Birthdays: Kate Greenaway (1846), Paul Green (1894), Siegfried Lenz (1926), Penelope Lively (1933), Patrick McDonnell (1956), Wendell Minor (1944), Amitava Kumar (1963), Peter Robinson (1950)

Holidays and observances: St. Patrick’s Day, Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, Submarine Day, Camp Fire Girls Day, Doctor-Patient Trust Day, Kick Butts Day

Tip: Do you treat your writing career like a business? You should. Set up spread sheets for your expenses and income. Get a file holder and set up files for your rejection letters, contracts, and other correspondence. Make a business plan. Get your business organized.

Thought for the day: “The pleasure of writing fiction is that you are always spotting some new approach, an alternative way of telling a story and manipulating characters; the novel is such a wonderfully flexible form.” – Penelope Lively

Jumpstart: Write a letter of appreciation to a former teacher or mentor. If the person is still alive, send it.