[ellisk]

[Rous]

Unrequited obsessive escapism????

The life in my mind is so much more interesting that my RL. And there is something about other ages that we have lost today. Even if you are into, say, Regencies, for instance, there is just an air of civility and grandeur that is sorely lacking in today's world. I have always loved the pageantry and languages of earlier ages. Even the bloodier times of man's history had more passion than today. We are quick to temper and react, but we have no finesse. I am just a hopeless romantic trapped in a practical world.

[LuthienTinuviel]

Being a second-speaker of English in her late teens, quite frankly I use fanfiction as a way to further improve my skills in the language.

Besides, what better way to share my fantasies with my friends than to write it down? AND as said by my friends "You're obsessed with LOTR!"

Maybe I'll write some original writing, but not now. I have not the full confidence yet.

[Thuriniel]

Like Luthien said, writing fanfiction has helped me improve my English skills inmensily. It's been a great learning experience as far as English usage goes. And then Sindarin happened along the way ...

I also love to write, I love to see a story take shape ... I love asking myself ... what if? That, I think, is the most rewarding part of fanfic. You can especulate on what might have happened behind the scenes.

But most of all, I write for the fun of it. And it's so wonderful to see when others enjoy just as much reading it as I do writing it. I never thought when I first posted a fiction for everyone to see that one simple review would bring so much joy and sense of accomplishment.

[Monarchsnake]

That is a question, that everyone must answer. Because not just one person has the answer for everyone.
I won't even go into why some folks write, because I think most of you wonderful folks got that pretty down packed.

I write fanfiction, because it is a part of me and I enjoy it beyond anything else in this world.

Especially the fandoms I have come to love. Oh Especially LOTR.

I use to write all the time growing up, though I did not know what was the proper term when I was writing fanfiction before internet, four years ago.

My Head has always been filled with muses, voices, forest, magical places and inspiration.

I see something interesting, and it inspires a storyline to spring to life, rather it be fanfiction or original works.

I've always been deeply rooted into fantasy, and it really is a whole other world deep inside my heart.

Earlier story ideas were filled with Mary Sue type characters, I admit.

At that time It was just escapism but I pretty much grew out of that phase, and screamed in disgust at old fanfiction stories I wrote.

What I tend to do now, is come up with complex storylines and make sure everything fits together.

End up doing hours of work and looking for proper names for characters, make sure something fits along with something else, timelines etc etc.

And I Love making the fantasy realistic (People Gasp At that, 'Realistic Fantasy') and doing subjects in fanfiction that people find too strange to touch.

(Gimli/Eowyn Shipper...lol)

Even The humor or Parodies I write, end up becoming serious and complex to a point. lol

Another Reason I Love Fanfiction:
Because sometimes I will be hit with three or four storylines or ideas in a night.

And I Can't go and make some big budget film about it, or a TV Show. Or some animation.

But I sure as heck can write to my imagination's content, because it's free! It's almost like a intoxication for me.

Eep, I think I rumbled long enough.
Thanks for listening ^^;

Elladan: Too much wind often pours from your mouth. (teasing smirk)

Hey, I'm not the one who talks about "Why I Love Lembas" at three in the morning.

Elladan: And I least I don't speak of "How Skittles Remind Of The Istari" While intoxicated with sugar.

What? YOU AGREED WITH ME ON THAT!

(walks inside the closet threatening him with "No skittles for a month")

Monarch Snake~

[miriel361]

I write to get the characters out of my head again.


Does it work? mostly. There are a couple who refuse to budge. I guess this means I'm not finished with them .

[ZeeDrippyVessel]

Why do Iyou write fanfiction?

Many would think from me the OBVIOUS answer is to piss off the flamers, but this isn't the case.

I have to look back at when I got started and go from there.

2 years ago, I had never HEARD of fanfiction, didn't know at my advanced age, that it existed. Out of sheer curiousity, I did a search on one of the characters from LOTR (20 guesses to which one) and found some interesting websites dedicated to the Elf and a short list of fanfiction.

Most of them were awful. There were a few good ones. Then I discovered yahoo and groups and there was fiction to my hearts content.

Most of it slash.

grrrrr. Sorry folks, I REALLY prefer to see the girl get plugged - right? And don't women have a-holes too? What is wrong here?

I had just read the trilogy - okay, I SLAMMED through it - and thought to myself, you know, I can do this too. So within 2 weeks of discovering fanfiction, I was writing.

I know, I know, there are those who wish I hadn't.

So, why do I write?

