Birthdays: Nicholas Chamfort (1741), Lowell Thomas (1892), Charles Jackson (1903), Leonora Carrington (1917), Graeme Base (1958), Vince Flynn (1966), Darrel Bristow-Bovey (1971)

Quote: “[The writer] must essentially draw from life as he sees it, lives it, overhears it or steals it, and the truer the writer, perhaps the bigger the blackguard. He lives by biting the hand that feeds him.” – Charles Jackson

Tip: Waiting in line or at the doctor’s office is never a waste of time. Observe features, dress, grooming, stance, mannerisms, speech of others—use these for characters.

Jumpstart: You’ve been given the ability to go back in time and change one thing in history. Would you? If so, what? Why or why not?