On fanfic

I've been thinking about this anonymous quote I recently saw: 

"If the writers of fanfic really had any talent then they wouldn't be relying on already established characters/people and scenarios."

It's a comment oft-repeated, and I'm thinking it must be true.  I mean, authors with any sort of talent at all always create brand new characters and settings with every piece they write.

Agatha Christie - Ian Fleming - Sue Grafton - C.S. Lewis - Robert Ludlum - A.A. Milne - J.K. Rowling - J.R.R. Tolkein

Always!