Have you ever decided that you were going to “just take a moment” to look something up, only to emerge from your internet adventure hours later? Or, have you ever started out looking at one thing only to find yourself, again hours later, reading about something so far removed from where you started you would need a complex chart the size of a wall to trace back how you got there?
For me, the answer to those questions is a resounding YES! I have frequently fallen down the rabbit hole while looking something up for a story I am writing. And it’s usually for some small, insignificant little detail that really has almost no bearing on the story itself! I thought it might be fun to share some of these little side trips with you and what it was that led me there. So here is the first in a series of posts I’m calling Down the Rabbit Hole.
– Coffeehouses
” “Vandercroft? Not Amaris? So, your family follows the matrilineal line. How interesting,” he said as he held open the door of the coffeehouse for Devon. “That is a very old custom, and not one I often see used, even during this age of invention and enlightenment.”
The inside was much bigger than it appeared from the exterior, and surprisingly well lit by its numerous gas lamps. Tables and booths filled most the space, arranged so that one could have a small intimate conversation or a large heated debate with equal ease. “
In one of my current WIPs, Where the Angels Dream, I wanted a place where various conversations between two particular characters could take place. Some place people might naturally gather but that would still allow someone to speak privately. That led me to look up coffeehouses in the late 1800s.
Did you know that coffeehouses originated in the Middle East in the late 15th/early 16th century? They made their way to Europe, England, and the Americas in the 17th century and were immensely popular. They did indeed become gathering places where people (mostly men) went to have quiet discussions and lively debates. Of course, this led me into looking up coffee and the various methods of making it: press, pour-over, vacuum pots and percolators…
Needless to say, over half the day went by before I wrote a single word on my manuscript, but I regret nothing! 😀 Here are some (but certainly not all) of the links that led me down that rabbit hole, in case you want to follow.
A quick note – I am not affiliated with any of the sites whose links I have shared below. I make no money if you click on them, and any of the ads or opinions seen there do not necessarily reflect my own opinions or suggestions.
The History of Coffee Houses – Driftway Coffee
How Coffee fueled Revolutions – and Influenced History
The Surprising History of Coffee Houses – Coffee Affection
English coffeehouses in the 17th and 18th century – Wikipedia
Coffee Preparation through the Ages (Part I) – Comestibles
Interested in seeing out what I’m working on? Check out my WIP’s page, coming soon!
Idyll Dreams & Nonsensical Things 
When I was researching things for my zombie novel, I went down several prepper rabbit holes, and stashed away in my closet is a small bag with a bunch of items that I bought, you know. Just in case. 😀
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Oh yeah, the gathering of stuff and hobbies is certainly another danger. 😀
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