Birthdays: Walt Whitman (1819), Al Young (1939), Harry Mazer (1925), Jane Green (1968), John Connolly (1968), Lynne Truss (1955), Saint-John Perse (1887), Svetlana Alexievich (1948)

Tip: Publishing is about marketing. Be prepared to do the work. You need to promote, to sell your work. Writing the book is just the first step on a long staircase.

Thought for the day: “Writing requires, more than anything else, tremendous discipline. At the end of the day, whilst there are times when it is wonderfully creative and fun, a lot of the time it is just a job. And that means showing up whether you feel like it or not. It also means you write, whether you are inspired or not, and the only way to unlock your creativity, is to start writing.” – Jane Green

Jumpstart: Get a can of modeling clay and have some fun. Think about how it feels. What it looks like. What you can do with it. Write about the texture, the smell, the feelings it evokes.