You know, looking through the posts, I foulnd a lot of bits that told part
of the story.  So... I thought I'd tell what I could.  

Rule #1: Never, EVER write a series because you think it is popular, or
that it will get you recognition.  If that's why you're writing, I
recommend you rethink your position.  

Most of the people who post fanfiction will never receive any sort of award
or prize.  Heck, a decent amount will never get a positive commentary.
Does that mean that it shouldn't be written?  Of course not.  To give a
historical perspective on things... how many of you have heard of 'What a
couple of dips'?  When it was written, Ranma 1/2 occupied a space that
works like Escaflowne and Rurouni Kenshin do now: Popular among the fansub
purists, but not well-known among the fan community at large.  

Rule #2: Never say that a person should not write something, unless the
writer breaks some serious rules in the process (such as kill an author who
disagrees with them).  There are sometimes reasons for why people write
stuff that cannot be seen on the surface.  There were times when I HAD to
write a certain work; if you had told me that it shouldn't have been
written, then I would have told you what you could do with yourself.  

Rule #3: Write from the heart, no matter what may be inside.  There are
things inside of me that have sent me reeling at times.  Writing was an
outlet, allowing me to vent my feelings without hurting myself or those
around me.  If you feel like laughing, write comedy; if you feel like
crying, write something serious.  In the end, let what you write be an
extension of yourself.  Once we write (and read) such works, we realize
that we aren't as alone in this world as we thought.  

Finally, to put things in perspective, let me tell you what I did for much
of the weekend.  I helped run the anime room at a gaming convention here at
college.  None of the stuff we showed was commercially released, and a lot
of it I hadn't even heard of.  As a result, I now have recently had
exposure to a lot of new series.  And yes, they have given me ideas for
stories, though I doubt I'll have time to act on them right away.  Does
that mean that I shouldn't write them, just because most people haven't
heard of the series?  No.  Of course not.  

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got 22 hours left for a deadline.  See ya!

-- Nick