Birthdays: Ben Jonson (1572), Yasunari Kawabata (1899), Jacques Cousteau (1910), William Styron (1925), Athol Fugard (1932), Christina Crawford (1939), Robert Munsch (1945), Duncan Steel (1955), Jennifer Armentrout (1980), Laura Vaccaro Seeger (1960?)

William Styron won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “Sophie’s Choice”

Laura Seeger was a two-time Caldecott Honor winner.

Quote: “One of the things I do is try to end a lot of scenes and chapters on mini cliffhangers. I think when it comes to plot twists you want to keep your readers on their toes.” – Jennifer Armentrout

Tip: Remember that not everyone will love your book(s). There will be rejections and bad reviews—that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad writer, you just haven’t reached the right audience yet. Don’t let it get you down.

Jumpstart: You character is digging a hole in her backyard to plant a tree and she digs up a human skeleton. What happens next?