general What makes a good story?

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

Something I wanna do with my life is tell interesting, compelling, and good stories, but I'm not sure if my idea of a good story is what everybody else thinks is a good story, so I wanna know, what makes a good story?

[Twilight Luna 31,497]

Create a good main character that people can care about. Give him/her a goal that will force them to confront their weaknesses. Your character should be different from the beginning  of the story to the end.

Edited October 19, 2018 by Twilight Luna

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

5 minutes ago, Twilight Luna said:

Create a good main character that people can care about. Give him/her a goal that will force them to confront their weaknesses. Your character should be different from beginning  of the story to the end.

I've had people say that before. Makes sense to me, thanks for the advice.

[碇 シンジン 27,441]

good stories in my opinion have deep and detailed groundwork laid out for their universe and how they work and based on those they have realistic characters interacting on those worlds. as for the plot I think multilayered plot with deep undertones where everything that happens has some kind of effect on the world and some kind of reason behind it. 

I think with those elements you can already create pretty decent and fleshed out story 

[Misty Shadow 8,231]

A good story is made by careful planning in your writing. You just have to take care to avoid inconsistencies in your storytelling and characterization, maintain a consistent sense of believability and relatability, and have pure intentions in expressing what you want to say with the story. Never push it to be something it's not for an agenda or for the sake of gaining popularity, and everything should work out fine.  

[DJ_Vinyl.Scratch_3 202]

Good stories should have a purpose. "Why are you writing this?"

The author should be able to connect to their story in some way so that it's interesting to the writer well as readers. 

 

[Brony Number 42 10,096]

Write a story that you would want to read. Even if other people don't like it at least you will.

[Twilight Luna 31,497]

1 hour ago, AveryGamerDude said:

I've had people say that before. Makes sense to me, thanks for the advice.

You’re welcome. In the end, write about something that interests you. It should never feel like a chore. Write to make yourself happy, no everyone else. Othwrwise, it becomes their story and not yours. Take criticism with a grain of salt. You can’t please everyone. 

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

22 minutes ago, Twilight Luna said:

You’re welcome. In the end, write about something that interests you. It should never feel like a chore. Write to make yourself happy, no everyone else. Othwrwise, it becomes their story and not yours. Take criticism with a grain of salt. You can’t please everyone. 

But doesn't criticism help you get better?

[碇 シンジン 27,441]

Just now, AveryGamerDude said:

But doesn't criticism help you get better?

I think Criticism only makes you better if you use it to make YOUR story better and not use it to change YOUR story into someone else's story. 

 

[The Recherche 29,983]

I could be here for centuries dissecting what exactly makes a story compelling and interesting... but in the name of efficiency, I will give you the t best tips I have heard regarding certain tropes and what you may and may not do, which may be contrary to what you may have heard.

1. Your antagonist does not necessarily need a good or sympathetic motivation to classify as a good antagonist. While an ulterior motive for an antagonist's actions aren't bad per se, you should not feel obliged to create one if it is not necessary. For example, let us take Emperor Palpatine. Does he have a tragic backstory? Hardly; he was beyond spoiled, if anything. Does he have a reasonable motivation for his actions? Not at all; he is a sadist to his rotting, repugnant core. In short, your antagonist does not need to have redeeming qualities; they merely need to provide the conflict for the main protagonists (or even the other, less vile villains).
2. Know the difference between a two types of heroes: Aspirational, and Cathartic-Motivational. To keep this brief, Aspirational heroes are the kind which are inherently good and the ideal to strive for, while Cathartic-Motivational heroes are much more human, and overall more susceptible to human failings and impulses. Neither of these are superior to the other: these two types of hero are much more interdependent than they may seem. To give a more detailed description of each:

• Aspirational heroes must represent and ideal, and never veer from it. For example, if a hero believes in the power of Friendship, they must never say nor think "perhaps friendship isn't worth fighting for after all." Does this sound familiar? That is because I refer to Twilight Sparkle, who I consider to be an Aspirational Hero (the rest of the Mane 6 can apply as well, but Twilight is the focus). While she certainly encounters speed-bumps on her journey, some of which are self-inflicted... she never gives up on her friends, nor does she question the ideal she represents: friendship and harmony among all people. In short, Aspirational Heroes still require flaws (there wouldn't be a struggle or conflict without them)... but they must occur in spite of their humanity.
• Cathartic-Motivational heroes are much more susceptible to human shortcomings, and as such, are much more relatable. Keep in mind that relatable is not a positive nor negative adjective, however. Either way, the key component to these variety of heroes is that they strive for an ideal themselves... but are prone to falling short of it. For example, Spiderman was granted incredible abilities at a young age... and what did he do with them? He embraced his avarice and tried to make money with it. Eventually, however, he rose above this, and continues to pursue the heroic, virtuous ideal. In short, Cathartic-Motivational heroes are inherently human.. thus, their flaws happen due to their humanity.

