Well, this is something that I wrote up a little while ago (like, about two
minutes ago) about my opinions on writing fiction, and in particular
fanfiction.  If anyone cares to, you can comment about this.

PXDN

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On writing...

	I guess writing fiction takes a certain breed of person.  Of the populus,
only a few have any desire to express their creative talent.  And of those
few, only a portion of them actually do have any talent to start with.  Of
those final few, only a scrapping of them are willing to take what I believe
is the final step into fictional art.
	When I write, I assume for the time that I write that I'm insane.  It's the
only way, really.  Society states that one who lives in his or her own
fantasy is insane, and who am I to argue?  That's the reason why I become
insane; to write fiction, one must immerse himself into the world that he or
she creates.  To be detached from the writing means a lack of depth, a lack
of characterization, and a lack of soul.  An author must live it in order to
write about it effectively.
	Now, I know that one could easily refute this argument.  I can, for example,
think of several authors who are certainly not insane, and yet can write good
fiction without losing sight of reality.  However, the outward appearance of
that is quite deceiving.  Popular authors often research into the topics that
they write about, to substitute for actual experience.  In essence, they are
living the experience that they scribe, and ergo, are insane in that way.
	To be honest, I really don't write that much original fiction.  I'm a mere
amateur, who's written scant prose, read much of others, and often engages in
what could be considered outright intellectual theft by conservative minds:
 Fanfiction.  However, in the short span that I've been writing, I know for a
fact that it is much harder than one is led to believe, and requires
sacrifice to execute.  What that sacrifice is can vary tremendously.  I
sacrifice much sleep, sometimes schoolwork, any real hope of an extended
social (and possibly romantic) life, and many times for the reasons described
above, sanity.  What others may give up at the altar of creativity, I don't
know, but often it's a hefty tithe.
	I've mentioned that insanity seems to be a prerequisite for fiction, and I
feel that that idea is true.  However, there is a key that one has to
remember about that:  you have to pull out once you're done writing.  What
marks the true writer from an eccentric is the ability to separate reality
from fantasy once he or she is done with his work.  Once fantasy and reality
begin to merge, then it is no longer writing, it's craziness.  I've always
felt that temporary insanity is healthy for the soul, but beyond
that...well...that is for those with psychology majors and doctorates to
ponder over.
	Fanfiction, heh.  Authorial or artistic works created by "fans" based on
another's work.  They're everywhere, you know.  Pick up any novel "based on
the hit movie" or based on a popular work at the book store, and you'll have
a piece of genuine sanctioned fanfiction.  Working on fanfiction is often a
more daunting task than creating an original work, and the omnipresent
feeling of insanity hangs even closer than normal.  Not only does one have to
create, and immerse him or herself into the work, but he or she has to do it
with another's world.  Also, fanfiction requires something that a normal
piece of fiction doesn't require:  adherence to a set standard.  Although
there are derivative and "what if" works out there, they still are fixed to
at least a small link to the original work.  The effort required to work with
those standards is even more than normal writing.
	The statements brought forward by commentators that fanfiction is inherently
an uncreative pursuit clearly haven't done it before.  Fanfiction requires
the same amount of drive, creativity, and in fact, more determination and
order to its structure.  In the end, it also requires more insanity, as one
has to adhere to  (often) standards already set, and therefore, greater
immersion with the subject matter.
	How do I think I know this?  Well, you're reading the handiwork of a Grade A
unsanctioned fanfiction writer.  I've skirted the line more times than any
normal, logical, sane person would care to cross, as well as written,
proposed, toyed with, and repressed ideas prolific enough to fill a library.
 The sum of all of my experiences have left a profound mark upon me, and this
more so than others.  It's shown me that, yes, I am insane for those brief
moments of literary inspiration and that, there is more than one outlook on
life.  However, that's for another soliloquy.  The key of this is that the
line between reality and fantasy blurs when one decides to write fiction, and
fanfiction especially.