Birthdays: L. Frank Baum (1856), Katherine Anne Porter (1890), Mikhail Bulgakov (1891), Norma Fox Mazer (1931), Paul Zindel (1936), David Almond (1951), Laura Hillenbrand (1967), (Samantha Hunt)

Tip: all right vs. alright: according to the Chicago Manual of Style, it is not all right to use “alright” – this is nonstandard usage. However…many authors use it in dialogue. While technically not all right, dialog has its own set of weird rules.

Thought for the day: “If I didn’t know the ending of a story, I wouldn’t begin. I always write my last lines, my last paragraph, my last page first, and then I go back and work towards it. I know where I’m going. I know what my goal is.” – Katherine Anne Porter

Jumpstart: Have you ever been in a relationship that ended badly? Remember those feelings? Embrace them and write them into a scene with your main character.

If this Jumpstart doesn’t work for you, what about this one: Today is “Relive Your Past by Listening to the First Music You Ever Bought No Matter What it was, No Excuses Day. What was the first music you (or your character) ever bought? Why did you buy it? Does it still resonate with you?