Birthdays: Emily Post (1872), Dylan Thomas (1914), Sylvia Plath (1932), Neil Sheehan (1936), Maxine Hong Kingston (1940), J.A. Jance (1944), Steve Almond (1966), Jonathan Stroud (1970), Anthony Doerr (1973), Desiderius Erasmus (1466)

Tip: As Stephen King says, “Love what you do.” Writing is difficult and sometimes not at all fun, but you should love what you do.

Thought for the day: “When I write something that would have made me laugh as a 10-year-old, or would have scared me or would have excited me, I know I’m onto something.” – Jonathan Stroud

Jumpstart: I caught a glimpse of a tattoo on her back. That really surprised me. I’d never have thought it of her. What is it and why does it surprise this person?