I think there is a distinction between writers who can't be bothered with how their couple got together or developed into the people they are now portrayed as being, and those who have a clear idea but, because they are primarily writing for a community of readers already familiar with a whole range of interpretations and scenarios, don't bother to rehash what has been done repeatedly before, but instead indicate - clearly to those in the community, much less so to those without - what their approach for this story was, and then turn to other matters (cf. wave theory of slash). I don't think the latter is any evidence of bad writing: yes, you limit your audience, but on the other hand the audience you do have is in a better position to appreciate exactly what you're trying to do.

Of course, if what what you are interested in reading is specifically accounts of how a couple got together, rather than what happened afterwards with the first stages left as an exercise for the reader, shipper fic is frequently going to be unsatisfactory, even when good. I guess maybe the earliest stories in any given pairing are more likely to be to your taste?