'Lord of the Rings' was a set of books in which the world had been conceived before the characters were placed within that context. Mark Z.Danielewski
I realize now I could have gotten a whole book out of that and so I think that was a big mistake. But the truth is you write in the moment and with your head down and there is no way back then that I could have conceived of Harry having the longevity that he has had. Michael Connelly
Liberty, as it is conceived by current opinion, has nothing inherent about it; it is a sort of gift or trust bestowed on the individual by the state pending good behavior. Mary McCarthy