“A word is a seed. It’s alive, like the seed of a plant or tree. Inside is its entire history. If you could cut it open like the seed of a plant, you’d see wonderful things. Or, better yet, if you could examine its DNA or its genetics, you’d find thousands of changes and contributions distinguishing the rocky, creative path from its beginnings to its present recognizable form.”

– Richard Goodman, in The Soul of Creative Writing (2008) (quoted in The Writer, Oct 2008)