Birthdays: William Hazlitt (1778), Joseph Pulitzer (1847), Mary Buff (1880), Clare Tulay Newberry (1903), Margaret Clapp (1910), David Halberstam (1934), Richard Peck (1934), Claudio Magris (1939), Penny Vincenzi (1939), Paul Theroux (1941), Martin Waddell (1941), David Adler (1947), Anne Lamott (1954), John M. Ford (1957),

Mary Buff (and her husband Conrad) was a four-time runner-up for Caldecott or Newbery medals

Clare Newberry had four Caldecott Honor books

Margaret Clapp won the 1948 Pulitzer for Biography for “Forgotten First Citizen: John Bigelow”

David Halberstam was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist

Ricard Peck won the 2001 Newbery Medal for “A Year Down Under”

Quote: “The more you write, the more you’re capable of writing.” – Paul Theroux

Jumpstart: Go to a yard sale or secondhand shop and pick out one item of interest. Write a scene about it. What is its history? What happened that it is now for sale?

Tip: Think about your book. What will your ideal cover art look like? Find pictures of your characters and background and add them to your file for future reference.