quote · Legacy record
Two questions form the foundation of all novels: "What if?" and "What next?" (A third question, "What now?", is one the author asks himself every 10 minutes or so; but it's more a cry than a question.) Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.
Two questions form the foundation of all novels: "What if?" and "What next?" (A third question, "What now?", is one the author asks himself every 10 minutes or so; but it's more a cry than a question.) Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.
Approximate author period: c. 1982 AD · modern
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- Author or tradition
- Tom Clancy
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- Approximate author period: c. 1982 AD · modern
Approximate author-period evidence for Tom Clancy: documented activity in 1982. Wikidata Q105167, inspected 2026-10-08. Not a quotation composition date or independent verification of attribution. Source: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105167 (accessed 2026-10-08).
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