Birthdays: Alfred Hitchcock (1899), Kamila Shamsie (1973), Tom Perotta (1961), Sharon Kay Penman (1945), Nikolaus Lenau (1802)

Tip: Secondary characters should not take over a scene unless there’s a very good reason. They are there to support the main characters or add color to the story, not to be the main reason for the story. If they start to take over, then maybe you’re telling the story from the wrong point of view.

Thought for the day: “The hardest part about being a writer is not getting your commas in the right place, but getting your head in the right place.” – Ralph Keyes

Jumpstart: Pick a famous piece of art or sculpture and write about the artist as s/he was creating it.