Birthdays: Curtis Sittenfeld (1975), Edgar Lee Masters (1868), Nelson DeMille (1943), William Ernest Henley (1849), Willy Russell (1947), J.V. Cunningham (1911), Norbert Blei (1935), Robert Irwin (1946), Melanie Rae Thon (1957)

Tip: A metaphor compares two dissimilar things, but utilizing the word “like”: He was shaking like a leaf in a windstorm.

Thought for the day: “Writing doesn’t leave much time for hobbies, unless you consider that I began writing as a hobby and have made the hobby into a profession.” – Nelson DeMille

Jumpstart: He stared at the bodies in the room – there were at least a half dozen. In the corner, she stood watching him, wiping her blade on her shirt. “You’re late…”