Ok, this is going to sound really cheesy but...

I write because I love it. It gets my imagination going and makes me happy. It can be exciting or challenging or whatever you make of it. When a person is writing, they connect with their characters, they take on the mind set and persona of that character. In a sense they "become" their character. They see the world through their eyes, and can just be free. In stories, weather your reading them or writing them, you can be whoever you want to be, go wherever you want to go, and do whatever you want to. You get to live out your fantasies and dreams, and live life like you never thought you ever would. It can also be an escape or a vent for those who are going through tough times, for me, without my writing and how far I have come with it, I wouldn't be where I am today. I write because through my writing, I am able to go places, and touch people in ways that I never would be able to otherwise. I get to express myself and just be me in a way that people wouldn't see otherwise. I can be really shy, but in my writing I feel like I can really be me and come alive, I get the words down, and it's like once I start writing, I can't stop. They just flow from my mind and heart onto the paper and I don't even really think about it after awhile, I just..do. I roleplay because I write, though it gives me the addded bonus of sharing my ideas and taking my stories to even farther heights. I get to meet new friends and share ideas, and it challenges me to become a better writer. I get to explore new aspects to my characters I would have never thought about otherwise, by exposing them to situations where I can't control what happens with the other people. Even with writers, there is that sense and excitement about what is going to happnen next. I often get so far ahead of myself when writing, that my fingers can't go fast enough because the ideas just come. I put a part of me into every story, every chapter, every word, and every character. I love writing and roleplaying because it is a major part of me and who I am. Without it, it would be like living without a major part of myself. It is my passion and my addiction, but in a productive and good way. It makes me and my readers happy, and it just makes me whole. That is why I write.

If I could draw, I'd be doing that instead. I write because I can and because I enjoy it. I never write for profit, only to better my own style and to see what others think. I write because characters come into my head, and because I don't rp anymore, I have to breathe life into them somehow.
I become so attached to these characters sometimes. I can tell you the names of almost every original character I have written about and what they were like. They are like my children in a way...
Oh, and I write fanfiction because I like to write about my favourite characters, or expanding them further into how I see them.

I started writing first because i like stories and find many of them being created in my head, so i decided to write them down but they are usually only for myself. I never thought of sharing my writings because i didnt know how others would feel about them. But last year i had this vivid dream about a girl in the woods and a pirate... it was so detailed and amazingly beautiful that i remember being mesmerized by it for three continuos days. it was like watching a HD DVD print movie shot in the mayan era. yeah! i know its mad but i felt as if the story wanted me to write it all down... Now i have started writing and i am faced with alot of problems with descriptions and writing styles and proper character portfolios... but i feel compelled to keep writing.
Lets see what happens :)

I write and (also rpg) for the sake of getting all the stories in my head out. It's a bit of a head clearing and it can make me a lot calmer and less restless (and stressed!) I often find myself, if I don't write, repeating these stories in my head which takes up a lot of 'mindspace' for me and sometimes making me unable to focus on other things. I also started carrying a notebook with me just so I can get them out whereever I am.

Of course I also enjoy writing a lot.