Birthdays: Kate Greenaway (1846), Paul Green (1894), Siegfried Lenz (1926), Penelope Lively (1933), Wendell Minor (1944), James Morrow (1947), William Gibson (1948), Peter Robinson (1950), Patrick McDonnell (1956), Amitava Kumar (1963),

Quote: “The pleasure of writing fiction is that you are always spotting some new approach, an alternative way of telling a story and manipulating characters; the novel is such a wonderfully flexible form.” – Penelope Lively

Tip: Do you treat your writing career like a business? You should. Set up spread sheets for your expenses and income. Get a file holder and set up files for your rejection letters, contracts, and other correspondence. Make a business plan. Get your business organized.

Jumpstart: Write a letter of appreciation to a former teacher or mentor. If the person is still alive, send it.