Birthdays: Alexis de Tocqueville (1805), Booth Tarkington (1869), Stanley Kunitz (1905), Chang-rae Lee (1965), Sharon Creech (1945), Kathleen Krull (1952)

Tip: When thinking about marketing, think outside the box. Write a book about a pet shop? Try selling your books there. A hair salon figure in your story? Ask them if they’d sell some books for you. Be creative, but don’t be a pest. If you’ve never gone into a particular bookstore or shop, don’t expect them to be open to selling your books for you.

Thought for the day: “Being a real writer means being able to work on a bad day.” – Norman Mailer

Jumpstart: There was an accident at a science lab you were visiting and you’ve been shifted into a different phase. You can see and hear everyone, but no one can see or hear you. What do you do? Remember, being out of phase with this reality means no food or other comforts for you.