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Yep, that’s why I still do it, I enjoy it. It took me dabbling in fanfiction to realize that I do love it, because I had believed my mother’s discouraging words before that (don’t confuse intent with effect here, she still thinks I don’t like writing, because, I’m definitely not showing her what I’ve been writing here!). Of course, now that I’ve got the halloween story into the hands of my beta, I’m starting to work up another story

Only one or two? I thought this place was filled with nutjobs! Myself included.

I fell in love with words when I was small. My parents told me I loved to use big words, and I actually can’t remember learning to read. It just happened, I think. The symbols made sense. So, because I love words, I decided to try writing, and I was gods-awful. I mean, really, truly dreadful. But I loved it. Real life kicked into gear, there was work and being an adult, and then… I played a CRPG, and I hated the plot holes. I’d played earlier games in the same ‘verse, loved them, but this one? Craters in the plot. So I started to read fan fiction which tried to fix those holes, and fill in the blanks, and one day, I decided to write a fan fiction of my own. It was dreadful, really, but one reader asked, “What happened next?” and that was it. I still love fan fiction. I do. I always will. I write original works now, but there are those fandoms that will always feel like home for me, and I will never be ashamed of writing fan fiction. There is a distinct art, a skill in taking someone else’s world and asking “What if…?”

I write because its fun. In a weird sorta way. Its like I’m putting symbols together and those symbols enable communication to other minds. Other intelligences with different perspectives and different thoughts. Its frightening and exhilarating. These sigils of mine are communing with others that I may never get to met and if I’m lucky will do so long after I’m gone. So I guess in a sense. When I write I’m praying. I mean hell Grand Inquistion started on here and somehow became a blend of sci-fi and high fantasy with a male couple. The world maybe isn’t ready for such a thing. But ya know what? I’m going to try anyway.

By ‘the odd one or two’ I totally just meant you and me, DP.

I say, we get together, trap this ugly motherless chrak'tova (I am definitely going to start using Straxi in life now, just to get weird looks...) and send it and RL into the sun... Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Found an article on one of the writing pages I follow where the writer explores the two reasons people write a novel, and I was like, “WTF?! Only two?!” Apparently, we fall into two categories. 1: We feel we have a good story to tell, and 2: we feel we have a good story to sell. I may be simplifying the point of their article a little, but I wanted to bring the discussion here. For me, it’s neither of the two options. I don’t always feel like I have a story to tell. Sometimes I just have characters or events in my head and a story forms as I’m writing. Sometimes I don’t even have that much, but I just need to write because the options I have to read just aren’t satisfying a specific need or craving. So, as the title of this thread asks, why do you write?

And they both motivate you? That’s impressive!

*feels*, yep, still have two, so I’m a double nutjob.

Well, I tried flamethrower, but apparently work frowns on that... After a few people turned KFC... And part of the building became a bonfire... I don't understand why they'd frown on it...

Nutjob? I prefer the term "untethered"... Perhaps a little unhinged...

I find AFF forums/chat to be a good repellent to those demons. I’ve tried loads of garlic, but that just offends the co-workers.

That demon is an asshole. It’s never been a problem to me, but I can be a bit on the arrogant side when it comes to feeling entitled to do things that make me happy. But I see it a lot in the people who are close to me. We gotta slay that bitch. To me, even if someone aims to sell their books, if the passion and love for words is there, they will never seem to be writing purely for the money. And I can honestly say that not a single person on AFF seems motivate purely by money… Maybe the odd one or two motivated purely by their genitals, but there’s nothing wrong with that either!

You are so excellent at it! You’re one of only fanfic writers I love because even when I’m not familiar with the show or book you’re writing about, I can still enjoy your stories. You make it feel like it’s not just an offshoot of something else because you make it your own and are so damn good at it. And football sucks anyway.

