As title says, what makes a story a good story for you? Be it in a comic book, novel, movie, anime or video games... whatever medium you can think that have a story... Is it uniqueness? Characters? Style? All? None? I think won't be giving an answer for this one as I've been thinking about it for some time... without any satisfactionary answer. Thanks for your input before hand. *Bows*
This is from Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things. To me, good stories explore humanity and record what the author knows best - or they depict the development of a change in that thought. They make us question ourselves or they show us things we already knew and embellish that to increase our understanding. They have a depth that allows them to be pored over again and again and still bring something new to light. War and Peace is enjoyable because the sheer depth in Tolstoy's characters and the scope of his epic - showing the role of individuals in history to love to Russia's political system to adultery leaves so much to delve into and endlessly analyse. Jane Austen is so delectable because she writes about humans with the wryest humour and most accurate mixture of cynicism and realistic hope - it's easy to see characters' basis in reality through people we know and know of. Most will know guile people like Harriet Smith susceptible to manipulation, or feel that Austen has given the exact depiction of one's flawed but lovely friend in the brilliant but deludedly arrogant Emma Woodhouse. Shakespeare makes us laugh and then turns around and questions religious intolerance in the Merchant of Venice. He explores the then-ominous idea of witchcraft, which now is not so potent, but then distressingly looks at the extent that jealousy and power can turn us mad and drive us to our end in the timeless Macbeth. We come across stories that tell us about problems we face and give us solutions to the questions we feel uncomfortable asking about our own lives. Well-written characters, for all that many types seem cliché after so much use, represent ourselves, people we know who engage in conversations exploring the realities of our own world and giving us glimpses into new ones - or old ones whose smell, colours and feel are lost in history, only to be revived in picking up the fiction they produced to represent their own lives and thoughts. Good stories leave a legacy. They show universal truths with unique interpretations - from Orwell's diagnosis of politics and power to Dostoyevsky's criticism of youthful hedonism, the conclusion may be disagreed with, but there's anything from a kernel to the whole nut of truth in what's written- mainly because such good literature is drawn from reality - the opinion of the author shapes the picture and the conclusion, but there will be an objective truth at the core. Good storytellers may give answers we disagree with, but most will leave us asking questions that help us understand ourselves and others more. I think good stories are defined by the most obvious thing - they explore life in meaningful ways and give us both questions and answers. Perhaps most importantly, they help us shape our ability to question and answer things for ourselves by learning from brilliant fiction.
I was going to say something else, but this is all there is to it. I've found I also like relatable characters more than anything. If you can invest emotionally in characters, the plot can be terrible and you will still love it. Honestly the only reason I liked Harry Potter as much as I did was because I grew up alongside the characters and really felt for them. The magic and suspenseful stuff was mostly justification for seeing how they interacted with each other.
Yes, I am also agree on emotion side. However I think this question as both from writer's and reader's perspective. When you are younger it feels like what you want to write is awesome... at this age I bring down by doubts more often. So thanks for all the input guys.
Very well then. I will speak as a writer. The duty of a writer is not to write a story because it's what (s)he wants to write, but because (s)he wants the reader to experience the story. So a good story is one which has been written with reader experience in mind. Otherwise one might as well look out of the window to get a story.
Yes, but oftentimes the writer has something they need to share with someone, something which has changed them and made them question and brought within them an incredible depth of emotion...i'm not writing a novel for the reader. I'm writing one first and foremost for myself, because I know that if I don't my heart will never begin to heal...the truth will never be told.
Character depth is the most important to me. Its what makes them relatable, and gets you invested into what happens to them, making you need to know what happens next. Knowing the backstory to characters makes them so much more interesting. Good conflicts are also up there in importance. Stories have to have good antagonists as well. It gives the characters purpose, and carries a theme throughout the story. An example of a story with both is the Evil Queen's story in Once Upon a time. Even though she is the antagonist in the first few seasons, she has the most character depth and therefore is a much more interesting character than the Charmings who after a while get pretty boring. Even though they are technically the protagonists, most people find themselves wanting to see where the Evil Queen's storyline goes. (I haven't watched the latest season though, so I'm pretty behind on what happens after the first few episodes)
