The Real-Life Secret Society that Started Everything
How a Buzzfeed Article Inspired an Entire Book
A common question people ask writers is, “What inspired you to write this book?”
Here’s an honest answer: The muse is a fickle thing. Inspiration does not spark on command; it happens on its own terms. Sometimes it’s amazing how one little insignificant detail you encounter in life can ignite the inspiration for an entire book.
For The Boston R.A.T.S., it was 2017 when inspiration suddenly ignited my brain . . . after reading a Buzzfeed article.
Yes, a Buzzfeed article, of all things.
This particular article was a list of mysterious topics throughout history that remain unexplained. The list contained topics such as the Dancing Plague of 1518, where over four hundred residents in a village inexplicably danced for days until they died; and a 15th-century book called the Voynich Manuscript, which was written in a mysterious language no one was able to decipher in the six hundred years since its discovery.
And amidst these fascinating topics was a little story about a secret society discovered in the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris. At first, you might think that this secret society took place long ago, such as in the 1800s or earlier. But it was founded in the 1980s and, as far as anyone knows, is still active to this day.
Here is the story in a nutshell:
Two cataphiles (people who explore the catacombs like hikers would explore the wilderness) randomly stumbled upon a fully equipped movie theater, a stocked bar, and a restaurant.
Underground.
In the catacombs.
At one point, the police were notified (presumably by a bitter ex-girlfriend of one of the members) and investigated the scene—only to find that everything was gone.
Everything except, of course, a note that said:
“Ne cherchez pas.”
Do not search for us.
My mind absolutely exploded.
I went down a rabbit hole, spending hours of research on this mysterious secret society called The UX (The Urban Experiment). An interview with the UX’s spokesperson, a man with the pseudonym Lazar Kunstmann, showcased his eccentric personality and partially inspired my character Atticus, the leader of the Boston R.A.T.S.
One of the major goals of The UX is unauthorized restoration of neglected cultural heritage and artifacts. One of their most infamous projects happened circa 2006 when they infiltrated the Panthéon in Paris and repaired the 19th-century Wagner clock, which had been broken for decades. A member of the UX had somehow clandestinely bypassed security, who had no idea they had broken into the Panthéon. They perhaps would have never found out what happened if the UX member hadn’t left a note on how to keep the clock in working order. This completely embarrassed the administration, who believed that because the Society member had entered the Panthéon so easily, their security staff must be inadequate. As a result, the administration sued the members of the UX, but the lawsuit was dropped because it technically wasn’t a crime to fix a broken clock.
I was completely and utterly fascinated.
At first, the novel forming in my head was going to be closer to the real story of the Urban Experiment itself. But then it gradually became a story of its own. My imagination began tailoring my own interpretation of an underground hideout created by a secret society. Even in my sleep, my dreams were about underground spaces filled with extraordinary rooms—a 1950s style kitchen, a room made entirely of bread, and a music room filled with gigantic instruments (where you could run down the keys of a piano, take a nap inside the sound hole of a guitar, or slide down the horn of a trumpet). Every dream was fascinating, and I always felt I had so many more rooms to explore, yet I didn’t have enough time.
The more time I spent dreaming and brainstorming about the society that would become the Boston R.A.TS., the more it detached from The Urban Experiment and the more it became its own unique society. History and restoration were less interesting to me than theater and art. So I decided the society that would become the Boston R.A.T.S. would be an art society. My secret society had many names, such as The Underground Experience, The Lunar Experience, and (bear with me here) Anglosztukalala (a combination of England, art, and nonsense). Thankfully, that last one was scrapped for being too difficult for most people to pronounce.
At last, I thought of “The Boston Revolutionary Art and Teacup Society” (“The Boston R.A.T.S.”), and that is what stuck.
And here’s a secret:
There is a moment in the book where I do pay homage to the real secret society that started it all. Perhaps when you read it, you will recognize it.
Updates
Publishing
I received word from my publisher that they have found narrators to provide audiobooks for certain titles! I will keep you all updated about whether The Boston R.A.T.S. will be a candidate for an audiobook release.
There is also some exciting news for readers who particularly enjoy collectible books: A special edition of the book will have sprayed edges! More details to come.
Writing
This month (February), I have completely shifted gears toward expanding a novella (30,000 words) I wrote when I was 21 years old into a full-length novel (50,000 words). It’s so wonderful to get back into these characters, though it’s difficult to maintain writing in the present tense when I’ve spent so long writing The Boston R.A.T.S. in the past tense. Since it’s a much shorter novel than The Boston R.A.T.S., I hope to have at least the first draft completed by August (because that’s when my husband and I will welcome our second child into the world!). Life is about to become busy and extraordinary, and I’m welcoming every moment of it.
How You Can Support Me
If you haven’t yet put “The Boston Revolutionary Art and Teacup Society” on your Want To Read list on Goodreads, you can do so here.
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Thanks for reading!
Tirra Lirra,
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