I should probably reply to this thread when I’m not having one of those ridiculous crises of confidence that strikes every so often… but let’s pretend I’m not. So here goes: I think the two reasons mentioned in the article are a load of claptrap. It might apply to novel writers, but it certainly doesn’t to fanfiction authors, who can’t sell what they write, so therefore the second reason can never apply. As for the first, I don’t think many of us start writing (original or fanfiction) with a fully formed story in our heads. I think it comes to us during the process. Why do I write? Getting down to the nuts and bolts. I love the language. I like words, and I like playing around with them. I’m not educated, so I don’t always know the correct terms, but I know more or less what I’m doing. Also, despite the crisis mentioned above, I suspect I’m actually quite good at it, unlike, say… football. So I write. And I don’t play football. I like writing casually, sure. I also like writing less casually. I like writing where I take my time over word choices and put a lot of effort into building and maintaining a specific atmosphere. The horror story I wrote for JayDee is an example of that. There’s lots of water-based description going on there that happens when I’m describing ordinary things. i.e. her hope bubbled up in her. The S&M story The Hook I adored writing, because of the atmosphere of despair in it. Fanfiction is an art in and of itself. Lots of people who hate fanfiction will disagree with me here, and they’re free to, but I won’t change my mind. Let’s imagine I’m my usual confident self for one moment. I’ve now got years of fanfiction writing experience behind me. I’ve written in a lot of different fandoms. There’s a slightly different art to writing fanfiction for a literary medium, to writing for a visual canon, like a film or tv series. The echoes you need to include are different. At this point, I’m like a master art forger who can knock out a fairly credible da Vinci, but can’t paint for themselves. I’m not less of an artist. I still haven’t found that key that makes the original work sparkle in my head the same way as the fanfiction does, but if I ever do, I probably won’t look back. In that case, the second reason will probably seem to apply. But it won’t be the first why and wherefore. It won’t be the driving force. That is and will always be the need to play about with words, to use them to create a feeling, or an atmosphere, or to say something that can’t really be put into words, only alluded to by way of a story. If we could say these things out loud just like that, we’d never have made stories. Stories grant us power we don’t otherwise have. It’s a good feeling, even if you tend to write rather awful things. Ok… can I go back now? *huddles back under rock*

If I could remember, and it still applied, I’d start again!

It's fun and inexpensive (compared to one of my other hobbies where it's easy to burn through/ruin thousands of dollars in seconds)

I agree 100%. I have a hard time believing writers write just to sell books. I mean, of course a lot of writers want to make money off something they put so much work into. That’s just natural. But for most of us, I think there’s more than just the possibility of monetary rewards that inspires us to put pen to paper that very first time.

When I started writing it was because I had a story to tell, I had no idea it would be one that would sell. Now, I write because I can, because I like to, because it’s the one thing I can do that’s just for me, because Tahn likes my stories even if no one else does, because there are still stories to be told, and lastly and least important to me right now, because my publisher wants another book. I think there are as many reasons for people to write as there are people who write. No one has the exact same motivations or things that drive them to put words on paper and saying there are only two is being very narrow minded about it.

Firstly, in my quite possibly not so humble opinion... Two reasons are a little bit of... Well, Ian Malcolm said it best: That's one big pile of shit. To lump people together greatly cuts out others... At least I think so... I fall into neither category, too. I had a pretty bad childhood, so the writing allowed me to escape elsewhere and live in wondrous worlds of crazy, bizarre things away from reality. As time progressed, I just liked to write, never showed anyone, never wanted to. It wasn’t a "tale to tell/tale to sell", it was just something I did. Now, it's a relief and definitely stress reduction technique... But it's still mainly because I enjoy it… Do I want to be published? One day, certainly... I'd love to see my name at the bookstore... And walk around anonymously... Because I'd like to point out things... And slap people upside the head...

Aww… thank you I suspect the crisis has been brought on by a particular demon that affects most of us. The one that sidles up to you and whispers: “Hey, you… you’re just kidding yourself. This is shit. You know that, right? You’d be much better off spending your time doing something useful. And you know everybody hates it when you spend hours and hours in front of the computer.” I hate that demon. I wish it would die a nasty, painful death. Maybe that’s a good Halloween fic idea!

lol definitely not alone. I’m sure there are writers out there who are 100% confident in their summary skills, but I have yet to meet one.

Second, better, normally, to go with what you were intending. However, if stuck, or the their idea works better, sure, use it, or as clover suggested, to the opposite. In the end, it’s your story that you’re sharing with them. Paying attention to the reader can help too. For instance, toward the beginning of Dale’s Game, I wasn’t certain where the main thing near the end would occur, but Dirty Angel made a suggestion (I think she was joking), and it fit perfectly to the character, so I went with it.

Yes. Truly a test of skill to see which Bob is capable of Bobbing for apples the best. Usually around Boboween. Or All Bob’s eve.Many casualties can result as many Bobs try to out bob one another. Same for Bobmas. Santa Bob typically unleashes Krampus Bob on foolish Bobs bobsledding around this time. Survivors get gifts. -Other Bob

Just my humble opinion, but having the characters put on hats, gloves and scarves to begin leads the reader to expect play that’s a little rougher than your scene needs if the erotic content is going to work… that’s where you’re going to run into trouble. Ditch the accessories. By using them, you create a peculiar mental image, and call attention to the parts of the characters that aren’t covered up, and that makes the reader feel the cold. You want the play to be very light. You want the snow to be extremely light. You want the the Oh, but that’s cold! to be a perfect counterpoint to Oh, but you’re warm! That’s how this scene would work. I’ve written it before, more than once. And I’ll write it again, because… Ahhh… they’re going to end up in the snow. Poor buggers. Even the wildling is going to hate it by the end. I am so evil. *shakes head at self*