(sigh) Might as well put in my two cents in.

At 10:39 PM 5/4/98 PDT, you wrote:

 Maybe I just plain don't get it. Maybe I'm a terrible writer. Maybe I 
don't have a taste in writing. 
 But what is it that makes a good fanfic? 

1. Does it come from the heart?  (Yes/No)

If you don't put soul into your work, people will tell.  

2. Have you written the work as correctly as you possibly can?  (Yes/No)

No offense, but sometimes I just can't read a work because of grammar and
spelling errors.  It detracts from a story.  When writing, you want to give
the reader the ability to absorb themselves into the work, to feel what you
feel as you're writing it.  S&G errors are an impediment to that.

3. Is the work logical as well as soulful?  (Yes/No)

Oftentimes, it seems that the debates that come on the ML concerning a work
fall under 'Logic errors'.  Case in point: the 'Really, really evil' idea
that came over about a week ago.  There were logic errors located in that,
ones which I felt needed to be addressed, as Ryouga was painted as doing
something that he'd damn well better have a reason for, as he'd once done
the exact opposite of what the person was suggesting.  

When I started 'Clothes Make The...' last year, I got only one person who
said it was OOC, even though Ranma was doing something that, for the most
part, was considered WAY OOC.  Why?  I did my homework.  I got some
information on transgender psychology.  I develpoed the reasons for Ranma's
behavior, and supported it through events which had occured in the manga.
In other words, I covered my bases.  (BTW, sometimes that still doesn't
help - such as the stuff that occured with Clothes 7 a couple months back).  

By the way, there are other things which affect a person's writing ability.
 Personal education (how much you've read in your life) is one.  Most
writers I know are well-read as well as well-written.  Another is how
comfortable you are with expressing your emotions through art.  Choral or
acting experience helps a lot here, as does role-playing (GOOD,
in-character role-playing, not munchkining).  

 And I'll slap you if you point to 'that other' piece of work by the 
name of 'How to Write Good Fanfiction.'
 All over the place I see loads of praise for stuff like Hearts of Ice 
or DnR; is the time precedent working here? Is the number of pre-readers 
proportional to the success of the story? 

To put it bluntly, DnR and HoI raised the standards.  As such, they're
remembered.  Personally, I think that going to prose was the best thing
that DnR could do, as I find the script format for that kind of
storytelling (sentimental comedy, for the most part) to be a waste.  

 Or are long, descriptive passages describing the minute details of a 
Stephen King novel, that grabs people? 

Is it done with soul?  (Yes/No)

If it belongs there, and you write it with what's in your heart, then it
should grab.  Sometimes, though, it doesn't.

 Or does my writing just plain suck? Am I destined for 2/5 when 
reaching for a 3/5? Why is it that people notice me for my bad works and 
not my (IMO) good works? 

Well... I dunno.  One thing I have found, though, is that first impressions
are critical.  I've known only one writer (Michael Chen) who gave a poor
first impression and who recovered from it, primarily because he changed
his writing style to focus on writing quality rather than speed.  

Also, people rarely become well-known overnight.  I've seen your work;
personally, it's only beginning.  You can't really expect raves when all
you have is 'It's a dark and stormy night...'  Also, I do agree on the work
you posted last night; it's a good work, though it doesn't necessarily have
to be a Ranma work.  Also, there was a lot of useless background stuff in
it; you could have made it three times as effective with only a third of
the size.  Part of description is knowing *what* should be described and
what shouldn't.  

My recommendation if you want to get well-known: Start with some good
one-shots.   Last night was good, though it probably could have been
better.  Look around at some of the work that's been posted.  Review the
source material - ideas usually spring from this (Case in point: the number
of onna-Ranma works that showed up after 'Pretty Womanhood' was released).
And ALWAYS keep your mind open to new ideas and new styles.  

 Back to point: what makes a fanfic good? 
 And so far I've come up with the following critera:

1. The author feels it's good (the easiest part)

False.  Oftentimes, good writers will have a 'good/bad' attitude concerning
their work.  Their feelings go something like, "Yeah, it was good, but I
could have..."  I've heard Richard speak on several occasions of possibly
rewriting 'Thy Inward Love'.  I myself have thought similar things
concerning 'Sunrise', though other things (such as changes in my own style
since) usually dissuade me.  

2. Readers tell the author and others it's good

Yes and no.  I'll explain at the end.

3. More than five people read the story and think it's good

Great.  Solving a conceptual issue.  
 

4. Pre-readers catch all the little glitches in the story

That shows they care for a story, for the most part... but it doesn't get
the qualification of 'good'.  

5. Long descriptive passages describing minute details of a Stephen King 
novel

See above.  

6. Said fic must exist for an extended period of time 

Nope.  There are some great one-shots that have been written.

7. Said fic must be recognized by established reviewers as good 

Nope.  I have yet to hear any major reviewer go over Joseph Kohle's work,
and I consider him to be one of the most talented writers out here.

8. Said author mustn't be overly desparate for C&C or MSTs 

Oh, we all love C&C.  MSTings are a different story, usually depending on
the attitude of the MSTer.  If the MSTer points out genuine problems in a
professional manner, great.  On the other hand, if he turns it into a
flamefest without explaining his reasons, then it fails to accomplish its
goal, and the MST becomes just another flame. 

9. Said author must've written about something that makes sense 

Well... a lot of stuff in life *doesn't* make sense.  Maybe, by capturing
that senselessness on paper, it becomes a good work.   

The answer to what a good work is, Razorclaw?

Go over the works you enjoyed reading, the ones that took your breath away,
or left you rolling in your seat.  Look at those, and take hints from them.  

When I started writing in late 1995, I used two works as major influences
on my writing: John Biles' 'Putting Your Heart in the Right Place' and
Shannon Richmeyer's 'Nightshadow'.  I had two story ideas, one which was
sentimental comedy, and another which was more serious.  I tried to borrow
elements of Biles' style for 'Contagion' and borrowed elements of
Richmeyer's style for 'Sunrise'.  In the end, I found that my own writing
style was better suited to more serious works.  I'm not very good at comedy
(though I do get the occasional rave over Contagion).  I had a lot of dark
emotions inside of me, and in writing I found an outlet.  In other words, I
put my heart in the right place, and started to focus on more serious
stories, as I could relate to their events more.  

What do you feel, Razor?  Is there some darkness inside of you that you
want to release, so you can mourn along with the reader?  Or do you feel
like laughing, and want to share that laughter with others?  In the end,
this is the main secret to writing a 'good' work - leaving yourself open,
so others can come and join in.  

-- Nick