Birthdays: Agatha Christie, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Tomie DePaola, Jean Renoir, Jesse Andrews, Francois de La Rochefocauld,

Tip: Beware of anyone who says “this is the only way to get published.” There are many ways, including self-publishing. No one way works for everyone. In fact, many authors use multiple ways. The thing to stay away from is “vanity publishing” – those places that make you pay thousands of dollars to “publish” your book and then don’t produce anything or it’s of such poor quality that it can’t be used. Do your homework. Check out who to work with.

Thought for the day: “The hardest thing to do is write straight honest prose on human beings. First, you have to know the subject; then you have to know how to write. Both take a lifetime to learn…” – Ernest Hemingway

Jumpstart: You have to evacuate your home. What do you take? Would it make a difference if you had an hour or two vs. a few minutes?