Birthdays: George Orwell (1903), Elizabeth Jones (1910), P.H. Newby (1918), Dorothy Gilman (1923), Nicholas Mosley (1923), Peyo (1928), Eric Carle (1929), Charles Sheffield (1935), Bert Holldobler (1936), A.J. Quinnell (1940), Linda Spalding (1943), Anthony Bourdain (1956), Ricky Gervais (1961), Yann Martel (1963), Martha McPhee (1964)

George Orwell is best known for his books “Nineteen Eighty-four” and “Animal Farm”

Elizabeth Jones won the 1945 Caldecott Medal for “Prayer for a Child”

Peyo was a Belgian who created the Smurfs.

Bert Holldobler co-wrote the Pulitzer Prize book “The Ants” (with Edward O. Wilson)

Eric Carle was best known for his book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”

Yann Martel is best known for his book “Life of Pi”

Quote: “I write at any time of day in any place, so long as it’s quiet and I can set up my computer. I’m a slow writer, given to playing Spider Solitaire when stuck. Otherwise, my writing habits are blindingly boring. I just sit down at the computer and write.” – Yann Martel

Tip: Don’t overuse backstory, especially in the first chapter. Weave it in through the story, don’t “info dump” on the reader.

Jumpstart: Your character just found out she was adopted, and she never knew. What does she do? How does she feel?