Quotes from Len Wein

Lord of the Rings, I think, is far and away the most brilliantly done stuff.

I think there's something inherently dishonest in trying to go back and mess with the past.

I'm a neurotic New York Jew by birth. Creating characters is second nature to me.

The bottom line always remains the same: What is the basic humanity of the character? How do I make them resonate with the reader?

I've had editors over the years who couldn't find a clue if it was stapled to their butt.

I try to find what makes even the worst, most despicable character sympathetic at his or her core.

Sometimes you're not even sure which of your stories were failures. There are things I've written that I thought were complete catastrophes when I finished with them that have gone on to generate some of my most positive feedback.

Art is always in the eyes of the beholder. Only posterity has the right to point out our mistakes.

I try not to violate what came before me and to leave lots of wiggle room for those who will follow.

You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a beginning, a middle, and an end.

I've never sat down and thought about the difference between plot and theme. To me, that's never been important.

When I'm my own editor, there's very little difference between the first draft and the final. I write what feels right to begin with. I rarely make any major changes.

I always wanted to fire rays out of my fingertips.

I've always thought of myself as an organic writer, rather than a cerebral one. I feel my way along as I go, hoping I'll get to the place I intend to reach.

People who were more concerned with themselves and looking good to their readers then they were with the characters sacrificed a series for the sake of a story.

In general, shorter is better. If you can encapsulate your idea into a single captivating sentence, you're halfway home.

Were there stories I wrote along the way that were terrible clinkers? God, yes. But they were all a product of their time, and I did the best I could.

In these litigious times, if you're a beginner, it's becoming harder and harder to get your work to the people who might actually be able to hire you.

I would like immortality.

Unfortunately, there are writers whose only concern is how good they could make themselves look on a title.

When someone writes to tell me something I've written made them laugh or cry, I've done my job and done it well. The rest is all semantics.

A writer writes. Period. No matter if someone is buying your work or not.

When I got my first glimpse of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, my breath caught. In that single instant, he was Wolverine.

It all depends on which side of the desk you're sitting on.