Tag Archive | fun

Author Confessions: Easter Eggs

Oct7
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: Easter Eggs

Why, in fall, would I be talking about Easter eggs? I don’t know, maybe because it’s not about Resurrection Day or cute little bunnies or hunting for eggs around the yard or house. What I am talking about are the hidden things author put in their books just for fun, and hopefully for the fun of the reader.

This was done spectacularly in the television show, Psych. I was introduced to that show and fell in love with the over-the-top characters and their outrageous shenanigans. Funny, because that could at times describe my husband but that show is just too silly for him. Maybe it was a season in my life but it was a great escape. There is an example of the Easter egg phenomenon though that any Psych fan would know about. What is it? Pinapple.

In the first episode, Shawn Spencer (brilliantly played by James Roday) grabs a pinapple and asks about taking it along. For all I know it could have been improv for the scene as there was a lot of improvisation that took place in that show. After that they made sure to include a pineapple all 120 episodes either visually or in the dialogue. It might be obvious, or it might not. The fun for the fan was to find the pineapple. Fun tidbit, the TV show Chuck, used the word pinapple when there was an emergency. A nod to Psych? Possibly.

So how does that relate to an author? Sometimes author put Easter eggs in their stories. For instance, every one of my six stories in the Black Diamond Gothic Regency series has an animal that assists the main character. In The Baron’s Blunder, it was a parrot. In The Virtuous Viscount it was a dog. Lord Phillip’s Folly had a talking crow while Sir Michael’s Mayhem had a sneaky ferret. A kitten was helpful in Lord Harrow’s Heart and a lamb was vital to The Captain’s Conquest. It didn’t start out that way, as the pinapple thing didn’t for Psych, but it was fun as an author to include an animal that wasn’t just in the background but actually played role, some more major than others, in helping out the characters.

The requirement for this would be that you are writing a series. And it might not start out as an Easter egg, but you’d have to know this by book two. For instance putting in an animal made me have to think carefully about just what kind of animal and what role would it play to further the story along. Easter eggs can’t be a distraction, and they don’t need to take center stage either. Having an animal in a story is fine, but having it actually be a part of the plot is something else entirely, but if you’re up for it, it can be a sweet challenge.

An Easter egg can also be a character, place, object (like the pinapple or a pet). This can also be referred to as an allusion because the reader (or viewer) will understand what the author is referring to. Does the reader need to know there is an Easter egg to enjoy the story? No. And authors don’t tell their readers in advance that there are Easter eggs either.

This can happen within one story as well. In Sir Michael’s Mayhem there is a tree that they keep coming back to and in the end Michael sees a new tree and ties it all in with every other instance with the other tree. Easter egg. Intentional? Not necessarily, but it was fun when I realized it was there. Hopefully the reader did as well.

Marvel movies are another version of the Easter Egg phenomenon as  the creator of the series, Stan Lee would appear in some way shape or form in every episode before he passed away. Another one is that at the end of each movie, after the credits, is a fun scene of some sort, so don’t stop when the credits roll on any movie, because some have fun surprises for you, whether it is outtakes or something else. I believe there are other Easter eggs in there as well but these are the more obvious ones.

A series might refer to something from a previous book as well. That happens quite often but only those who have read the series in order will catch it.

Intentionally or not, Easter eggs are a literary feature that can be fun for the author to employ. Do you have any favorite Easter eggs in fiction (written or on the screen?)

For fun, can you find all the pineapples in these few scenes? I know I missed some!

 

Lessons Learned from Writing: Divine Fun

Mar14
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Now, why did I start this series of posts with this one? Because initially when I started writing in 2009 and understood nothing much about the craft, I had fun. So much fun! I believed God told me to write that November for National Novel Writing Months (nanowrimo.org). When I started I was fearless because I didn’t know any better. I had a blast finally writing the story I wanted to write: The Virtuous Viscount. I’d started years ago on paper and I think I scared myself. But God called and I obeyed.

I wrote a lot of words in 21 days – more than winning two NaNoWriMos. I was exhilerated and in my ignorance thought I’d written a wonderful tome. I cut my teeth as an author on that novel and still love the story.

So I had fun and thought that was it. I was a stay-at-home mom and lived in the country and served in Women’s Ministry at my church and didn’t have much interaction with those who didn’t share my faith in Jesus. I reached out during that month and connected with another stay-at-home mom in my community. We both crossed the finish line and I reached out again to suggest we get together. I gave her my real name, not the name on NaNo and she responded.

She was a friend from high school I’d been praying for, for over twenty years. Wow. Just wow. We connected in person along with others from back then and I heard many sad stories. Now my own story wasn’t that wonderful as I was in a difficult marriage, but I listened and loved. I was newer to Facebook in those days and invited my friend to connect with me there.

