avatarJoseph Yossarian

Summary

The author of the article is a writer who incorporates literary references into their work as a tribute to admired authors, using these "Easter eggs" to enrich their stories.

Abstract

The author self-identifies as a "shameless plagiarist," but clarifies that this is not in the traditional sense of stealing others' work. Instead, they pay homage to favorite writers by embedding references to their works within their own stories. These references often go unnoticed but are enjoyed by the author and may be appreciated by some readers. Examples include using the title of a book from a PG Wodehouse story to cover a carpet burn in one of their narratives, and naming racehorses in another story after those in Barry Hines' novel "A Kestrel for a Knave." The author also uses pub names from literature, such as the Cow and Horses from Wodehouse's work and the Cricketer's Arms from Robert Tressell's "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists," to add depth to their writing. The article concludes with the author's intention to continue this practice judiciously.

Opinions

  • The author believes that incorporating literary references adds a layer of enjoyment and depth to their writing.
  • They see these references as "Easter eggs" for readers to discover, suggesting a playful and interactive relationship with their audience.
  • The author values the works of PG Wodehouse, Barry Hines, and Robert Tressell, among others, and uses their writing as inspiration.
  • There is an understanding that while most readers may not catch these references, their inclusion is still meaningful and satisfying for the author.
  • The author is aware that the use of these literary nods must be done tastefully and in context to avoid appearing out of place.

I’m a Shameless Plagiarist

But it’s all good

All my own work, Nearly (Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash)

I’d better explain that attention-grabbing headline because plagiarists are universally frowned upon within writing circles, and rightly so. By way of a disclaimer, everything I post begins as an idea in my mind, which I pump down my sleeves to my fingertips and via those onto a screen. I never steal the work of others.

So, to what do I allude in the title of this piece?

I like to give nods of recognition to writers I admire by dropping in references to their works by borrowing names they have used. I believe that in modern parlance the term for this sort of thing is Easter eggs, those being hidden surprises. I dare say most will go unnoticed by readers, but some may pick up on the references, and, what the heck, I enjoy planting them. Here are some examples to explain.

In one short story, I had the protagonist accidentally burn his host’s carpet with a hot iron. Not having the funds for a proper repair, he bought a book from a charity shop large enough to cover the burn and on a subject so dull no one would ever pick it up, so the scorch would remain hidden forever. But what would be the title of such a book?

Step up to the plate, PG Wodehouse.

In the story Jeeves Takes Charge, Bertie Wooster is engaged to Florence Craye, who is, Bertie says, “… particularly keen on boosting me up a bit nearer her own plane of intellect.”

Types of Ethical Theory

Florence presents Bertie with a book titled Types of Ethical Theory, which she expects him to read and understand. During the story, Bertie narrates passages from the book which are excruciatingly dull. So, Types of Ethical Theory was the book my protagonist bought to hide the burn on the carpet while simultaneously giving a wave to one of my favourite authors. I believe a genuine book bearing that title does exist.

In another tale, I had a character doctor a betting slip to make it look like he’d won on the horses so he could spend ill-gotten gains without arousing suspicion. The names of racehorses are so random they are easy to conjure up. Here are three right off the top of my head:

Thumberella

Velvet Ian

Cods Wallop

Instead though, I opted to pay homage to the author of a favourite book of my youth, A Kestrel for a Knave — or more popularly, Kes — by Barry Hines.

In the story, teenager Billy has instructions to place a bet for his older brother Jud, who is away working down the local coal mine. Before placing the bet, Billy asks an old hand at the game if he thinks Jud’s choices will win. When that great oracle expresses some doubt, Billy throws away the betting slip and spends the money on himself. The names of the two horses Jud had chosen, both of which won, are Crackpot and Tell Him He’s Dead.

And those are the names of the horses my character used to doctor his ticket.

Corsair’s Bride

Staying with racehorses, I wrote a story about someone again placing a bet, this time for his father, and I chose the name Corsair’s Bride for the horse. Most readers would have skimmed over the name as something I had made up for the piece, but I lifted it from George Orwell’s 1938 novel Coming Up for Air.

In it, the central character, George Bowling, is cajoled into betting on Corsair’s Bride by a colleague who has a book called Astrology Applied to Horse-racing. By sheer fluke, the horse wins, giving George a windfall his wife and kids know nothing about. He uses the money to fund a secret trip to the village where he grew up.

Pub names are another way of paying homage to my literary heroes. Returning to PG Wodehouse, Bertie Wooster visits a pub called the Cow and Horses in the story The Metropolitan Touch. I have referred to a pub called the Horse and Cow in several linked stories. At the other end of the social scale from Wooster, those wretched drudges within the evocative pages of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell found some relief and comfort inside the Cricketer’s Arms. That pub’s name has appeared in my writing several times.

Of course, this sort of name-dropping must be done sparingly and in the correct context. As much as I like Treasure Island, it would be a bit off of me to set a story in a hostelry called the Admiral Benbow Inn. But where feasible I shall continue to hide those little Easter eggs within my writing.

Writing
Easter Eggs
Authors
Orwell
Wodehouse
Recommended from ReadMedium