1. Because it pleases me.

2. Because it's a creative outlet.

3. Because it fills in holes left in canon. Maybe

4. Because I want to see more of a certain character.

5. Because I think certain information was left out due to time constraints or what not.

Case in point - Eomer. We REALLY see such a small glimpse of him in the books - really we do. And what we see is during war and Théoden's possession. It's really a VERY small window. It is OBVIOUS he cares deeply for his sister, that they care deeply for their uncle. So is there MORE to this Horse Lord than the incredibly SERIOUS young man we see in this small window of time? It is apparent he has a sense of humor. Why not build on this?

6. Because I like to ask - what if.

7. Because it is an escape from Real Life.

Now don't get me wrong or take this the wrong way. RL takes precedance. I realize some take their fanfiction very seriously. Well, most of us DON"T! One has to decide HOW fanfiction ranks in their life. To me, it doesn't rank at all. I take that back - it does, but it is down the totem pole a ways. It's a way to communicate, it is a way to put down daydreams, or ideas, or manipulations of word. Sometimes, it's therapy. I admit Tel' Lindar was begun at a time when my life was ripped apart. I wasn't in control, I had no control over what was happening in my life - I lost pretty much everything. The ONLY thing that remained constant was the love my son and I have for each other. And I look back at it now, and realize that art is imitating real life. (And in some cases, Real Life is imitating art - coughcough)

Either way, at this time I'm driven to express myself. So that's what I'm doing. That's my spin. Next.

[Eyborg]

I write just for the fun of it, really. But I guess I can second all the reasons you have mentioned before in this thread... exploring obscure characters, filling book gaps, "what if" this and that had happened, etc. etc.
I haven't really been writing fanfiction for a very long time, but I've been making up stories in my head ever since I was 10 and saw Star Wars. I guess I went through my "Mary Sue" period from the age 10 to 16 or so.
But mostly I find writing fun. So that's why I do it.

[ArtanisOrangeBlossom]

As i've said before i love to flesh out not really known characters....other than us here; who really knows about the brothers of Haldir? Not alot.

I got introduced to fanfiction when i was watching some Backstreet Boys thing...and i started thinking...'something happened for those two to become such good friends...was it being in the group or what?' thus i wrote it

so then i started to explore and came to this HUGE BSB fanfiction group where i read...and read...and read...and ashamedly never reviewed. Then i thought to myself (like so many others) i could write this. so i attempted...and got MAYBE 2 reviews.

but that was when i wrote in this long long long long paragraphs...no breaks. LOL then a friend...someone i very much respected took my fics in as well as myself to teach me how to write. *sighs* she took me in kinda like Ghetto and Alassante have done. But back then i did complete mary-sues. *sighs again* it was horrible..it still makes me cringe. *shudder* When i didn't get enough reviews i simply decided to bow out to take time to learn how to write. I was back in 2 months with new ideas and i actually made up a character that didn't have my name and looks! *gasp* yes folks i not only wrote mary-sue but self-insertion...

Then my friend got me into rpg-ing. Best thing i could have done because she litterally taught me that when you rpg you're essentially writing. The style of my writing is like my rpging alot of times. Before...i started to get into LOTR and HP even i was on FF.net for the music when they removed that i was lost. LOL But i got into Harry Potter and it was off. I read and read and read and read. When LOTR came out...i hadn't read the books and wasn't interested in the movies AT ALL Obivously i did.

I saw The Two Towers and was heartbroken at Haldir's death. It didn't seem right....so my mom one day plopped the books down. While i read i began to see all these little holes i could write things in...and thus it began and still hasn't ended. I actually didn't know about OSA until i joined the Haldir group Julie_Fianna_Archives over on Yahoo....I had followed Juile and Fianna's story Elanor's revenge on ff.net and when it left i searched all over for it. then i saw the link. I joined the group and haven't been happier in a while.

Julie posted the challenges last year (like Nov i think) and i wrote and got like 12 reviews. dear lord i was a happy mess LOL....i had noticed that everyone like Haldir, Lurien, and Rumil....but no Orophin. So i took it upon myself and the rest...is present history (okay so that makes no sense...eh)

[simon22cat]

I write as a replacement for an addiction I had to gambling. I was told by someone very close to me to redirect my energies, so I did. It has not even been a year since I started writing. This has become a much more enjoyable outlet for me. What started out as a BtVS/LoTR fic has turned into several. I have at least three that I am working on. I guess the bottom line is: I write for myself, for the pure fun of it and if there are reviews along the way then that makes it all the better.

(Okay, I can be a big review whore too )

[ArtanisOrangeBlossom]

i think from the first review we all become review whores.