From a reader/viewer/player perspective: Characters are going to be the largest percentage of the make-or-break for me, because it will be them that I get to explore the world through/with, getting to know it. I want a character that will make me like them, hate them, or love to hate/hate to love them. I'm not fond of bland characters that do nothing for me, unless that is the intention, and that's fine I suppose. But bad writing will always reveal itself. Bonus points if gender stereotypes are broken. While I can enjoy a stereotypical-laced story, it often times leaves me feeling disappointed. I'm a stickler for women who kick ass and take charge, but that has more to do with my personal situation. I enjoy a character who is genre-smart, basically, they don't do something because it's right or wrong, but because it is beneficial or not beneficial. When somebody shows themselves to be wise or capable, it adds to the story. This is one area Horror films tend to slack, because they rely on having an idiotic or helpless victim, in an attempt to ramp up suspense. This can work... but it's been done to death (pun intended) so much, it has lost a lot of it's luster. In terms of the story, I like growth. Experiences that help nurture intelligence or emotion, or bring somebody closer to further apart. I'm really a stickler for the "having to band together to survive" situations, especially if those banding together have lots of tension/reasons that could, possibly, cause them to fall apart as a cohesive unit. So long as the characters are growing, and in a meaningful or related way, I'm fine. Lazy writing tricks like killing a suddenly introduced character, just to make somebody else sympathetic to the reader/viewer/player, is a bad thing. At least develop the person who will be lost; it'll mean more too. Bonus points if you can incorporate drama and action. This is one reason I love the movie Aliens, because it blends these two themes almost flawlessly. Style is harder to define, because it depends on the world. This I can be a little more loose with, but I still will call out lazy writing. If your movie is building up something or somebody, and they appear, but look totally ridiculous (unless that is the intention), I will hate you/it. Cloverfield is an example of this. Now in terms of delivery and execution, so long as it feels authentic or adds to whatever is going on, we're fine. To sum it up, what matters the most is this: Make me feel a certain way to the characters, as they go through a situation. Whatever that situation is, make it with respect to the reader/viewer/player's intelligence, and don't half-ass things, with left-field kills or sudden plot elements. Bring me into the world, but don't treat or talk to me like I'm an idiot, and allow me to become invested in what is going on. That, to me, is what seals the deal on whether or not, in my perspective, a story is good or just another piece of forgettable cliches. From a writer's perspective: I aim for three things. Entertain, Educate, Enlighten. Sometimes one, sometimes two, and sometimes all three. I respect my reader's intelligence, or so that is my intent. I want them to feel comfortable reading my writing, which will better allow me to convey whatever it is I want, like a character or a situation. Bad writing can kill even the best of stories, which is something a lot of authors need to realize. I like incorporating a few character types, usually with twists. If I decide to go with a angsty teenager, trust me, they'll not be totally crippled by their angst. They'll also have realistic glimpses of hope and positivity. If I use a tried and true scenario, like being trapped somewhere, you can bet while there will be similar themes, there is going to be a unique approach to it. Basically, if it isn't broke, don't fix it -- but don't keep it the same. I also write, not so much to make a point, but to instill the ability to look at things differently. To realize, life isn't always what one thinks, but is actually, often times, beyond what we ourselves realize. Basically, what you know and think now, may only be the tip of the iceberg. I like to address issues, but I don't hammer them into the reader, only make them aware. If these issues become a plot focus, they'll be handled respectfully, and not in a biased way. Sometimes, regardless of my personal belief about something, I allow my personal belief to be trumped, and the side of the issue I don't agree with, to walk away as "victorious" -- that, in my opinion, makes for a great read. Many authors become predictable in their styles, and what types of opinions/ideas will prevail or flourish. Finally, I want my reader to enjoy what I'm putting down. If I don't enjoy writing it, then my reader probably won't as well. Readers, most of them, can tell if you're writing authentically or just to 'make money'. I don't want my readers to feel that, when they read my material, they're just there to be part of my financial-making machine.
As a writer I strive to write the stories I want to read most. My opinion on what makes a good story from a writer's perspective and a reader's perspective is pretty much the same. A good story has driven, motivated characters whose ambitions cross paths and cause conflict. A good story's protagonist starts with a clear goal and that goal doesn't become an afterthought along the way. I like a motivation that guides characters from start to finish. Maybe their opinions and beliefs change, maybe that somewhat alters the nature of what they end up accomplishing in the end, and keeps readers guessing as to the outcome. Good stories are struggles for the protagonist, they're only as strong as the obstacles they're able to overcome, be they physical, mental, emotional, whatever. Characters struggle for their ambitions and through their struggles you gain a connection to them. Sometimes this can even build empathy for not only heroes, but villains. If you ever saw any of the Wakfu anime, which wasn't even that great of a story, this was easily the best aspect of the whole thing—how the "hero" and "villain" in the end wanted the same thing, they both valued their family the most. And as the audience grows to realize it, the characters are growing to realize it, and it gets more and more tragic as it reaches the end. A good story should have what it takes to make you cry, or at the very least feel chills. Aaaaaand that's about everything I can think of that makes stories good objectively. I have lots of personal preferences beyond that, but this stuff I've written here can apply to anything worth your while.
And therein lies a mistake. By all means, draw from personal experience and channel it into your work. However - particularly if you want to be published, and particularly if your writing is fictional - what you are aiming to achieve is not to tell the story that you want to tell, but the story that the reader wants to hear. By this, I do not mean that you have to avoid uncomfortable subjects or not speak out about things you feel strongly about (you definitely don't have to avoid them). I mean that you have to write them in a way that makes the reader want to keep reading and find out more, because they are so hooked that they cannot put the book down. So when you write your novel: Yes, write for yourself. However, you *must* keep the reader in mind. Because if the reader isn't interested, what's the point in trying to speak out in the first place?
