He Ne Sais Quoi

It can be really difficult to fairly judge stories. It's easy to say something sucks, or to say that it's awesome, but it's hard to say why. Obviously, you say or because it produced an emotional response in you, but again, what specifically caused that feeling?

We can analyze stories and what techniques seem to work and which fall flat, but it seems there are always contradictions to whatever rules we come up with.

For example, I can say I hate sitcoms, but some of my favorite shows are actually sitcoms. There is a certain unnamed quality that good stories have that can transcend whatever rules you've come up with. A similar je ne sais quoi can make a story that ought to be enjoyable an utter cringe fest.

Be aware of these things, and try to define these undefined qualities. It can grant you great insight in yourself and your writing abilities.