Birthdays: George Orwell (1903-1950), Eric Carle (1929), Linda Spalding (1943), P.H. Newby (1918-1997), Yann Martel (1963)

Tip: Don’t overuse backstory, especially in the first chapter. Weave it in through the story, don’t “info dump” on the reader.

Thought for the day: “I write at any time of day in any place, so long as it’s quiet and I can set up my computer. I’m a slow writer, given to playing Spider Solitaire when stuck. Otherwise, my writing habits are blindingly boring. I just sit down at the computer and write.” – Yann Martel

Jumpstart: Your character just found out she was adopted, and she never knew. What does she do? How does she feel?