The opposite of pet peeves, I suppose. Basically, specific things or aspects of stories which make you happy. In other words, things other than the "general" list of universalities (good grammar/spelling, great description, readable writing style, non-butchered characterisation for the overall cast, the lack of plot holes/tumours) which brighten your day in a story.

I would mention things specific to your likings, like perhaps a Political!Harry, an extra dosage of Luna, or even Harry/Fleur, if those are what help you maintain attention to the story.

I'm not sure if there has been a thread like this before. My initial searches seem to indicate otherwise, but I may be wrong. =P

 

Awesomely written action scenes. Sitra Ahra, Renegade Cause and On the Way to Greatness come to mind.

 

I especially enjoy a well written political scene, but even beyond that what really makes a fic great for me is the presence of exceptional dialogue. A fic rises and falls on its dialogue, not on its action scenes. You can get by on average action scenes if you make up for it with excellent dialogue.

 

Great action sequences are great; they pull you in and keep you there.

I guess the "aspects" on my little list of bias would include a Realistic!Hermione. As in, a Hermione who does act like a romantic sap (bad Dramione and Harmony stories come to mind), or a rule-seeking nutjob frozen in her PS/SS characterisation (Bashing stories come to mind), or becomes a Dumbledore-slaying, mega-powerful, Action gal who steals Harry's spotlight every five seconds.

The series is called Harry Potter and not Hermione Granger for a reason. :/

 

Love seeing rational, logical depth in people's characterization. Pretty much the only thing that'll engage me with a fic these days.

 

Very good character interaction scenes. To give an example, many of the interactions in the Death Note series are things I like, and some of the fanfiction of it (Rdivivus, if that's how it's spelled, was one of them) carried it over very well.Sometimes cliffhangers, but they can be shitty just as easily. Characters who ham things up are likewise.

Strong scenes that represent something for the story. While I usually hate this done in books due to overemphasis, in fanfiction it tends to shine better.

 

HAWT HAWT SLASH AND YAOI!!!!!11!!1!!1!!121

No I lie.

Would have to be time travel. Any kind.

And definitely good crossovers, been ages since a new one of those has come around, or at least ones where I know both fandoms. Anything with the twins in it is a plus.

 

Recursion, in completed stories. When a story approaching its ending homages its beginning, with jokes or character interactions or plot points from the beginning, giving a sense of going "full circle". It makes for a more memorable story in my opinion, and encourages me to go back and check out the first few chapters again after reading - to spot the ironies or the jokes, intentional or not, the author puts in. Sticks with me more, and a good story that ends with a good sense of recursion brightens my day. Not only that, but it's something I try to do in my stories too, simply because of what I feel as a reader when it happens and wanting to give other readers the same feeling.

 

Something that draws me in further, though makes me squirm, is when the protagonist makes a mistake. A mistake that is clear to us, the reader, but not neccissarily to him.
Classic example: harry diving into Voldemorts mind, even when he knows its not a good idea.

The main reason I enjoy it is becasue its the character acting and choosing an action, instead of reacting and being limp.

 

Yeah I myself enjoy the under-dog getting stronger and not being an angsty pussy, but still fucking up so he/she isn't a Mary Sue.

 

Dialogue so well-discriminated that you can often tell who's talking without the prompts.

Also, a shout-out that doesn't seem contrived. Naming background OC's after other authors is contrived. Harry acting like he has a plan and then quoting Indiana Jones "I dunno- I'm just making this up as I go along." works, as it's funny and fits the character and situation. (Even better if the situation is played the same- e.g.: in the next scene, Harry soars out over the Forbidden Forest on a thestral, chasing after the hijacked Beaubatons' carriage)

 

Well, for one what MattSilver said. I also like when story has some ongoing philosophical themes without being obvious about it. You spotted it - good for you, but other readers don't need to worry about it.

Is there such a story? If not, it needs to be told.

 

Magical theory, or innovative ways of using canon magic. I love seeing an author's take at magic and the way it works. This is one of the main reasons why The Santi's fic is in my top 5 favorite works of fanfiction.

Great villains. The kind that are not easily overpowered by a bunch of untrained kids, and whose presence in the story has a visible impact on the protagonist. Highly intelligent villains whose actions are carefully thought out and have real motivations behind them, as opposed to Stupid Evil that does harm for harm's sake. In particular, a good characterization of Voldemort always appeals to me-- something that is sadly missing from a large part of canon. Bonus points for well-written villain protagonists.

Jaw-dropping plot twists. It's just awesome when an author manages to write a plot that regularly makes you go like "they did what?!". If anything, I'd continue to read an otherwise mediocre fic just for this reason.

 

I'll read anything with an original and good concept. Nothing seems that original after 4/5 years of reading fanfiction, so I'll settle for lesser writing if the concept is something I've never seen before.

 

I like it when magical history is included. Really, I just like good world building. I also tend to be a sucker for mentions of magical drugs and possible abuses of magic (ie glamour spells, cheering charms, potions, other random shit) despite that subject rarely being written well.

Also: well written Luna. Shitty Luna is the exact opposite, and will cause me to rageface.

 

This. I expect writers to avoid a character they can't write too well as much as possible. Snape and Luna are, in my opinion, two of the hardest characters to write believably, and so I see a lot of poor characterisations for both of them.

 

Like Ashaya, I love worldbuilding. That's part of the reason CR is my favorite fic ever, but it's also why I like things like YoR, PoDK, and hell, even Sacrifices.

 

1) An independent Harry that doesn't go completely overboard. He can be independent and still listen to and accept help from people that know a shitload more than he does.

2) Good HP/BtVS crossovers. I've only read one that wasn't a oneshot or character piece.

 

In essence, what happened in Gringotts in book 7 - Riding the dragon out of the murderous Goblins' fortress like a BOSS.

Spoiler

Screw the movie, which attributed one of Harry's best Indiana moments to Hermione.