Everyone knows that a certain amount of research is imperative to writing - be it for setting, the effects of wounds and weapons, vehicular specs or whatever else a writer wants to represent accurately.
Well, when I write anthropomorphic fiction, I like to learn as much about the real-world animals as I can. Their senses, diet, sleeping habits and psychology. One of the places I stumbled across during my research was the Hearts on Noses - Mini Pig Sanctuary. It was from their website that I learned the most useful (and touching) facts about porcine behavior.
Piggy Moto started off as just a NaNoWriMo project. It was fun and all, but there was no real ambition behind it, at first. In the original story (which was the plot for a role-playing adventure), the detectives (whom you’ve not met yet) were the main characters. The swine were a band originally called “Hoshito Piggy Moto” but people made too much fun of the spelling of the first word, so I dropped it.
Anyway, Piggy Moto was (in my opinion) the coolest band, and was made up of the biggest underdogs of all the contestants. So, for NaNo, I picked them as my main characters (rather than just re-telling the RPG). I had a blast.
While I was writing, I surfed around to look up pig senses, social motivations and whatnot - and, that’s when I found the H.O.N. Sanctuary. I read every single story they had posted about their swinish refugees, and I read the profiles of the pigs they’d adopted. I was moved, heartbroken, inspired and crushed, all at the same time. It eas then that All Star Boar Band became a passion - an obsession.
Most people don’t really realize that pigs ain’t like dogs and cats. You don’t get a cute, little, 15-pound baby pet and cuddle it and play with it and keep it 15 pounds. Ooooh No. Even so-called “mini” pigs get HUGE. And, they ain’t 5 or 6 or 10 year investments. I’ve read of piggy pets living into their 30’s. What’s more than this though, they go through adolescence. The testy teens! So, you get this cute, lovable little ball of oink, and in three years he turns into a testy, destructive, uncooperative, honery hundred-some pound monster.
Well, people don’t read before they take in pets. So when their pig becomes a handful, they just throw the swine out.
The Hearts On Noses - Mini Pig Sanctuary takes in as many of these poor animals as they can and takes great, loving care of them. This ain’t cheap, of course - they are a registered charity, and running a charity never is inexpensive. That’s why I throw money to then when I can, and invite anyone else out there who cares as much about piggies as I do to drop a fiver, or a 10 spot, or even a Yuppie Foodstamp in their coffers.
At very least, read their stories. Learn about how sweet and wonderful pigs can be, and maybe you’ll find that your own notions were a little unbalanced. Understanding even a little bit about swine psychology realy went a long way in helping me write my novel. Maybe you’ll find a pearl or two among the pigs, like I did.
Best wishes everyone. Still aiming for the 29th for Episode two! Till then, drop in on The Sanctuary, and drop me a line if you find any other piggy places like it.
Love you all,
Nicholas
