Birthdays: Leonard Woolf (1880), Joseph Wood Krutch (1893), Helen H. Santmeyer (1895), Ba Jin (1904), P.D. Eastman (1909), Poul Anderson (1926), William McIlvanney (1936), Shelagh Delaney (1938), Marc Brown (1945), Charlaine Harris (1951), Arturo Perez-Reverte (1951), Cresent Dragonwagon (1952), Mark Frost (1953), Jandy Nelson (1965)

Joseph Krutch won the 1955 National Book Award for Nonfiction for “The Measure of Man”

Poul Anderson won seven Hugo and three Nebula Awards for his science fiction.

Marc Brown is best known for his series “Arthur”

Quote: “Here’s to books, the cheapest vacation you can buy.” – Charlaine Harris

Tip: Do you have special abilities or interests (beyond writing)? Use those in a story. Your expertise will give your characters and setting more depth.

Jumpstart: I sat in the audience, totally amazed… (describe what you’re seeing, hearing, the audience, the auditorium, everything)