Beatrice Gormley

For inspiration, fascinating insight into how a master wordsmith works, and sheer delight, check out "The Writing Life: Draft #4" in the April 29 New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/04/29/130429fa_fact_mcphee
I have to say I don't really agree with him about using a thesaurus (he's agin it), though.

Don’t get the impression that the writing life is a bed of roses. It can be frustrating, disappointing—even dangerous. Like the time I dropped the Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary on my bare foot. Ow! The Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary must weigh 15 pounds. I was limping around for days.