Why do we write fanfic?

Those who've never taken part in this kind of community often find the very concept baffling. To be honest, it can be hard to answer sometimes, since explaining something s complex as the history of fanfiction can't be neatly summed up.

For me, I started writing and drawing fan stuff because there were things (usually pairings) I wanted to see but couldn't find, especially in a small fandom like the Marioverse. In a fandom as big as MLP's, you can find pretty much anything if you look long enough (or use the right tags), so... why keep writing? I don't know! Maybe it's because I tell myself stories to help get to sleep when my insomnia acts up (which is every night) and getting them down on "paper" feels good. Maybe it's because it's both stimulating and relaxing. Maybe it's because there are still some stories I want to read that don't yet exist. Maybe it's because I've really grown to love the community here, and any kind of feedback helps me develop. I'm still not sure, but I still do it. Stephen King once said that you know you have a passion for something if you'd keep doing it even if it were made illegal, and I think that holds true for me.

What about you? Why do you write fanfic, or read fanfic, or make any other kind of fan content?