in reserves. It's important for me that my readers understand the plot and why things happen but don't feel I've told instead of shown the story. I want them to be able to follow my logic and if surprised by something, feel it makes sense.

4) Do I feel for the characters? Proper characterization.

Do I sympathize with the characters when I'm reading or feel like they should jump off a bridge? Can understand both the villain and hero, all the while rooting for the good guy to win? Does Trip or another character close to tears make me sad? All these are questions I ask myself when judging a story and whether I answer yes or no determines if a story meet this rule of mine.

All those questions mean nothing without proper characterization. Something I look for even in parodies that may be oc in regards to canon. Even when it's not something the character would normally say, does it still fit them in some fundamental way. I'm reading a parody in which one of the orcs in "The Hobbit" has a crush on the elf Taulriel. Legolas encourages him by whipping out a phone and showing a video of Tauriel chasing an orc around trying to kiss it. While he wouldn't do that in canon it still seems like something a kind but snarky elf prince would do.

5) Am I able to immerse myself in the story while reading it?

This follows closely my need to be able to suspend disbelief while reading. But not all stories that suspend disbelief are able to get me immersed. It takes a combination of the first four to do this.

6) When done reading do I want to read it again, or wish there was another chapter to read, another part if its a series?

I think this explains itself.


Is it OCD of me to of typed this up in a word document once I decided to add the last four? It just appeared to be the most logical way to do it, and to make sure everything was spelled the way I want it. What do you feel makes a good story?

[panyasan]

You can say a lot about this subject, but for me to two things are important:

- Is it well written? I admire some writers skills in English and their wonderful phrasing.

- Can I feel for the characters?

- Does the story pull me in, do I want to finish the story, am I hungry for more?

[Aquarius]

For me, characterization is prime. I like for to sound and "feel" like the characters on the show, and if we're placing them elsewhere in the development of their lifetimes - writing them as teenagers or senior citizens for example - then the motivations and actions should make sense in relationship to who that character eventually became/was before. Have what the characters do and say make sense for the characters. I get turned off by stories when the characters are clearly just acting out cutesy fantasy scenarios cooked up in the author's head and have made no attempt to maintain any of the show's or the characters' internal logic, particularly when it comes to my favorite 'ships. This is not to say I dislike fluff - fluff can be in character. It's just a matter of personal taste.

Sentence-level issues like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. are a big one. They are not necessarily the most important - I mean, if the rest of the story isn't doing what it's supposed to (telling a story in a way that meets a reader's expectations in terms of making sense and resembling the show and characters by some kind of minimum standard) - then what you would have is a well-spelled, well-punctuated bad story, right? But it's a bummer when you have an otherwise good story that's so riddled with errors that it starts to pull you out of the moment. I read an Addams Family story recently that I had such high hopes for because it was such a cool idea for, but it so clearly suffered from the lack of a beta reader - or worse, a beta reader who just told the writer what she wanted to hear. Typos slip past all of us and if they're infrequent enough, they're totally forgivable - you even see them in professionally-published texts. But most savvy readers can tell the difference between a typo and what I call a "don't know/don't care." And it saddens me to encounter the latter.

A good story will show me something I haven't seen before, or show it to me from a new angle. There are a finite number of plots, when you think about it. The real trick is to show it to me in a new, innovative way. Natch, it should make sense - if it just comes out of nowhere for no reason and sticks out like a sore thumb then maybe it wasn't a good idea, but I think people get tired of the Same Old Crap.