50 (Plus) Reasons to Write Fic

[promethia_tenk]

So, the other day I was talking with an old friend and attempting to explain what I do with myself lately.  She's an avid writer herself, so of course I had to tell her about my discovery of our little writers' community.  I found myself brought up short, however, by an assumption I'm sure everyone here has had to deal with at some point: that the only reason to write fic is because you are lame.

And so I began ranting (in my head) that there are *plenty* of reasons to write fic besides the fact that I am lame.  In fact, I bet that I could come up with 50 different reasons for writing fic . . .

1) To show your love for a show, book, movie, etc.
2) To show your hatred for a show, book, movie, etc.
3) To fill in the blanks and tie up the loose ends the writers left behind.
4) To explore different facets of a character.
5) To tear a character to pieces (literally or just metaphorically).
6) To heal a character.
7) To work out your own issues.
8) Because a universe created over a span of years by hundreds of different people working together will have a richness of backstory and emotional resonance you will never produce on your own.
9) So you can be part of a community of fellow writers.
10) For the love of language.
11) For the love of smut.
12) For the love of angst.
13) For the love of funny.
14) Because you are an inveterate shipper.
15) Because you can't stop asking "What would happen if . . ." [Example from darlingchaos : Because you're just dying to see what would happen if two people had a whole bar's worth of alcohol to themselves and one was a horndog and the second was on a dry spell (Sorry Ted and Barney)]
16) Because your different fandoms are too awesome to be kept apart (crossover fic).
17) Because it's better than dealing with work/school/etc. [darlingchaos : bored out of your mind on AP psych; da_phoenix13 : Because you've got a paper due in the morning.]
18) Your roommate is overseas.
19) It's midterm break (free time on your hands).
20) You haven't written anything in 2 months.
21) You've just had 2 glasses of wine while watching 'Girl with a Pearl Earring (inspiration through alcohol).
22) You're listening to a one-hour long hip-hop mix track (inspiration through music).
23) You've read too much fanfic and feel you need to give some back to the universe.
24) You're not happy with the way things turn out in canon.
25) The show's on hiatus for far too long.
26) You have an extremely overactive imagination.
27) DRABBLE-A-THONS.
28) Because someone requests it.
29) Because there's a SMUT DUEL.
30) Because you're addicted to the outpouring of comments following the posting of one (comment whore). [Thanks to roland44  for #18-30]
31) Because it's suddenly become impossible *not* to write fic.
32) Because sometimes a character just needs offing (I'm coming for you, Ranjit!).
33) Because the 4th wall is just *asking* to be broken.
34) To make two straight, pretty-boy characters bum each other for your amusement.
35) Perversion. [ Thanks to idioticonion  for #34-35]
36) Because it gives you a chance to practice playing with different structures and styles, as the characters are already pretty developed.
37) Because fic allows you to have fun with a story that's already structured. You can dip your toes in instead of having to dig, brick, and fill the pool first.
38) Because fic is an outlet into which you can pour your HATE AT THE WORLD IN GENERAL by hitting a character with a bus, or getting him shot, or getting him pumped full of evil chemicals by a psycho greek woman. (Sorry, Barney).
39) Because fic allows you to develop a personal style of writing which can then be applied to original works.
40) Because it's fun, dammit! [snogged : Because the world is more fun with fanfic.]
41) Because you make friends globally that never would have happened otherwise. (*tips hat to idioticonion and roland44 and others)
42) Because... what else are you going to do after watching a season one marathon while sick at home puking? Knit? No. You're going to take that inspiration-lemon and make freaking lemonade.
43) Because some fic, sorry to say, is just bad. And it's your job as a brilliant writer to kill the lame-writer stereotype by putting out Good Fic. Which there is tons and tons of on LJ. Yay! [Thanks to darlingchaos  for #36-43)
44) To practice writing.
45) Because sometimes your brain just gets crazy ideas, and if you keep that crazy contained, you'll spontaneously combust. [darlingchaos : Because little things that happen provide inspiration that must be acted upon and written out!]
46) A need for catharsis.
47) Boredom.
48) Insomnia. [Thanks to da_phoenix13  for #44-48.  She didn't mention insomnia herself here, but we've heard her bring it up enough elsewhere.]
49) Because sometimes your ideas are better than what the writers think of.
50) Because you can turn the characters into puppets and make them dance! [Thanks to snogged for #49-50.]

And that makes 50!  Yay!  Let's see how much further we can get.  N.B.: There are now officially more reasons to write fic than there are to have sex, so adjust your priorities accordingly.

51) Profit.
52) As a gift.
53) Curiosity.
54) Put your English/Fine Arts degree to good use.
55) To be the first to make a character or characters do [fill in the blank].
56) Repressed feminist anger.
57) Just got a new MacBook and want an excuse to use it more.
58) Because sometimes you do feel guilty about it, which turns you on in a weird way.
59) Because you don't have any other creative outlets.
60) Because it's just another way to analyze your shows, and TWOP sold out so you can't hang out there like you used to.
61) Because you've just read a brilliant fan fic, and you need to flesh it out more (aka riffing, or fan fic for fan fic).
62) Because it's never going to happen in canon and you NEED TO SEE IT.
63) Because you're horny, and writing about two attractive characters having sex is very fulfilling.
64) Because original fic is too hard. [Thanks to otempora42  for #61-64.]

Think of one I  missed?  Please post below.  Will credit all contributions.

Cheers!