The Novel: Progress Report

Readers of my novel-in-progress, The Syndicate of Eternal Friendship, might be wondering if I've developed an advanced case of writer's block. Or if I've become bored with the whole process. Nope. I haven't given up on the novel at all. But I've been wandering around the country a lot in its service. It's going slower.

It's not that easy to write dialogue that sounds real. And getting 1922 right is slow going. But I'm hitting it every morning. That's why the blog has been a bit sparse of late.

I love my characters. I feel honored that they've chosen me to write about them. The Hancock family and their friends in the 1920's are becoming as real to me as Paulie and Walrus and Sylyvie Potemkin are. I like spending time in their company and I hope you will too.

Chapter 36 is forthcoming - one of these days soon.

For Readers of The Syndicate of Eternal Friendship

I finished Chapter 35 on Saturday. I am thrilled because it took so long and because Patrushka thinks it's pretty good. So I'm excited to get it out to you, my select group of readers, to get some feedback.

But this morning I woke up with an idea for a kind of coda to the chapter that takes place three months later, that I think will make the story better.

After that I got a notice from that the library that the books on patent law I ordered have come in, and after scanning through them this afternoon I realize I have to make a few alterations to the chapter as written. Since the story is so fantastic it some ways I want it to be balanced by being very realistic in other ways - like the rules surrounding what is and what is not an infringement on somebody's patent.

Don't worry, it's not going to be boring. I've never written a boring word in my life.

So I'm not finished after all. But I expect it will be in the mail this week.

Pondering Pig Is Traveling

The Pondering Pig is off on his adventures for a week or so. He'll be back soon with entertaining stories to tell of the far-off places he has visited and interesting slops he found to eat, and hopefully, material for the next chapter of the unfolding epic adventures of The Syndicate of Eternal Friendship.

Feel free to rummage around in the back files and make your usual comments, both rude and kind. I love to hear from you all and will respond upon my return.

The Shape of Things To Come

Chapter 33 of The Syndicate of Eternal Friendship is so close to being finished I can taste it. It's exciting because it means I can start Chapter 34, where exciting things are going to happen leading to Chapter 35 where even more exciting things will happen until we get to --Chapter 36!

Ah! Chapter 36! It's to be set at 1090 Page Street, the legendary rooming house at the corner of Page and Broderick where the biggest freaks in San Francisco hung out the windows day and night, where a big neon sign reading TURN ON TUNE IN DROP OUT RIGHT HERE blinked on and off in the fog all night as prowl cars cruised by with big question mark cartoon balloons hanging in the air above their roofs, where The Warlocks jammed with Big Brother and the Holding Company in the ballroom in the basement on Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie This Life I'm Leading Is Mighty High until The Charlatans started marching around the dance floor with picket signs demanding equal time.

You'll love the part when Phil Lesh of The Warlocks falls in love with Tosh St. Clair and busts his bass over Walrus Pemmican's head who wakes up in a dream crying "I see the light, the light!" And he does, except it's the street light on the corner after they are both eighty-sixed for inappropriate fisticuffs. Phil turns to Walrus and sez, "Well, that's the end of my music career. Forget about Tosh, let's go get a beer."

And much more to come.

Of course the plot could change a bit by then. You never know what the The Syndicate is going to do next. And they won't tell me.

Anyway, it's going to be fun. But you'll miss it if you don't drop me an email saying you want to be on my mailing list. Because starting with this Chapter 33, I will no longer post the story on the blog as I go.

I'm at ponderingpig@ponderingpig.com

Some Changes For The Syndicate

I started last summer just wanting to tell their story to my blog friends and readers. Walrus, Sylvie, Paulie, and all the rest, God bless them. The Syndicate of Eternal Friendship. I wish I knew where they were today. Over the years I've heard rumors that they stuck together, the ones who survived. And I've heard they remain fast friends and comrades till this day. But I don't know for sure.

As I continue to write down what I know of their incredible story, I've begun to have ambitions beyond my poor pigsty blog. Could someday the whole world learn of the strange events that took place in their little pad on Page Street in the spring of 1965? And of the thrilling occurances they set in motion, events that would send The Syndicate spinning halfway around the world into a new, vastly different life?

Last night I was talking with a young writer who follows these matters. She suggested that publishing their story on the blog might cause problems with publishers later on. Publishers often require 'first rights', which I cannot provide if the story has been previously published - even if only on my little rural cornfield blog up here on Mr. Bean's farm.

I looked at a few writer's websites today and they corroborate what she said. It may turn out not be a problem - but I don't want to take a chance. So I 'm planning to take The Syndicate of Eternal Friendship off the blog. I thought I would let you know first.

When I do, I'll establish a "critique group" for Syndicate readers who want to keep following the story and commenting as it goes along. I'll email each chapter as I finish it to this select group.

If you would like to be part of such a group, send me a note at ponderingpig@ponderingpig.com or just comment here, and I will add you to my exclusive list of Syndicate readers. To be safe, I'll limit the list to about twenty-five people.