The Factors of a Good Story - The Writers' Group

Pony Sparkles #1 · Dec 6th, 2013 · 4 · ·

Hm... What makes a good story, huh? Let me think about this for a moment.

In a story there is not one thing that will ensure that it's good. The factors that determine a story's ability to engross readers with its spell are more like a list. Let me show you.

1. Characters.
Good, relatable, imperfect, non-Mary Sue characters are the basis of a good story. If a reader can't relate to a character, why would s/he want to read about them?

2. Style.
Not fashion, writing. The way a story is written can make or break a story for a reader in the first few paragraphs. When I come across a story that looks like it was written by an inexperienced writer, frankly, I usually don't want to read it (except maybe to help that writer get better) and neither will anyone else. I'm sure you've come across mlp fictions like this.

The writing style should reflect on how you want the readers to experience the story, should flow smoothly, and should be easy for others to read. As writers, we all know the power of words, and our writing should show it.

3. Plot.
No! Not that kind of plot! Dear God, what is wrong with you people? I mean plot as in what happens in a story. Good stories have plots that either go in directions that readers never expect or do things with such absolute realism that the reader cannot deny it, so he must relate to it.

Past Sins is a great example of a fic that follows the second of these rules. The plot had an extremely predictable ending, but the story was still engaging because it was real, not in a sense that it actually happened but in a sense that it would happen that way. And that awe in the real aspect of this story gave it an amazing feeling of escape from the real world. (Sorry for the whole paragraph of commentary. I got carried away.) I am a firm believer in this second rule.

4. Genre.
The idea that a story revolves around and the concept used as a medium to impress your imagination upon your readers is genre.

Now the reason this is ranked number four instead of one or two is because genre is built on top of characters and style but, at the same time, reels in readers that enjoy specific subjects. In all honesty though, this won't make or break your story as long as you continue to appeal to the tastes of the people who read stories of whatever genre yours is.

5. World Building.
OK, so this one might just be my personal preference or not, but I find that when I read a story that can introduce new ideas, I am much more inclined to continue reading it. Good stories, in my opinion, should make the reader think of things in a new light; make them want to explore these new ideas more. One of the most common ways a story can do this is through world building.

6. Originality.
Now this might seem strange that I would rank originality so low, even after I said that introducing new ideas is so important, but it is what it is. A good writer should be able to take anything and make it his or her own. Think about it. How many fantasies have you read about someone gaining magical powers or a mystery where the murderer was caught by a determined civilian or romantic comedies that are both funny and romantic? Answer... A lot! And they are still fun to read, aren't they?

We here on FIMFiction thrive on reading story after story about the same colorful ponies for crying out loud. You should just focus on making whatever idea you have completely and utterly yours more than you should worry about what has already been done.

Well that's my take on good stories. If you think I forgot to mention something or explained something incorrectly, please tell me.

Stiggerzz