So… didn’t get yesterday’s tips up. It happens. The best laid plans and all that. But here are the ones for today. 🙂

Birthdays: Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1960), Robert Fulghum 1937), Val McDermid (1955)

Tip: Internal conflict is what a character struggles with on the inside—wanting that piece of cheesecake when you know it’s not good for you. External conflict is what anyone can see—two friends arguing over who has earned the right to eat the cheesecake. We all have both and so should your characters.

Thought for the day: “As one of my creative writing professors once said, there are only seven plots. What makes those plots different is how you handle them, your voice, your style, and your way of thinking. That’s all. People can mimic your style, but they can never achieve your unique point of view.” – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Jumpstart: You’re going to a Renaissance Faire. Do you go in costume or as a regular person? If in costume, what does it look like and what kind of character are you portraying? Royalty? Or a serving wench or pirate?

Today’s authors:

Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1960) is an American author who has written novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. She won the Science Fiction Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2001 for Millennium Babies. (And she is one of my personal favorite authors!)

Robert Fulghum (1937) is an American author best known for writing All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. He has more than 16 million copies of his books in print, published in 27 languages in 103 countries.

Val McDermid (1955) is a Scottish crime writer who has written thirty books which have sold more than 10 million copies. She has won several awards, including an LA Times book prize and the CWA Dagger. The TV series Wire in the Blood was based on her novel, The Wire in the Blood.