Fellow columnist at the Grand Junction Free Press Judith Curtis-Mardon wrote such lovely compliments about me in her own piece that came out today. Local humor writer (also with the FP) Steve Beauregard submitted his final column today, having decided that the not-so-glamorous life of the small-town columnist doesn’t quite provide enough food to feed a growing family, and Curtis-Mardon wrote a great tribute to his wacky and literary sense of humor. Along the way, she threw in a bunch of stuff about the other FP columnists, including yours truly. Sweet woman.

It’s one thing to write for the paper, but it’s another to be written about, and the Rocky Mountain high of seeing my name in print elsewhere than in a byline gave me such a good rush during my run this morning. It’s a very cold, very gray day out here in Grand Junction, with rain promised for the Thanksgiving weekend, but those always provide the best conditions for running. My favorite times to run are in the wet heat of a summer rain and under cloudy winter skies. This morning was perfect: 22 F, thick clouds, empty streets. Mmm. And of course, nothing beats a hot shower and a cuppa right after!

I’m at 43,586 on NaNo. Today’s session wasn’t all that great. I’m having a hard time getting a handle on this new character I’ve introduced. He’s a central figure in my protagonist’s life, but because he’s only now entering the book some of the dynamics have changed, and I’m having to get used to him. He’s actually one of the first characters I came up with when the book was still in its gestation period, and now that he’s alive, so to speak, he’s turning out to be an enigma.

Perhaps that’s a good thing. Not that writers should surrender control over their stories completely to their characters, but I rather like it when characters surprise me. Still, I’m watching out for this guy. He’s a piece o’ work, I can tell ya.