Courtesy of Alice and Heidi

http://www.simonmorden.com/about/essays/what-makes-a-good-story/

'A good story, well told.'
by Simon Morden

Judging the 2005 Arthur C Clarke award meant reading 47 novels in a few months. It also meant working out what I thought made a good story – something I could compare the diverse styles and subjects against – or doom myself to thrashing around in a sea of indecision.
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For me, 'story' has three parts. It needs a plot, it needs characters, and it needs a setting. If I find all three, I stand a chance at finding a good story.

Clicking the link above will take you to the complete article which I think is well worth the time spent reading.

I get a "404 not found" error message on the link

 It's not coming up anymore. What a shame. Will google but might have to delete.