All of my fanfics are postponed until I figure out a way out
of this funk...

Just write 'em, we'll read 'em!
(it really doesn't matter. If it's a good fic, then it's a good fic.)

Yeah... but characterisation with recognisable characters can help a
bad fic, too... It gives you the guide line from which to work, and
everyone can see why the characters did whatever... Whereas if you don't
have the Takahashi based characters you have to make sure your own
characters have a character that people can understand... and this is
easiest done by showing the deviation from the original character.
Like, in that fanfic where Akane didn't love Ranma... It would have
been MUCH better if it had of been explained why Akane suddenly didn't
love him any more - what happened to her? It leaves more questions than
answers, more of them being 'What the smeg happened?' so I couldn't
concentrate on what the story was about.

Kun-chan...