Easter Eggs, surely it’s too early?

Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.

Don’t forget to click the purple button to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.

Do you include any inside jokes or Easter eggs in your work?

I don’t intentionally, although some people have commented on a few things that I never really noticed at the time. Mind you, reviewers have also ascribed all sorts of deep meaning to my work, and extrapolated their opinions of my character and background, with often amusing conclusions.

It’s always quite a surprise to hear what readers say my words meant to them. Most of the time, their interpretation had never really occurred to me, all I wanted to convey was on the face of the action, not in some hidden undercurrent.

Of course, I’m pleased to hear that I’ve got a response and flattered by the assumption that I knew exactly what I was doing when I wrote what I did.

But, just so we’re clear, I’m not American, nor am I a woman, a racist or a misogynist. Any views expressed in my books belong exclusively to the person saying them. My characters are a product of their environment and upbringing and their words or deeds are only intended to enhance the story, not provide a social or moral commentary on the here and now, in this reality.

Meanwhile, back on the subject.

I must confess that, as an ex-seafaring man, I’ve modified and applied my knowledge of ships in water to those in space. It may be a different sort of medium, but it shares many of the same characteristics, in many ways the two environments are somewhat interchangeable.

As well as the physical act of handling and manoeuvring spaceships and interplanetary trade and travel, there’s the sense of isolation, the reliance on technology and the intense interpersonal relationships, as is the ever-present possibility of sudden catastrophe.

And of course, like any other speciality, the language of the seafarer sets them apart in conversation, clever use of obscure and archaic terms in the stories can create a mystique about their particular skillset. So, if you’re from a seafaring background, you might find some of the language familiar. You may even spot a few things that have more than one meaning.

Not only that, as my characters and series have developed, I’ve found that they’re starting to reminisce about things that happened in their past during their new adventures. So inside and running jokes are now becoming a thing.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s all part of my job as the teller of tales to create a lifelike atmosphere.

Until next time.

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