Birthdays: Curt Siodmak (1902), Ward Moore (1903), Jorge Amado (1912), Nancy Buckingham (1924), Barry Unsworth (1930), Mark Doty (1953), Susan Lewis (1956), Suzanne Collins (1962)
Mark Doty won the 2008 National Book Award for Poetry for “Fire to Fire”
Suzanne Collins is best known for her trilogy “Hunger Games”
Quote: “Get to know your characters. Don’t be afraid to listen to them. In fact, if they aren’t talking to you, you’ve got a problem.” Susan Lewis
“Have fun with an opening line. You don’t have to use it in the final draft, but it’s a good way to start.” – Susan Lewis
Tip: Plot can take two basic forms, or even a combination of the two. It will usually be either a three-act structure (beginning, middle, end), or, from Joseph Campbell’s writings, be a mythic journey. It can also be a combination of the mythic journey within the three-act structure.
Jumpstart: You’re going to visit a favorite relative you haven’t seen in years. You’ve kept in touch by phone and letter, but not visually. When you see him/her, you’re shocked by their appearance. Why?
Sparkling Book Reviews 