This may seem like a completely redundant, simple question, but I want to know where I should focus my efforts when appealing to an audience. When you're reading a Flutterdash story, what's the most important bit to you? What makes it stand out? What makes it one of the best that you've ever read? Is it an original premise? Is it cute fluff? Accurate characterization?

For example, I know some of you have a particular interest in Foal/Wedding stories, and I've seen others argue that most Flutterdash stories are void of ideas that haven't been done to death. Personally, my favorite flutterdash stories have actually consisted of almost 100% fluff. What is it that you like to see?

Content, content, content.

Don't make it a mindless shipfic.

That is all.

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This is just an idea for one potential story, mind you, but I've long been interested in reading a story where Rainbow has to compete with Discord for Fluttershy's affection or something similar. Despite the fact that the concept has been used countless times in films, there are a surprisingly few amount of good love triangle stories on Fimfiction.

Why specifically Rainbow Dash and Discord though? Well, that's because they're both extremely shippable characters with Fluttershy, they both have giant egos, and they could both become highly possessive of Flutters if push came to show.

It may be just my personal idea, but I would enjoy a story with a premise like that.

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That's going to depend on what audience and your genre.

Personally, these are my thoughts:
What makes it stand out? Well, that would be the plot of the story. It's nice to see fresh ideas and people expanding away from the generic one shot falling in love story that is 1k words long with the same plot of every story like this. There are though, a decent number of stories that don't rely on ideas done to death.
Fluff is nice but It'll only get you so far if you don't have much of a plot.
Foal stories are really cute to me and I would like to see Wedding stories, whether or not the wedding day itself is the main focus. There are very few wedding fics I've really liked.

What I've been wanting to see is something not done much: Fics about Rainbow Dash moving in Fluttershy and how the transition would work out. I think there was one story I read about moving in, but overall I haven't really seen stories like this. It's probably just me but it sounds like something neat to try out.

Depends on what I'm in the mood for that day, really. I like more SoL fluff where they are dealing with each others idiosyncrasies the most, though.

Besides stories that involve raising a foal together, Adventure Time! err... Adventure Stories! Stories that take them through an adventure where they must both use their unique traits to survive! Rainbow's fighting experience and Fluttershy's connection with nature! (An adventure story that doesn't involve Fluttershy's cheap Stare solving everything.)

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That idea terrifies me. I worry it would start a shipping war.

I like Fluff, but I like a wide variety of genres

It may sound overly simplistic, but anything with an intriguing premise and good writing! If I don't like a story I'll stop reading it. If the description doesn't interest me I won't read it.

I do prefer them to be happy though. to me MLP and fanfiction are supposed to be escape from the real world and that has enough tragedy. Multi-chapter fics because there is more of an indepth narrative there. The hiatus and canceled tags really take the wind out of my sails when I find a good fic or when the incomplete tag is on something that that hasn't been updated in years. that won't really help your writing it's just what i look for in a fic.

I don't really read shipfics, but whenever I do decide to, I hope that it's cute.

So... the fact that it's fluffy I guess.

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My favourite part of a shipfic is the realism of a relationship. It sounds a little odd, but if the couple has a fight, a sticky moment, even an outside voice questioning whether they make sense together, and yet it's clear in the story that the two of them love each other, it really appeals to me. A couple that seems real, i.e. imperfect, makes the loving moments all the more touching. And for me, this is especially the case with Flutterdash or any ship based on opposites attracting. These two in particular would have to be willing to invest a lot of communication and compromise in their relationship when they'd so frequently be at odds, but for that exact reason, it could be a very strong bond.

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msny

Same reason for this. Excitement for Adventure!

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In my opinion the chemical between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and the unique story.

6140051 Simply put: what I write about in my own stories.

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That's a good way to think about it

It would be nice if more FlutterDash stories would chose a setting that isn't solely Fluttershy's cottage. Like why not have them in Canterlot for something Wonderbolts related? Or literally anywhere else for that matter.

Also I don't think romance should be the entire plot. Make it 90% of the plot if you want, but have something happening besides the romance for God's sake. It'll give your story some character.

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I would certainly love it if their settings were outside Ponyville more often. Sadly, it seems like whenever I try to take my stories of these two outside of Ponyville, it grabs less attention.

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" Also I don't think romance should be the entire plot. Make it 90% of the plot if you want, but have something happening besides the romance for God's sake. It'll give you story some character."

i chuckled.