yes, and i think we cannot emphasize the social aspect enough. yes, there are people writing in their little room just they and the source text, but the large majority of writers interact, debate, discuss, enjoy...and the fic is part and parcel, extensdion, commentary, source for more discuission and more fic.

it's sth that i don't really see in any other context and the emotional involvement we all share in the texts, the characters, the fics is sth that's hard to translate into the RL world...