TuesdayTips57

Easter Eggs.
Laying The Scene.

Easter egg:
1. an artificial chocolate egg or decorated hard-boiled egg given at Easter.
2. an unexpected or undocumented feature in a piece of computer software or on a DVD, included as a joke or a bonus.
Definition from Oxford Languages.
The term Easter Egg was first used to describe a hidden message in a 1979 Atari video game. Since then its usage has expanded somewhat, and here I am going to extend it further to series novels and broaden the scope of the original meaning.
Why should you consider including them?
One of the joys of reading a series of novels is the sense of familiarity that they evoke. Familiar characters, well-known locations, and even in-jokes, can make a reader's return to your fictional world all the more rewarding. I left university over twenty years ago. In the intervening years, I have kept contact with a handful of good friends and former flatmates and we have done our best to try and meet up for a weekend at least once a year. In that time we've moved on: marriages, kids, grey hair and proper grown-up jobs, yet when we get together it's as if we are all in our early twenties again. Old jokes resurface, well-worn anecdotes and otherwise forgotten stories come back and I feel a comforting warmth. Over the years, partners that didn't know us back then have joined us and I often wonder what they must think. I know that my fiancée sees a side of me that she doesn't witness in our daily existence, and I imagine it is the same for the others.
I feel the same when the latest book in a favourite series is released and I spot the little asides and Easter eggs that the author has included.
So here are some of the reasons it's worth having them.
It keeps readers returning.
As much as I enjoy a good standalone with new characters to get to know, I also like revisiting old friends. Are there character quirks that your readers will look out for, such as favourite music? Is there a regular antagonist that your character will butt heads with? Is there something that they will do that they shouldn't? In Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series, one of the series regulars, Win, will usually do or say something that again has you questioning if he is actually a psychopath, even if he is a 'good guy'. I look forward to seeing what he'll do in each new novel. Successful TV series that last for many seasons often use these as hooks to retain their viewers' loyalty.
It makes your readers feel part of the 'club'.  
The inclusion of a few regular tropes can make loyal readers feel like they are privy to a small secret. Somebody reading one of my DCI Warren Jones books for the first time may find Warren's exasperation over his colleagues' avoidance of using the honesty jar to pay for their communal coffee an amusing aside. Those who have followed the series from the start will know to look out for that scene, hopefully remembering it from different books and looking forward to seeing how I include it this time.
It helps remind readers what they are reading.
There are several dozen police procedurals released every year. All are different, but all have undoubted similarities, especially if the writer tries to adhere to accuracy. The inclusion of these little vignettes can give the series its own unique identity.

• Spends time brooding on a balcony over-looking Los Angeles at night, listening to Jazz - that'll be Harry Bosch.
• Takes time out to have a pint and do The Times cryptic crossword - that'll be Morse.
• Carefully dismantles a sandwich or a burger to discard the salad - that'll be Warren Jones.    

It rewards rereading.
It can be a lot of fun going back to an earlier book in a series, and these little Easter eggs can provide little ah-ha moments as you spot something that you maybe skimmed past the first time, but which now has more resonance.
Material for a prequel or a short story.
Many authors have dabbled with prequels - going back to the early part of their main protagonist's career or life. This can provide a great opportunity to see the genesis of a character's quirks, or the start of an established tradition in your books. It's fun for the writer and fun for the reader.
Setting up future books or plot lines.
In one of my recent books, a long-established scene became part of the investigation. A variation on this scene had appeared in every book, and this novel was no different. It probably slipped under the radar for most readers, with regulars logging its expected appearance and moving on. Hopefully, they felt some recognition when they realised that I'd used it to smuggle in a plot point.


The pitfalls:
Easter eggs should be treats for the regular reader, but shouldn't exclude those new to the series.
Resist the urge to assume that everyone reading will be familiar with (or remember) previous references and hang a plot point on it. You risk people feeling confused and cheated if they can't work out how your detective realised that the text message supposedly sent from their colleague was a fake because they had used punctuation and their spelling was correct, when every other book had made a joke of their garbled communications.
Nobody likes to feel they aren't part of the club.
Despite our best efforts, I've no doubt that the partners of my university friends have at times felt bemused or even excluded slightly as we all roll around guffawing at some story that is really only funny if you were there. Try not to include too many in-jokes that will make new readers feel that they are missing something. The chances are it will diminish their pleasure and make it less likely that they read more in the series.
Don't try too hard to shoehorn them in.
There may be times that it is just not plausible for a regular scene to take place. There may be a highly amusing scene in every book where two characters go to ever increasing lengths to secure their favoured parking spot. But if this book is set away from the station, engineering the narrative so that this scene can appear may impact the book as a whole.


What are your views on Easter eggs? Do you have any good examples from favourite authors (no spoilers!)?
Feel free to comment here or on social media.
Until next time,
Paul.