As I see it -- and who says my vision is any better than anyone else's?-- here are some of the elements of good fiction:
--As in good poems, a good piece of fiction avoids abstractions. As William Carlos Williams reminds us, "No ideas but in things." (Most good writing is about something.)
--It "shows" rather than "tells," in that it doesn't get bogged down in excessive exposition, explanations, superfluous descriptions, and endlessly chronological narration. It's subtle, a tickle from a feather rather than a blow from a ball-peen hammer.
--Something happens. (Shows us HOW and drops a hint or two as to WHY.)
--Its subject concerns one or more human beings who conceivably could draw breath right here on Planet Earth. (If you're writing a fable or a SF story, the non-human characters should have human qualities to which the reader can relate.)
(WHO? It shows us the character or characters with some salient characteristics, not the full “Wikipedia”-style vita sheet. Well-constructed dialogue can go a long way in revealing what makes a particular character tick.)
--Uses LANGUAGE which in itself reveals the character(s) and/or narrator(s) in a thoughtful, entertaining, and illuminating style.
–Takes risks in both choice of topics and especially in expression, and is courageous enough to challenge the status quo, while attempting to come up with a piece of fiction that is completely fresh. But at the same time, one can’t break the rules until he or she knows what they are, so:
- Respects both language and readers in regard to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. (No writer is so good that he or she doesn't understand the necessity of revising, rewriting, and proofreading.)
--Presents all of the above in a way that engages the reader, in that the reader can participate in the creative process. A writer has a choice between talking down to the reader or assuming that the reader is just as smart as he is, if not more so. The wise writer always chooses the latter.