Keep in mind that these general rules apply for heroes specifically; if you are writing an Anti-Hero, or even Villainous Protagonist, these guidelines won't apply. Whenever you plan to write an outright heroic character, however, I would suggest selecting from one of these two categories (or both, if you have a group of protagonists). Just remember: Aspirational Heroes are not Mary Sues, as they are often mistaken as. They are certainly susceptible to being one, assuming they are written poorly, but in the right hands, Aspirational Heroes can be just as likable as their more humane counterparts.

3. Don't waste your viewer/player/reader's time. This is among the most important rules for any writer; if something doesn't need to be said or done, don't say it or do it. While this may sound restricting, it is not as intimidating as it may sound; the point of writing is to convey a message, and your goal is to do so as efficiently as possible. You may or may not have heard of Chekohv's Gun, but the basic principle is to remove any non-essential elements in a story. To quote Chekhov himself, "If, in the first act, you have hung a pistol on a wall, then in the following one, it should be fired. Otherwise, don't put it there." It is a very basic principle, but still very useful all the same. It is worth mentioning that this rule still applies to visual mediums, though to a lesser extent: if you design a bar, for example, not every single detail needs to matter, so long as the basic idea of a bar is conveyed. This basic rule could go on for ages, through location design, character design, foreshadowing, mystery... but I will leave it as is, for the sake of convenience.

While these tips may not directly apply in terms of actual writing quality, I still believe you will find these tips helpful in your writing endeavors. Just know that you may do nearly anything you like in your story... so long as you keep your reader/viewer/player's attention and affection. In that regard, these three pointers may help you in the future. While there are dozens upon dozens which I could offer, these three are among the most pertinent I have heard.

Regardless, may fortune smile upon you in your writing endeavors!

[Twilight Luna 31,497]

10 minutes ago, Nightmare Rechie said:

3. Don't waste your viewer/player/reader's time. This is among the most important rules for any writer; if something doesn't need to be said or done, don't say it or do it. While this may sound restricting, it is not as intimidating as it may sound; the point of writing is to convey a message, and your goal is to do so as efficiently as possible. You may or may not have heard of Chekohv's Gun, but the basic principle is to remove any non-essential elements in a story. To quote Chekhov himself, "If, in the first act, you have hung a pistol on a wall, then in the following one, it should be fired. Otherwise, don't put it there." It is a very basic principle, but still very useful all the same. It is worth mentioning that this rule still applies to visual mediums, though to a lesser extent: if you design a bar, for example, not every single detail needs to matter, so long as the basic idea of a bar is conveyed. This basic rule could go on for ages, through location design, character design, foreshadowing, mystery... but I will leave it as is, for the sake of convenience.

While these tips may not directly apply in terms of actual writing quality, I still believe you will find these tips helpful in your writing endeavors. Just know that you may do nearly anything you like in your story... so long as you keep your reader/viewer/player's attention and affection. In that regard, these three pointers may help you in the future. While there are dozens upon dozens which I could offer, these three are among the most pertinent I have heard.

Regardless, may fortune smile upon you in your writing endeavors!

Very well said. One thing that I have learned frommmyncurrent writing project is that being too descriptive can bog down your story and take your readers out of what they’re reading. Unless it is super important or is going to be used, leave it out. You can describe a scene to build atmosphere but don’t describe every blade of grass. You don’t need to be Tolkien and take 30 pages to describe a forest.

A good story has three acts which show the progression of the story.

Act #1 

• Turning Point #1 - Set up (should be first 10% of the story)
• New situation for the main character
• Turning Point #2 - Monkey Wrench (20%)
• Progress

Act #2

• Turning Point #3 - No turning back (50%)
• Complications/Everything to loose
• Turning Point #4 - All seems lost (75%)
• Gives it all

Act #3

• Turning Point #5 - Climax (90%)

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

Guys, I just wanna thank you so much for all this advice. You are all the best. 

[Dreambiscuit 11,668]

4 hours ago, Spooky Brony 2A said:

Write a story that you would want to read. Even if other people don't like it at least you will.

^This is good advice^

If you don't have a personal investment in your story it will seem flat, uninspired and this will translate into your work. Keep in mind that in all forms of art, there are no concrete rules, just common sense. For me, trying to fit a story into a rigid template restricts the creative process, makes it difficult to write and the outcome generic. Use your instincts, enjoy yourself and trust your own abilities. Don't be afraid to take chances or make mistakes. If you want constructive criticism, get it from someone whose opinion you trust and don't be afraid to take or leave what they say. You are the author and ultimately the decisions are your privilege to make.

Remember that stories can be anything you want. Nothing is off limits and there's an audience for everything if that's important to you. Be your own voice and master of your literary universe. Always write what inspires you.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Dreambiscuit

[CandyCorn 430]

A good story is whatever you want. If you have ideas, then I say develop them and write what you love. Write what inspires you most! Make sure you research as well. Don't worry about what others want or like because that can often throw you of course. I'm a writer, so I know what it's like to want to write something people will love. The bottom line, and people often tell me this a lot, is that as long as YOU love it... so will they. If you ever need any help with writing and stuff... I can lend a hand and do my best to offer my support and stuff. <3

Edited October 22, 2018 by AdorbzFangirl