Read the following excerpt from "Why I Wrote 'The Passage'" and answer the question that follows. |Once Monty existed, the story mostly told itself, as stories often do if you get out of| |the way and let them. The games in the story--Life, Risk, Monopoly, checkers--come| |from "Man in the Moon" (track 10), as does the name Andi; the Northwest Passage| |from "Find the River" (track 12); the final moment in some complicated sense |
|from "Sweetness Follows" (track 6). All this I understand. What puzzles me is why my| |mind went back to that day in the spring of fifth grade--why that moment? That's a | |mystery. But here's a guess: it had something to do with that laugh, my friend turning| |around to correct me, my ten-year-old self still needing to make things right in some| |quiet way. Writing is useful at these times. Here, you sometimes say to a younger| |version of you, take this--it will help.|

What lesson can other writers learn from Martin and his writing of "The Passage?"

The best thing a writer can do is plan out every aspect of the story.

Writing can be a powerful experience to work through struggles in life.

The only way to write a good story is to use an event from your childhood.

Basing a story on music is a great way to get ideas flowing.