Birthdays: Carl Van Doren (1885), Cyril Connolly (1903), Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880), Marian Keyes (1963), Mary Oliver (1935)

Tip: On the first page, you should have the answers to three questions: Whose story is this? (main character) What’s happening? What’s at stake?

Thought for the day: “The story begins when things change. The adventure begins when things go wrong.” – Dennis McKiernan

Jumpstart: You work at a pet shop and arrive in the morning to find cages opened and animals everywhere—including the snakes—what happens next?