When I don’t know a fact for this novel, I can make it up, within the limits of what I do know. So, for example, I don’t actually know which palace Elizabeth was living in during April 1590. But I know St. James’ was a royal palace, and that various other palaces were usually occupied in the summer or autumn or winter, so I can put her in St. James’ that spring and be content.

My problem is that, once I learn a fact, I can’t make myself ignore it.

The solution to this ought to be for me to stop researching. If I hadn’t dug through my books for more detailed information on Elizabeth’s coronation procession, I never would have found a reference to a text which some kind soul (hah) put online which lets me know exactly the route she took, and therefore I wouldn’t know she never went near Candlewick Street, and therefore the flashback scene I had in mind that requires her to be there during her coronation procession would be just fine and dandy in my mind.

But now I know. And I can’t make myself ignore her real processional route just because I want her to pass by a certain significant half-buried rock on Candlewick Street.

<grumble mutter hmpf>

Okay, fine. I’ll work this differently. But my life really would be easier if I could either stop researching, or ignore what I read. (But then what would be the point of reading it?)