I consider what makes me write fanfic. I've always been a big 'what if?'
person, as I'm sure most of you are too. But what ismpires you to write
fanfics? About any series? Any genre`? For the sole purpose of
entertaining others?

  It seems that each story has a beginning, as does this on.e  But it wasn't
really at the beginning of my writing career that I started writing fanfics.
To be truthful, it wasn't until much later that I even considered writing
for anything other than the base emotional outlet that others have already
suggested.
  But as my work progressed through short stories, poetry, and novels, I
started to become infatuated with the very idea of writing--not just as a
way to pass time, but as a lifestyle.  And so, sitting at my desk and
researching yet another topic, I ran upon anime, and loved it too much NOT
to write about it.
  But fan fiction was more.  It was a way that I could--if only
minimally--let myself relax from the tiring ordeal of revising a manuscript,
or plotting my next piece; it was a way to have fun.  It captured--in
essence--the very spirit of why I started writing in the first place.  Which
was, "It feels good to tell a story.  And in turn, have that story tell you
something."
  The very wealth of characters made it simple to come up with odd
situations that they could get into.   No longer did I have to scribble out
plot lines based around characters I didn't know.  Or, did I have to toil
over too many character sketches.  I could just sit down, pick an emotion or
event to kick start it and just go--letting my characters tell the story
while I sat and watched to see what happened.
  That, for me, is what fan fiction is all about.  Being lazy. ^_-  That and
I've always wanted to see Madoka and Kasuga in the sack, but....
  And so, when you ask, "What inspires you?"  I guess I could say that it's
Madoka's giggle, or Kasuga's nervous laugh, or even Sayuri's twisted
persona. All these things, and more add to the slush pile in my head until I
know the characters well enough to BE them.  After that, it's easy to write
about what would have happened, or what could have happened, or why THAT
never did..
  My point?  Characters are the life's blood of any work.  Interesting
characters make for intresting situations.  And interesting situations make
for interesting plots.  All these things combined give you a book that you
can't put down, no matter what you try to avoid picking it up.
  Then, of course, there's that one word that should have been four letters
instead of five.  PROSE!  Yech!  8)

Mata ne,
Inaba