Birthdays: Harold Pinter (1930), James Marshall (1942), Daniel San Souci (1948), Robert D San Souci (1946), Claude Simon (1913), James Clavell (1924), Nora Roberts (1950)

Tip: Be sure you keep good financial records for the IRS. Yes, you will have to pay taxes on your royalties. But they can be offset by your expenses (sorry, but coffee at Starbucks doesn’t count).

Thought for the day: “All stories have a beginning, a middle, and an ending, and if they’re any good, the ending is a beginning.” – James Clavell

Jumpstart: Pick ten random words from the dictionary (close your eyes, fan the pages, and point – that’s one word). Use these in a scene.