Hi everyone...it's NOVEMBER!

So - it's November. That means it is time for a whole host of writing challenges. First up is NaNoWriMo.  The crazy challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days is what inspired me to start writing several years ago, and I've done it several times.  Not doing it this year, as I didn't do it last year either, but I do have some news in that arena: I have started writing fiction again.  Yup - you read that correct - I have written about 2/3 of the first draft of a short story called "Bertram Farm" that is a little outside my genre comfort zone - it's kind of a supernaturalish horror story inspired by a weird dream I had.

Oh, and I've started a new novel, too.  We will see how it goes - I have a new character, an FBI agent named Erica Brinks, leading this one.  The basic premise is that she's working a computer fraud case with some credit card number scams going on when it all goes seriously wrong and someone dies...  Not sure the pace I'm writing that one, though, and I don't have the whole outline done yet, so we will see the interesting path it takes.

In addition to some new fiction I'm generating, I'm also participating in the November Poem A Day challenge from Writer's Digest - I'm 8 days in, and 8 poems written, so I'm caught up.  You can follow along at Twitter under #novpad.

And finally, you know, it's artsy time, so the winter beard is back.  You could say I got a jump on no-shave November, or you could say I am just performing psychological and sociological experiments on those around me to see who reacts to my expanded facial hair component and how.  Or you could say I am a crazy artist.  If you haven't seen me in a while, here I am...