I'm going to redefine that question, so hold any horses you were preparing to unleash.

I don't want to know why you write, which is how people usually seem to interpret this question. Unless the idea of creating original work scares you beyond belief whilst borrowing another's worlds and characters doesn't, "because I enjoy it" is going to cut no mustard whatsoever. Likewise to "I get the urge to create" & "I enjoy the attention/satisfaction of others reading my works". These are reasons why you create and write, yes, but they are not reasons specific towards channeling that need into fanfiction generation. Specify, please.

I know my own reasons and I plan on placing them below. In spoilers, because I don't particularly wish to know whether or not you agree or disagree with them; I am far more interested in knowing your own reasons. I therefore ask that you either write out or at least consider your own responses before viewing mine -- if you even wish to do so.

Of course, once I press "post blog entry", I suffer cardiac arrest and am powerless to stop you, but please. Please, though. Please?

Please.

Two reasons why. The first is being part of the fanfiction community. It's like nothing else out there. Like most people, I've had creative urges for most of my life and have more often than not fleshed out said urges with banquets of para-word-sentences. I've written in a vacuum before, and it is not a pleasant place to be. Here, however, you can exchange ideas with other authors, get direct contact with readers, work collaboratively, discuss writing, discuss other stories with other authors. There's no real parallel to it within writing normally, no real comparison to the fluid share of ideas and techniques and stories. I love it.

Second reason skates a little less close to the whole "Well, that's just a reason why you write, you numpty noddle" thing I somewhat hypocritically accused everyone else of doing. There are certain types of stories that can only really exist within a fanfiction setting, types of stories that cannot be told otherwise. An alternate universe story or "for want of a nail" where one thing changes everything exist within normal writings, yes, but never quite to the same extent as they do here; for original shows or stories, they might just be a single episode of a season, but over here we can extend them towards being a season in their own right. Crossovers, too, don't really make sense with a mainstream creative sense: two different universes colliding has been done, but not with the reader having an expected knowledge of one of those universes that is not their own. Short fics, too; drabbles, also. Peggy Sue fics -- inspired by a film with Nick Cage, EQD fans! -- take on a whole new meaning within fanfiction because the audience knows what it is meant to happen, and yet isn't. There's a lot we can write here that we simply cannot write elsewhere.

And now the stage is yours, friends.

What is worst Princess doing to best Princess?