E. A. Poe

 Poe was more than some drunk drug addict dude who wrote The Raven. He was a harsh critic who argued writing is analytical and therefore methodical, not spontaneous: most writers would shudder at showing the public something before they’re ready. Poe's conviction was that a work of fiction should be written after the author has decided how it ends and which response they wished to elicit. Once determined, all other matters of the composition—characters, settings, themes/details—are in service to what the writer/artist is dying to say about the world.

Note: new Poe bio released 3/18/25; 700+ pages: https://www.amazon.com/Edgar-Allan-Poe-Richard-Kopley