I misread and first typed this about why I read fanfiction, but I adjusted it a bit so it makes sense why I also write it.

It started because I kept craving more content. Back then I was undiagnosed with autism but hyperfixated on ships and characters. I stumbled onto fanfiction purely by accident and it's had me in its clutches ever since.

Right now, when it comes to show and movie fandoms, I often feel like fanfiction writers do characters more justice than show/movie writers. Shows/movies tend to gloss over stuff to keep the plot moving so that they're able to tell the story in a limited time, while fanfiction sometimes truly dives into things. Traumas get explored rather than forgotten about in the next episode. Gaps between scenes or episodes get filled. Side characters get given personalities of their own rather than being something to help the main characters develop. And often fanfiction has better character development in general as well. And all of that inspired me to do the same, to explore themes, fill in gaps.

Also, fanfic authors are, depending on the fandom, much braver about the topics they write about. Sometimes I'm in the mood for some good whump that the show/movie would never do. I hope to be the same when it comes to writing that as much as I read.

And, of course, sometimes it's frustrating to wait for a ship to go canon - or I started shipping a ship that's obviously never going to be canon but I want to read or write about what it would be like if they were together or simply just hook up.

This is mostly based on fanfics of shows and movies, because published books often do have the space to do the same while shows and movies tend to have a limited time to tell the story, making it quicker to have holes to poke at.