Birthdays: Ward Just (1935), Tomie dePaola (1934), Paul Fleischman (1952), Arthur Koestler (1905), Frank Yerby (1916), John Cage (1912), Sam Hamill (1943)

Tip: An antagonist is a person (or thing) that opposes the protagonist. It doesn’t have to be inherently bad, but it does have to throw roadblocks in the hero’s way.

Thought for the day: “Writing a novel is like building a wall brick by brick; only amateurs believe in inspiration.” – Frank Yerby

Jumpstart: Your character opens a fortune cookie and the strip inside says: “You will receive a legacy from a distant relative.” What is the legacy and why is she the one receiving it?