I know exactly where you're coming from. These concerns are pretty much exactly why I can never seem to finish it. Because it starts out all fun and good and I love the characters and whatever, and then 'long about twenty thousand words into I start to realize that this has all been done before.

I really have to change my attitude to being more like, yes, this story might not be exactly the amazingwonderfulomgLITERATURE I really want to write, to justify all the time and tears I've put into writing since I was so young, to fulfill all the expectations people have on me and I have on myself. But it's a stepping stone. Every little bit gets me closer. And someday, I hope, my writing will be what I really want it to be. For now though, I just have to work with what I have. Stopping won't help me move on. It's a journey, just like anything else.

So, of course, I struggled with my love of fanfiction, too, and how so many people think it's worthless, and maybe I kinda think that too, but I enjoy it so much! It's not wrong to do what you enjoy. Even if it isn't amazingwonderfulomgLITERATURE. And I do think that some pieces of fanfiction can approach the level of literature, though they'll never be acknowledged as such. The point is, do you like it? Does it enrich your life? Does it give you joy? Then you grab it, because joy is hard to find. I'm all about grabbing joy where you find it, and fuck the rest. (Excuse my Klingon.)