An Erudite Rogue

So, here I am, new novel-blog before me. What a concept. I've been blogging for several years now, approximately 900 posts or so, but this novel blog is something new and strange to me. I'm a guy who has this naive notion that he maybe could write a novel, and has a vague idea about how to go about doing that, and figures blogging my help him in the process. Of course, should any reader stumble overb these posts, he will quickly discover that there's no hint of an atual novel here, you know, with characters and plot, etc. Just so stiff about cola mines. Oh, well. Bloggers are strange, after all.

But the truth is I'm easing into this process quite the way most people ease into the surf at the beaches of Maine, an inch at a time, never quite sure they want to go on. Some foolish "encourager" at their back is saying go on, you can do it, but you're keenly aware that they don't know what they're talking about.

Yup, that's me. I actually have some pretty clear notions about the plot and the characters, but this sort of thing will come with thime to Towamensing. Right now it's about the research. And in the research I have come across some "characters" that intrigue me.

A guy named George Hauto. Miller and Sharp call him an "erudite rogue." He attached himself to rich Philadephians, saying he was a German prince or something. He is more or less a footnote to a footnote in the history books, but his type show up again and again through the centuries. A rogue, perhaps, but a quick Google search turns up a town and a lake and a tunnel that bear his name, all in Carbon County, Pennsyvania.

For me, all this has the makings of "back-story" for my novel, which happens to be what I'm focusing on just now. Every "origin myth" needs an "erudite rogue," don't you think? George Hauto is going to be mine. More on all this later.