Birthdays: Jacques Roumain (1907), Robert Fulghum 1937), Joyce Meyer (1943), Jack N. Rakove (1947), Leigh Kennedy (1951), Melanie Phillips (1951), Simon Cheshire (1954), Val McDermid (1955), Joyce Sidman (1956), Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1960), Marie Ndiaye (1967), Joe Hill (1972)

Jack Rakove won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for History for “Original Meanings”

Quote: “As one of my creative writing professors once said, there are only seven plots. What makes those plots different is how you handle them, your voice, your style, and your way of thinking. That’s all. People can mimic your style, but they can never achieve your unique point of view.” – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Tip: Internal conflict is what a character struggles with on the inside—wanting that piece of cheesecake when you know it’s not good for you. External conflict is what anyone can see—two friends arguing over who has earned the right to eat the cheesecake. We all have both and so should your characters.

Jumpstart: You’re going to a Renaissance Faire. Do you go in costume or as a regular person? If in costume, what does it look like and what kind of character are you portraying? Royalty? Or a serving wench or pirate?