What Makes A Good Story? · 7:26am Jul 21st, 2014
Alright, I recently posted a blog entitled "What Makes A Good Author?". There, I discussed things that authors can do to improve, such as: take criticism to heart, find an audience, learn patience, and the like.
Now, however, I am going to delve into what I personally think goes into making a good story.
I've been told every serious blog post should start with a sexy picture, so here you are:
(yes, I consider that sexy)
We've all seen it. Most of us have read it, and a good chunk of us probably wrote it at one time or another. What am I referencing?
Stories with great potential that are plagued and burdened by mistakes, errors and poor writing style.
There are tons, and I mean tons of areas I could expound upon when it comes to writing good fiction, but due to the fact that it's 1 A.M and I have plans to go biking and/or whoop up on some SpikexVinyl fic writing in the morning, I'm gonna keep it restricted to just a few areas.
These are:
1. Grammar and Spelling
2. Description and Narrative vs Dialogue
3. Unique Characterization
4. Successfully Avoiding Gary Stu Characters
5. General Storytelling
For those of you who read my previous blog and are looking to take the next step in your goal toward being number 1, wait no more, for sweet victory is within your grasp. For those who haven't read the other blog, it's on my user page if you wanna check it.
GRAMMAR AND SPELLING
Spike was the cooles dragon in land because he was best an awesome to whear everponi loved him alot.
What's wrong with that sentence?
*waits for mental functions to resume*
It defies every known law of common literature practice in the English language, then manages to form a few new creative ways to be unreadable. Shocking, isn't it?
What's even more shocking, however, is that there are many fics on this site exactly like that. Fics that abuse the English language like a 2 dollar prostitute in the dark and lonely alleyways of Las Vegas. And, whether you wish to admit it or not, you've probably been guilty of such abuse before. Be it in fanfiction, school, or just everyday writing, we've all slipped up pretty hard, most likely. So, what's the remedy?
There are several ways to conquer the mammoth challenge of grammar and spelling. For me, I have a very talented editing and proofreading team that tells me how bad I suck on a regular basis, therefore teaching me ways to become less sucky.
It can be very difficult to swallow your pride and accept the fact that you suck, but we all need to do it. And sometimes, an editor will be more than happy to do it for you. Plus, they'll also make your story look nice and clean and ready to be published. (Or at least as nice and clean as is possible in a given circumstance. Some stories are literally beyond saving. Nightmare Star's Revenge for example... don't look it up if you value your sanity.)
Now, if you insist on being one of those people who don't need an editor, that's cool. Do what you gotta do. But here's what I would suggest: read your story out loud to yourself several times. That will help you identify inconsistencies, grammar errors and wonky spelling. Also, spellcheck features on writing programs are also superbly useful.
So, to break it down:
-hire an editor
-read aloud
-spellcheck
DESCRIPTION AND NARRAVTIVE vs DIALOGUE
In general, there are two types of writing styles prevalent on this site: description based and dialogue based.
Description based writing uses paragraphs of narrative, omniscient detail and area description to let you know what's happening, what the characters are doing, and how the story will unfold.
Here's a good example of description based writing:
The air was chilly as Vinyl and Spike walked through the park. Vinyl's thoughts raced as her companion inched closer to her body, radiating warmth.
The two had been dating for some time now, and taking their relationship to the next level was a thought that plagued them both, but was something that needed to be discussed.
Dialogue based writing, as you can guess, advances the plot and provides detail through dialogue and character interaction. As opposed to using extensive description and phrasing to tell you what's going on, it can usually be summed up a good deal shorter with a few lines of conversation.
Here's an example of dialogue based writing:
"Oh man, it's cold out here," Vinyl said, her teeth chattering with each syllable.
"Heh, yeah. Sometimes, internal dragon warmth can be pretty awesome," Spike replied, inching closer to his marefriend.
Blushing slightly, Vinyl wrapped a hoof around Spike and brought him closer. "You mind sharing some of that warmth? We could, you know, probably go back to my place and get some coffee or talk or whatever..."
"Um, s-sure. That sounds great."
There you have it, dialogue.
Personally, I love dialogue based writing much more than description, simply because I feel it can bring you closer to the characters, and gives you more of a connection with them and their relationships. Plus, it's a lot of fun. But, it's not a cure-all for every story, and some stories will work better with description. That being said, it's important to find what works for you and feels the most comfortable.
UNIQUE CHARACTERIZATION
I'm gonna cut right to the chase with this one, because it's something I'm rather passionate about.
BE ORIGINAL!
What do I mean by that? Well, let's put it this way: how many stories do you see that paint Octavia as anything other than a musician or Vinyl's lover? How many fics have you read that give Dash a more girly girl side as opposed to her being a rough and tumble lesbian?
The idea is that you'd do well as a writing to forego basic storytelling stereotypes and break new ground. Paint characters in lights that haven't been seen before. Give us a new perspective on romance and life. Take our awesome ponies on an adventure they haven't been on before! 
Why can't Vinyl Scratch be an evil, mad scientist in disguise?
Why can't Sweetie Belle get a pet python?
Why can't Rarity join a metal band?
Be original, be creative, stick to character, but branch that character to different realms than the standard.
SUCCESSFULLY AVOIDING GARY STU CHARACTERS
I'm fairly certain that at least once, we've all had a character called out for being a Gary Stu. But what is a Gary Stu exactly, and why does it suck so bad?
