What prompts me to write something?

[zengar]

The problem with internet forums is that you can type a couple of thousand words and not have anything to show for it except for the possibility of new virtual friends. Sure, the same could be said for face-to-face conversations, (minus the typing) but you're much more likely to generate that good pealing in person. And besides, it takes me much less time to say that much than it does to type it. So here is something I posted as a comment elsewhere, in lieu of coming up with something new to type here.

I get the urge to write something when I'm reading or watching a story and go "hey, that's not [how that character should act/what was foreshadowed/a believable plot device/etc.]" Since I don't feel any desire to write fan fiction, I immediately strip out and replace any elements of setting, characterization, and plot that aren't essential to the situation that triggered the urge. The new elements, of course, bring along the necessity to make minor changes to the situation so that they'll fit, which may trigger further alterations to the new elements. The cycle usually results in something that is almost, but not entirely, completely unlike tea, err... the original.

This does a lot to explain why I have so many fragmentary pieces siting around waiting for another piece that matches up with it. And it shouldn't be taken that I have to experience bad stories to get inspiration, indeed better original stories generally result in more interesting final results. But if you see me asking for inspiration, it's because I'm trying to kick-start my creativity without the normal book/movie/tv show trigger. Once I've managed to fit at least two fragments together I can usually take it from there, but when I have just one... well... the tendency is to follow the original a little to closely.