What makes a good story

HI All. 

I like writing fiction. 

At the moment I am very much enjoying writing erotic fiction. 

I've posted a few up here and got a major kick out of seeing that they have been read and a bigger one when I get a positive comment but the feedback and comments equate to less than one percent of the views.

So I ask what makes a good story?  I know that everyone has different tastes and likes different things but I want to know what sort of things people like in their read.

Is a slow build up better for you?

or do you prefer to cut to the chase?

Is the use of language a thing. ( To coin a phrase from a reading group/ book club the use of "Good English" ).

How "real" should it be?. ( I cannot imagine for instance, anyone being convinced by the story line "fat, smelly, unkempt, poor, ugly bloke wanders into his scruffy bedsit in a slum to find Claudia Schiffer naked on his bed saying come take me big boy)

How much is bad grammar and spelling a turn off.

I know that this could be a thread that goes around in circles or could take off in directions that I currently don't envisage but if I don't try to find out then I am just writing for myself which sort of defeats the object.

Any answers would be good. 

A

Hi A,

I don't think I'm speaking out of turn if I say that the story section here is a focal point for a lot of site users, and is very much a shop window for the site.  Because of that the site owners are very much aligned with raising the quality of submissions, so kudos to you for having the same aims.  

For me, as a moderator having to review submissions for publication, readability in terms of proper grammar and formatting is key, along with adherence to the rules governing content.  There's nothing worse than finding a story with an interesting concept only to have to reject it because it's all in one paragraph with little or no punctuation. 

As a reader, I like something to be believable, well crafted, and with a slow-burn build-up.  Even if it's fictional, I prefer things that *could* happen to me as the reader.  Don't get hung up on irrelevant detail - less is more - and leaving more to the imagination adds spice.  

Good luck with your work.  You never know, there may be a Booker prize in it for you!   

Oh, and tags!  For God's sake don't forget the tags!   

Seriously though, they make it much easier to find stories related to your interests.  

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are important, the odd spelling mistake is OK (you get them in printed books) but when a story is full of spellin (sic) mistakes it spoils it for me.

Believability every time.