Terms like "overpowered", or "edgy" tend to be used a lot, but they don't give much description per say on what to avoid, so let me break it down with a nice little list of questions you should ask yourself:
Does everypony, especially the mane 6, like my character within the first couple chapters?
Does my character have excessive power that garners the attention of villains and princesses alike?
Does my character have base flaws that have no negative impact whatsoever?
Does my character fall into the overdone cliche of being shy/depressed/stupidly attractive for no reason other than gaining friendship or waifu booty?
Does my character's name sound like an 80's hair metal band?
If you answered yes to 1 of those questions, don't give up. Work around a few things and you'll be golden to use him.
If you answered yes to 2 of those questions, don't publish your story. Water your character down, change up his personality or look, and you should be alright.
If you answered yes to 3 of those questions, scratch your character from the story and figure out if he's really necessary, or if you could substitue a canon character with a defined personality instead.
If you answered yes to 4 of those questions, you need an editor, a new character idea, and reworked storyline.
If you answered yes to 5 of those questions, put down you pencil; throw away your story; cry in a corner until you've come to terms that you need help; read a few really bad OC stories to get an idea of why your character sucked; read a few really good ones to see what you need to do; get an editor on chat asap; start all over and you're good to go.
Okay, so what do you do if you realize your characters, OC or not, suck and are Gary Stu's? Well, rewrite them of course. 
For example, many OC's don't have flaws, or if they do, they bear little impact on the story itself.
Like, if your character, "Dasani Flatbill", was super shy and timid, you might think that's a good character flaw to work with, which it is. But the problem lies in the fact that your character somehow manages to instantly be loved by the mane 6 or whatever ponies he's placed with.
A real shy person in a real scenario does not make close friends like that. Neither should your OC.
So, basically, if you ask yourself those questions and answer them honestly, you should be able to eliminate Gary Stu elements form your characters.
GENERAL STORYTELLING
Oh lord, here it is. The icing on the story cake; the toy in the cereal box; the french fries at the bottom of the McDonalds bag.
Is your storytelling interesting, boring, or just plain lame?
That's a profound question that thrusts many writers into the obscurity of the site, never to be known. Why? I'll tell you why:
You can be the best author in the world. You're nice, you graduated with an English major, you do research and extensive editing on your work. But, if your story idea is boring or something that people don't want to read because it's just.... meh, than all of that was for nothing. Granted, you could always say that you just write for yourself, but we all know that's just a facade, otherwise you wouldn't have published it to the masses.
Now, I've heard many excuses as to why some stories are popular while others aren't. Heck, I've even made excuses before. But we're gonna get realistic, alright?
Any type of story, any ship and any genre can be wildly popular if given the write attention and a solid premise/base. The problem isn't always that stories just arent' what "the majority" likes, because the majority tend to like things that are fun to read.
And that's the key. Is your story a fun read? Would it provide enjoyment to those who take the time to read it?
It doesn't matter how good you description and grammar are if your story is just boring. If you want people to appreciate and read your story, you need to make it fun, fresh, thoughtful and unique. Mixing all those together will draw people to your story, then they'll tell their friends and so on.
So, for those of you tragedy/sad/dark writers who think you're doomed to failure and obscurity because you write serious stuff, don't give up! Some of the biggest stories on the site are serious stories. Same applies to you Romance writers. You may think that because you're favourite ship is painfully overdone or obscure that no one will read it, but stay strong. If you can devise a new idea or premise, or create an engrossing intro, you'll be golden.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Once again, I obviously didn't cover every thing that goes into good story writing. I just opted for the thing that seem to create the most problems for new writers and seasoned ones alike. Things we all could work on, including myself.
Well, that's all, and I hope you all enjoyed my little dissertation. I'm probably going to write more of these and catalogue them on my homepage for you new writers to read and look over if you wish.
Anyway, keep it real! 
I'm glad we're getting through to you
Who's Gary Stu?
2303798 male counterpart of mary sue. aka nicknames for poorly written chars.
Wise words, ser.
Holy long post batman.
But seriously this garners a lot of valid points. ( had to do some working around for my story as well.)
trying
Well said, very wise words.
Here here!
Fine job indeed, Sir Famous.
Please tell me this is a pun, and that it was intended.
Please?
This is all true, but the part that got me was
Right there, you spoke to my soul Famous; my soul!
Oh, and keep being the awesome poni loving badass you are.
I agree with what you say constitutes a good story, also while I do not consider the picture in the beginning sexy I will compromise and say it is badass.
"For me, I have a very talented editing and proofreading team that tells me how bad I suck on a regular basis, therefore teaching me ways to become less sucky. "
Am I a horrible person for thinking that should be 'suck bad-ly'? Or can bad be an adverb, too?
2364873 Lol, I love how ironic that is.
I believe, given the context, it could be correct either way, but I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination.
Really interesting stuff said here! Thanks a million, it's so great to see someone trying to help another better themselves in something so wonderful as writing!
Definitely gotta bookmark this one
It's funny... I like the same thing regarding dialogue based writing, but I don't think I write it... least not as much as I'd like, anyway.
I should try experimenting with that style a bit.
Nice blog dude, nice blog.
I like having both types of writing in my stories, and for the most part, it works. I can put stories together well when I have a grasp on something that actually touches me deep inside. That doesn't come around often, but when it does I put all of myself into it, every single time.
Good stuff to keep in mind~
This has been immensely helpful. Thank you Famous!
5056484
No problem! I'm glad it helped!