Birthdays: Edward Gibbon (1737), Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882), Ludwig Bemelmans (1898), August Wilson (1945), John Burningham (1936), Nancy Shaw (1946), Cecil Day Lewis (1904), Mary Wollstonecraft (1759), Rachel Caine (1962)

Tip: Once you’ve gone over your book, get a second (or third) person to go over it—someone who can pick out problems. This can be a critique partner or a paid editor.

Thought for the day: “Some people work better to go ‘seat of the pants’ … and some won’t start a road trip without a map. I’m a bit of both … I like a road map, but I’m not averse to taking interesting side roads too. I usually have a loose outline.” – Rachel Caine

Jumpstart: Your character is a star witness in a high-profile case and has been quarantined away from all contact with anyone else for a month—not even the internet. What do they do to keep from going stir crazy?