The Research Rabbit Hole and Pirates

This month some of us are writing on the theme “Down the Research Rabbit Hole.” In my book launch, I wrote a little bit about how researching the birds in the UK led me to the magpie, and research on the magpie led to Mr. Darcy’s unusual hobby and Mr. Bennet’s naming each of his daughters after a bird. There was one other thing that I found about the magpie, and if you haven’t read the book or didn’t read the post, here is the link to the post  and here is the link to the kindle book on amazon.

Every book takes some research and some of that research might go nowhere, and at other times leads you somewhere that enhances the story you are working on. When I was writing “Pirates and Prejudice,” the research actually led me to a place I had never heard of and ended up being the perfect backdrop for my story.

I had always wanted to write a pirate story, and had one swirling around in the back of my mind. I knew I wanted Darcy to be mistaken for a pirate and have to impersonate one in order to help authorities capture the notorious (and recently escaped) Lockerly. But I also needed to get Elizabeth onto a ship where she would encounter Darcy (impersonating a pirate). I originally planned to have her and her father travel up to Scotland, where his sister and family lived and would soon set out for America. But I found myself struggling with this scenario.

I went online and began looking at the map of the United Kingdom, looking at different ports, studying about them, and trying to figure out what I could do differently. I zoomed in on a map and saw a small grouping of islands south of the southern coast, off Cornwall. I zoomed in and saw that they were called the Isles of Scilly. I didn’t even know whether they were inhabited, but when did a little more research into them, I was delighted to see that not only were they inhabited, but they had once been a haven for pirates! Did I actually just stumble upon something that would make the story so much better? There were several inhabited islands, rocky outcroppings, and storms that made the seas treacherous, leading to many shipwrecks on these outcroppings. A perfect combination for a pirate story!

If you have read “Pirates and Prejudice,” you know Elizabeth not only encounters Mr. Darcy dressed as a pirate (and therefore she does not recognize him), but she encounters the real pirate Lockerly, as well, endures storms, shipwrecks, being stranded on a rocky outcropping, and more!

This was one instance where just studying a map of England opened a door that allowed me to make a rather fun and swashbuckling adventure with two of our favorite characters.  

The Isles of seem like a wonderful place to visit. Have any of you been there? It is a place I would love to visit someday.