She remembered my strong faith in high school and even though I didn’t usually post spiritual stuff then, I was usually more silly, she told me it was as if God was poking her in the shoulder with every post I made. She understood my life was challenging. She was aware of my ministry work, and never once did I talk to her about Christ. She was well aware of the truth she’d turned her back on years ago. I was just being silly old me.

God led her back to Himself. She said later that she believes the only reason she was to write that November was to reconnect with me so God could get a hold of her. She joined a church, she led worship, she’s taken a theology class that I taught, and she made dramatic life changes. Life has been challenging for her in the process, but she’s stood firm.

I thought I was just having fun—but God had a bigger plan.

Her name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life long before my humble gothic regency ever saw the light of day in print.

So go ahead and have fun. Enjoy life. If God calls you to do something unusual because it might be fun? Do it! You may never know the heart you may touch just by being yourself in those moments.

“Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” Saint Francis of Assisi.

What kind of fun might God be calling you to? Don’t dismiss it as frivlolous–He may have a bigger plan than you realize.

Thanksgiving

Nov21

Reading Time: < 1 minuteI don’t want to get all sappy on you for this holiday.  We should always be grateful to God for all He does for us daily. I pray you enjoy time with people who love you and build you up. Have a great meal.  And just maybe you can laugh a little too.

Fact or Fiction? Beth: The Church Lady

Oct21

Reading Time: 3 minutes

This story is a work of fiction.  Any likeness to a real person is intended and only for fun.

The lock turned and the door opened.  Beth entered the dark church building early in the morning and made her way to the office without turning on the lights.  Flipping the switch in the office area she sighed deeply. Another day in the life of “the church lady.” She turned the power on to her computer and then went to the closet to put on the Christian rock and roll music she enjoyed as a backdrop to her busy days.

Wandering out to the lobby she glanced down the hallway by the café and noticed that several posters had fallen off the wall.  Again.  It was a pity Pastor Ken wouldn’t allow firearms in the church. If the posters were so bent on suicide, wouldn’t it be more fun to take them out back and just help them “end it all?” Oh well, wonder if he’d be okay with a BB-gun and let her borrow his son’s?  She’d ask at the next staff meeting.  That would be a great stress relief!

She checked the decorations hanging in the women’s bathroom, noticing that the one hanging to the left on the wall had once again tilted.  She righted it and returned to her cubicle.

With a sigh, she sat down and glanced at the many email demands that were awaiting her attention and set to work on the most urgent of them. While many might classify her as mere secretary, she was anything but.  What most people didn’t know was that it was her, Maggie, and Jodie that kept things humming smoothly in the back office. “Support staff?”  HA! She was much more than that!  Setting aside her long list of emails, she started to work on the bulletin for Sunday.  Her frustration started to mount when Kaspersky decided to do an update slowing everything down and the software would not cooperate and do what she wanted in trying to place so many announcements into limited space and edit them as well (couldn’t people even write?) – oh, and make them readable. Not everyone could comfortably read a 6pt font. She would persevere.

A few hours later, Beth was distracted when Susan,  the Women’s Ministry Director came in to her cubicle. “Beth, would you be able to get my ministry brochure done today? I really need it!”

Beth turned and her eyes flashed.  Before anyone could realize the danger, fire erupted from Beth’s mouth singeing Susan’s curly dark hair.  Susan wouldn’t need to get those split ends cut off now.

Fearing that the heat and smoke would set off the fire alarm system, Beth rushed to throw her coat over her keyboard to protect it from the automated sprinkler. The fire alarm started to blare but the sprinklers did not kick in.

Susan was shocked by what had happened. After they had managed to call the fire department to tell them there was no emergency and reset the alarms, Beth looked again at Susan and inhaled the smell of burnt hair. Ewww!  Then Beth remembered that Susan had asked her the day before if she had been losing weight as she looked so much thinner when she had been on stage with the worship team a few days past. 

 “I’m sorry, Susan, that I breathed fire on you. You caught me at a bad time.  I will try to get to your brochure but I have so much to do right now I cannot guarantee how fast I can get it done.  Could I have a two week window instead?”

Susan was running her fingers through her hair and shaking out the burnt pieces but looked up at Beth and smiled. “Sure, Beth, I’m sorry I wasn’t very considerate of your time and the fact that you have so many demands. Will you forgive me?”

“Sure.” said Beth, as she returned to her cubicle.  Everyone left her alone for the rest of the day, which was just fine with her as she managed to get a lot of work done.  She even managed a few minutes on Susan’s brochure.