How The Beast of Ten Came To Be

"KINGS HAVE TREMBLED BEFORE ME," HE SAYS. "THE STRONGEST OF THEIR SOLDIERS HAVE RUN IN FEAR. YET YOU STAND."

The writing of the Beast of Ten began on a November evening. There was a bathtub involved—as there often is—and I was asking myself a question: If I were to retell a story, which would it be? This was not intended to be a serious question. I had too many unwritten characters sitting outside the door already. But I asked it just to see what would happen. When I thought of the much love...