This is something that I've had on my mind for a long time -- probably the past two years -- and something that I've discussed with my peers IRL at length. It is a question that has kept me awake at night and something that I'm constantly seeking more and more knowledge about, which prompted me to start this post and (hopefully) the discussion that follows.

As writers in this fandom, we are all well acquainted with the rules and standards set forth by some of the more well-known and affluent groups in the realm of MLP, and while their rules and regulations tend to differ slightly on some points there is one that remains the same: the idea that editing is the key to good fan fiction. That simply by having 3-5 editors go over your story with fine-toothed combs (and sometimes by having them edit one another's edits) you can turn out a story that is, by the definitions set forward by aforementioned affluent groups, "perfect". This is, no joke, what I was told at a fan fiction writing panel at Trotcon 2015.

But is this true? What about characters and their development? What about telling a story that flows and fits together cohesively? What about details and dialogue and the other 95% of a story that is NOT wrapped up in editing? Those are things that I feel are being left out of the most popular fan fiction groups online at the moment, and I think I've finally figured out why: because it gives them a simple, empirical way to say whether a story is good or not. Editing is something that can be measured and nit-picked and, eventually, graded into a "good" or "not good" category, and I'm positive that's why the idea of editing is being pushed so hard by the aforementioned groups.

The question I want to pose to you is simple: Are they right?

Is good editing the only thing we need to worry about as writers? Or should we be more open to how a story moves us, touches us, motivates and changes us? Is good editing the hallmark of a good story, or simply a tagline that popular authors can hide behind when asked what they did to be successful in the fandom? And should we be pressing forward with the idea that "good editing" is what these groups should be looking for? Or should we be insisting that they hold themselves to a higher standard -- one that actually encourages them to read and rate a story on the things I mentioned earlier?

What makes a good story good? Please, tell me your thoughts. Share some of your favorite stories that you've read (specifically in-fandom, since that's a big part of this discussion) and I'll be glad to share some of mine. Tell me what you liked and remember best about your favorite fics, or even fics that you yourself have written, and help me put together a picture of what makes good fan fiction really, truly GOOD.

"Good" fanfiction differs from person to person. Someone may only like innocent Slice of Life stories involving only a few select characters while someone else may like literally anything that has a certain aspect about it. I personally don't feel that editing alone makes a story good; it just makes it more readable or coherent. The ideas within the story, however, are what makes it "good." A good idea, when executed well, will outdo a poor idea no matter how well the editing may be. Granted, there is a cutoff on the editing side. If the fic has a great idea but is barely readable, then I wouldn't consider it good - only the idea.

In the end, I think it comes down to a balance of editing, ideas, and the power the writer gives something. I'd value an idea or an author's passion much more than professional level editing, though them at least knowing how to form a sentence helps.

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I agree with you -- there DOES have to be a certain standard of editing that a writer has to do if said writer expects their fic to be met with anything other than "wtf are you trying to say here" and "I seriously can't understand what's happening". XD And you're absolutely right: every single individual on this website has their own specific criteria of what makes a fic "good" or not, and that's why I think that websites/groups that use editing as the be-all end-all "grading scale", if you will, are completely missing the point.

So what kinds of stories really grab your attention? What does your "good fic" look like? :3

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Honestly, for me it goes like this: if I like a doc, I like it; if I don't, I don't.

But if we're getting into specifics, I'd say the cover art has to be eye-catching, the concept has to be at least somewhat intriguing, and the characters have to progress until the very end. Something like that!