Birthdays: Alexandre Dumas (1802), Zelda Fitzgerald (1900), John D. MacDonald (1916), Banana Yoshimoto (1964), Lord Dunsany (1878), Madeline Miller (1978), Percy FitzPatrick (1862)

Tip: Establish POV (point of view – the person who is telling that part of the story) often. Readers put books down or are reading other things while reading yours. They tend to stop at chapter breaks so be sure to establish POV at the next scene or chapter break.

Thought for the day: “As an author, one of the most important things I think you can do once you’ve written a novel is step back. When the book is out, it belongs to the readers and you can’t stand there breathing over their shoulders.” – Madeline Miller

Jumpstart: Write a scene where you’re a much older—and wiser—version of yourself. What advice would you give your younger self?