What do YOU like to see in a story?

RavensQuill said:

So, I'm coming up on my 6th year anniversary as both a writer, and I'm feeling a bit... introspective.

Up until very recently, I've been of the firm opinion that:

1. I am a fantasy writer, and I both enjoy and write well in that genre.
2. I write the stories that I want to write. Reader opinion is nice and very welcome, but I'm the one that makes the core decisions.
3. Romance and all those heavy feelings are something I suck at writing, and I was improving too slow to seriously consider adding it in.

However, recent stories, each with a new challenge against which I could sharpen my skills, has made me realize these points aren't as "set in stone" as I would have liked to believe. I'm good at fantasy, yes. But I've branched out a few times, and they were all welcomed (and loved) by my readers. Also, I've gotten pretty good at romance. (not to flex too much, but someone once told me they couldn't identify my gender from the smut scene I wrote. huge praise for me)

SO!

With just under 2 months until my sixth-year anniversary coming up, I'm gonna take a look at my style, my previous works, and what I like. There's just one piece of the formula missing. What do YOU like to see in a story?

Feel free to say literally anything you like. This is, at its heart, a reader survey. I'll also be asking the same questions in the RR forums, to gauge both sides. Feel free to share whatever you want. Anything goes, but expect occasional questions if I feel like I gotta clarify something o/

TL;DR - I've been writing for almost six years, and I want to hear what you like in a story. Anything goes!

Click to expand...