Birthdays: Christopher Marlowe (1564), Victor Hugo (1802), Fanny Craddock (1909), Theodore Sturgeon (1918), Christopher Hope (1944), Sharyn McCrumb (1948), Elizabeth George (1949), Michel Houellebecq (1956), Atiq Rahimi (1962)

Victor Hugo is best known for his books “Les Miserables” and “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”

Quote: “Essentially and most simply put, plot is what the characters do to deal with the situation they are in. It is a logical sequence of events that grow from an initial incident that alters the status quo of the characters.” – Elizabeth George

Tip: Don’t be your own worst enemy. Forget about “But first…” syndrome (I want to do this, but first I need to…). The mind can find five hundred different excuses that stop you from writing. Tell it to shut up and let you get to work.

Jumpstart: This is national Tell a Fairy Tale Day. What’s your favorite fairy tale? Why? What makes it so memorable? Write a character who could fit into the story and rewrite it with that character.