I have a huge author crush on Stephen King. Have never met him. Would probably embarrass myself. But it would be worth it.
“You will find in politics that you are much exposed to the attribution of false motive. Never complain and never explain.”
“Once I have a hook I think has potential - enough to spin out more than a hundred thousand words, then I start turning my attention to characters. Who are these people? Why did this thing happen to them? But the hook always comes first.”