Why do I write Harry Potter fan fiction? Well, mostly, for myself. Yes the reviews are nice - I love it when people read my work, and even more when they tell me what they think. But - and this is important - I like seeing my ideas on the screen, in literary form. I enjoy the writing itself, and I enjoy the finished product, if that were possible, even more. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something. The fact is, even if I never got reviews, I'd still be writing; there are a number of projects I've completed that may never see the light of day, and I'm okay with that.
But why HP fiction? Well, it isn't the only thing I write, of course - I write some Star Wars fan fiction, as well as stories set in my own made-up universes and realities. But HP fan fiction, a relatively new genre for me (first published November, 2002, on FictionAlley), has a definite appeal that the others lack. First, I enjoy trying to emulate the fixed literary style of JK Rowling's work, particularly in terms of the structure of the stories (each of the first four canon books has a unique plot line, but they are formulated within the confines of the school year, always start with Harry's summer vacation and end with the train ride home to London, etc.) and in terms of the 'voices' of the characters (especially my favorite, Hermione). Second, I enjoy working in an incomplete canon environment; not everything is explained (unlike, say, the world of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth, which comes complete with ancient legends and dictionaries) and things are still developing.
I'm not sure if I'd have much fun writing Harry Potter fan fiction if all seven books were already out (though I'm still considering a bit of Narnia fan fiction one of these days). I also admit that I like having the use of a certain shorthand, which is easily understood by the entire audience. "Death Eater" is a complicated concept, with many layers - and anyone who reads my works, after reading the canon, will know instantly why Hermione would dislike a Death Eater, even without knowing anything else about the character. As an author, this shorthand is liberating, and allows me to focus on other issues (to a greater or lesser extent) without having to delve into the backstory except for artistic purposes - no matter what my betas say, the introduction at the beginning of each of my "school year" novels is going to stay, because I like it there.
So, really, the bottom line is that I write Harry Potter fan fiction because I like doing it. I love getting good reviews - just one will make my day in a way that almost nothing (except a pay raise, or a perfect score on a school assignment) can do. But that's not why I write, and I don't think it ever will be. I have enough neurosis as it is!
C: You always write about Hermione. What's up with that?
A: I don't always write about Hermione, though it might seem that way (especially if my later fics haven't been updated to whatever site you're looking at). She's my favorite character, other than Professor McGonagall, and I strongly identify with her in many ways. She's so much like me it's scary (down to the bushy brown hair). Anyway, I write about her more easily than anyone else, which is why she seems to have a large percentage of my time. Stay tuned, and you'll find stories about OCs, McGonagall, the Creevys, Ron, Ginny, Percy, and perhaps even Harry or Draco. And if you wait around long enough, you'll find my fics about Dumbledore and company...
C: You always rate things PG. What are you, some kind of a wimp?
A: Yes! Yes! A THOUSAND times, YES! I am a wimp, and proud of it. I close my eyes and plug my ears during squeamish parts of all kinds of different movies, I buy radio edit versions of music, and I don't like "Sex in the City." Strictly speaking, I've never seen it. I don't have problems with my sexuality, and I understand the world is a violent and cruel place - you'll even see hints of that in my work. But there's no way I'm going to make my art graphic or explicit, and that's really the bottom line. Some things might be PG-13 for content that I think wouldn't be appropriate for a child to contemplate, such as a discussion of sexual assault. But you won't see any kind of details that you'd have to confess to a religious authority (if you were so inclined); that's just not who I am. If you're into that kind of thing, the folks at RestrictedSection.Org are quite prolific.
C: You put that stupid ten-page introduction to Harry Potter and his little world at the beginning of your fifth-year/sixth-year/seventh-year novel. You know everyone just skips that stuff, it's silly.
A: Creative license, my friend. I like the introductory stuff, it sets the stage and helps me get into the mood for Harry Potter. JKR takes about 5-15 paragraphs to do this; Tolkien was less wordy in that respect (I love the line "this was a hobbit hole - and that means comfort,") but I prefer a slightly longer approach. It also frees me from the nagging little voice that says "but you didn't explain that." There's always a chance someone has forgotten some detail of the canon books that I think is important. And if they want to skip ahead, I'm not standing in the way. The introductions stay. Sorry.
C: Why do you not tell anyone in advance what you're planning to write?
A: Because I rarely know in advance, except with the longer projects (right now, there are four: a Lily Evans first year fic, a Harry Potter fifth year novel, and two post-Hogwarts fics - a silly romp through the magical world in 2012, and a serious and sometimes depressing novel set in 2005), which are far from complete. Most other things pop into my head, get written, and released within five days of their inception. I don't take HP fiction as seriously as my other works, which is why I have three fics uploaded at FA already (as of 15 December 2002), and nothing uploaded at Elfwood, yet...
C: I have a comment, and you haven't addressed it. What do I do about that?
A: You could always email me; I also frequent a number of lists (including HP_FanFiction, FAWA, and Harry_Potter_for_Grownups) and have a review board at FictionAlley. If enough people say something, I'll put it up here.