Story vs writing skill

[Moctemma]

Dialogues and structure.
Structure is necessary to keep everything in order and make sense. Dialogue is an important part because it's when the author "steps back" and lets the characters be themselves. This will put to test if the story is more than the views of the author.
Word choices are the least important thing. The message behind those words it's what matters, not the words themselves.

[blakestackman]

Both are important, however, a story is communicating with the reader and if it is communicated poorly, the story and plot will be lost in translation.

[Hexigate]

Writing skill and style of prose.

I have read a lot of fast-paced stories with a lot of things happening, but have snored through them because they've been written poorly, or the prose just doesn't express the emotions of the scenes.

But I have also read one short story that is literally just a boat ride down a river. But the writing gave me the tone, the characters' inner emotions, and the melancholy of the boat ride and its symbolism of their drifting lives; all delivered in prose that flowed like silk and elicited all kinds of emotions within me.

Plot is like a list of facts that are laid out for us, the audience. But what makes it all coalesce into the story we care about is the way it is delivered.

[alcoholandcaffeine]

Ohhhh man, this is definitely one of those "the chicken or the egg" questions ahaha.

I think in an ideal world, the answer would be both -- interesting plot written beautifully.

In the real world, however, I will take an interesting story with flawed writing any day over bland purple prose. Especially after the 9-to-5 grind of adulting, at the end of a long day, I won't have the brainpower to whip out the dictionary every other sentence just to understand a 3-paragraph description of...a door, or something.

I read one such (traditionally published) book a while ago, which was absolutely beautifully written. Stunning. The characters and story, on the other hand...were ultimately disappointing.

Conversely, last summer I binged an (online published) teen fiction book which I normally am not attracted to. It was so funny, and written with so much heart, and even though the writing wasn't extraordinary or perfect, I enjoyed it immensely.

So, I would say, a fair balance of decent writing and gripping story is the best combination!

[NinaWrites]

Yes! I agree with @alcoholandcaffeine

My instant answer would be "good writing of course!"

But if I'm to be honest with myself - truly honest - I would take good plot with decent writing over bad plot with amazing writing.

I say "decent" because I still need to understand what's going on. If you have the basic grammar down I won't complain.

I adore purple prose because it truly is an art form but in words. It can paint such a beautiful picture for sure. But 300 pages of purple prose? I will pass because after my 9-5 job my brain is fried. (Purple prose works best for me in a short story)

[marbl]

If I were to choose, a better plot is always better than the writing style/skill.

For example, this sign:

I didn't see the repeated "the," and I only saw it after it was pointed out to me. Your brain fills in the gaps, and I tend to gloss over mistakes:

These are extreme examples, but they get the point across. As long as the writing is unobtrusive and communicates the plot effectively, it'll most likely be OK. Work on the plot first, then fix writing issues while you're editing. Even better, have someone else read the writing first, and have them give feedback.

[KUUPID]

This is pretty late but...

For me, it's both the writing skill (mainly focusing on grammar and structure) and story plot. There were a few novels I've come across on tapas that interested me based on the synopsis and overall plot. But what made me lose interest quickly was the lack of structure and poor grammar.

Like @Moctemma mentioned, structure is key in getting your message across. Yet, if what you're trying to convey to the reader is all over the place, as a reader, it's hard to follow. I know for sure that I won't bother trying to follow a story where I have no idea what's going on. The safest bet is to have someone else read your work after you've proofread it multiple times (even then, there's still going to be grammar mistakes xD But at least they'll be minor).