Who so shall telle a tale after a man, He moste reherse, as neighe as ever he can, Everich word, if it be in his charge, All speke he never so rudely and so large; Or elles he moste tellen his tale untrewe, Or feinen thinges, or finden wordes newe.

And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.

For May wol have no slogardie a-night. The seson priketh every gentil herte, And maketh him out of his slepe to sterte.

But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve, He taught; but first he folwed it himselve.

For a story which is nat pleynli told, But constreynyd undir woordes fewe For lak off trouthe, wher thei be newe or olde, Men bi report kan nat the mater shewe.

Anecdotes don't make good stories. Generally, I dig down underneath them so far that the story that finally comes out is not what people thought their anecdote…

Fiction has to be plausible. All history has to do is happen.