When are you too old to write Fanfics?

I can't say I recognise myself there. At all. But then, I've never had my writings turn to shit. And my enthusiasm has never come from readers. It comes from the joys of writing.

But if you just write for others' pleasure, and never reflect on what you're actually writing, you're going to water out, naturally. If you don't actually enjoy writing in itself, then you're not going to progress further than your patience.

I do like my stories, but I don't write them for my own pleasure. After all, I already know how the stories go, so writing them for myself is a waste of time. I write them because I have self-esteem issues and validate my worth by whether or not my ego gets food.

Have I said:

"When they nail the lid shut on your coffin", yet?

Not that that's limited to fanfiction... or even just writing.

If you know exactly how your story's gonna go and you're just writing it out word-for-word the way you planned, no wonder you're finding it unrewarding!

Half the fun of writing is the license you get to be spontaneous. It's awesome to have the stuff you write surprise you. Mind you, I'm not shitting on plotting stuff in advance^note A failure to plan ahead is a recipe for plot holes, and if you just pull shit out of your ass all the time, it means that you're probably going to write yourself into a corner sooner or later., but if you're always planning everything in excruciating detail and never just writing what comes out natural, that's a surefire way to make yourself bored and dissatisfied.

But planning is fun! You're right, though. The most fun is when you're writing something, and then your characters start deciding stuff for you. It's that one feeling most writers love and is often brought up regarding what's the most enjoyable thing while writing. You hear it so often (well, if you discuss writing) it becomes a cliché, but there's a good reason for that.

I will be to old to write fanfiction the day I can't type anymore.

Really, it depends on the fanfiction writer. You don't HAVE to stop writing at a certain age, though others may think otherwise.

Just do whatever you feel. If you want to stop when your 59, do that. If you want to continue contributing to whatever fandoms you are in with fanfiction, then go on ahead.

Don't let anyone discourage you in your decisions.

The question I've struggled with in the past is when are you too experienced as a writer to continue to write fan fiction. I actually picked up fan fiction writing again over a year ago, (after perhaps four years of not writing any because I thought I was above it and should focus on original fiction), simply because I needed a break from writing very deep and depressing Lit Fic for my Creative Writing MFA program, and I had an idea for a The Great Mouse Detective/An American Tail crossover that wouldn't go away. And I became hooked. Since there's not a whole lot of Graduate-level fan fiction out there my work has been pretty well-received too. There's no harm in writing just for fun I suppose.

Age is not a criterion for writing fanfiction. The question is not applicable.

I agree. I think the reason why this comes up is that if the author is serious about writing and you've been writing for a long time, people expect you to write original fiction because it's seen as more legitimate and fanfic writing is for practicing your writing skills until you're good enough to make stuff up yourself. I've known authors who publish (and sell) original work and still write great fanfiction, that's not a bad thing.

I think age is just a number.

As long as the interest and passion is still there, you can write fanfic at any age.

when you are dead. and even them I'm sure God negotiates. ( wait that's a quote what am I quoting ah screw it)

for real, there's no cut off. I started writing fics.. 7 years ago. I don't see myself stopping any time soon. I know fic writers who are married with kids, I know fic writers in their 40s, 50s, 70s. yeah, 70s.

I'm in my 20s now and my dad (after one sermon too many) thinks it's childish for me to write/read fanfiction, he thinks that I'm escaping from reality,

And he doesn't have good words for novelists too, due to not having enough money to sustain oneself.

Additional thought.

Writing, he it fanfic or original, is a pretty taxing activity. Usually, older people get, less energy they have. I'm in my 20s and sometimes I feel too tired to do anything other than main studies and job and such.

Of course, there are always exceptions.

I really don't think age matters much at all. I know people in their 30's that still write fanfiction, and besides, would a comic writer who enjoys what he does be considered too old to do it because it wasn't him who first wrote Spiderman?

It's not really the age...it's the different demands life has on you at one point which makes it more and more difficult to devote time to it, especially if you do a job which requires a lot of writing in itself. But if you really want to, you will never totally stop.

You're too old when you can no longer type, or tell people what to type for you.

Fortunately, by the time the current crop of writers (assuming you're less than 40 or so) get to that point, voice recognition will probably be advanced enough so that you don't even need anyone else. :)