What’s that I write? Easter eggs at Christmastime? Yes, you read that correctly. I’m blogging about Easter eggs today, but not the type that you dye at Easter. These Easter eggs are the little hidden secrets in a movie, television series or a book that often refer to an inside joke or inside story. For instance, when I visited Disney World this past September, I noticed something new. In The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride, there is a framed oval portrait of Mr. Toad. For those who have previously visited Disney World before the opening of the Winnie the Pooh ride, they might remember Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that occupied the space until the ride was remodeled and refashioned. But the picture itself is an Easter egg, an homage to a little secret known to some of the riders of the Winnie the Pooh ride. Some writers utilize Easter eggs in their books, and hence the inspiration for this post.
Do I use them? You bet I do. I’m fortunate enough to have inherited Frederick’s Hope, a genealogical study of my family that traces the roots on my father’s side back to the time of the Revolutionary War. In each of my books, I’ve sneaked in a name somewhere that pays a little bit of tribute to someone in my past. One of my heroes shares a last name with one of my great-great-grandmothers. A heroine in a different book shares the same last name as another great-great grandparent. Of course, my characters are fictional, but some of their names have a deeper meaning to me.
If you are a writer, do you use Easter eggs in any of your works? Is there a first name of a childhood friend or the last name of a favorite teacher? If you’re not a writer, do you look for Easter eggs in movies or TV shows? Let me know.