Saturday, September 25, 2021

What We're Writing Week: Julia Gives You What You Want

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Fan service. Do you know the phrase? It comes out of Japanese manga and anime, and originally meant to give the fans of these genres "what they want" - usually cartoon girls in very, very skimpy clothing. Seriously, don't Google images of the term.

But it's come to have a much larger meaning in contemporary fiction, television and movies, which have become increasingly serialized over the past two decades.  When readers or viewers spend a long time in a fictional universe (another term that's become popular to describe this serialized phenomenon) they come to know the many characters, large and small, that make up the world. They remember events that took place eight books and five movies ago. They develop insider knowledge and appreciation - they become fans.

The readers impatiently waiting for Jenn's next Library Lovers Mystery (November 2, y'all!) know everything there is to know about Briar Creek, CT. Actually, it's been my experience that passionate readers may remember more than the author does about her own creation! The audience for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's twenty five (and counting) movies may not know everything, because there are lots of, shall we say, special areas to hang out in, depending on whether you follow The Avengers, Spider-Man and/or The Guardians of the Galaxy. But I guarantee you the get the backstories, and the colorful secondary characters, and the overarching mythos. 

What do those readers and audience members want? Fan service. They want to see characters popping up again to say hi later in the story. They want references and nods to previous events that only they know about. On screen, they want to see actors who were important to earlier iterations of the story pop up in different roles - really, the best part of Wonder Woman '84 was seeing Lynda Carter's cameo. 


Sometimes, yes, fan service can be WAY overdone. If you saw Avengers Endgame, you might have cringed a little at the brief spotlight inclusion of every. Single. Lead. Character in the final battle. In Star Trek, the fans loved Khan Noonien Singh so much they dragged the guy back for two sequels, and I'm pretty sure Ricardo Montalban would have played him the third time if he hadn't happened to have passed away at the ripe old age of 88 four years prior. (By the way, if you've seen the wonderful Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan? Montalban was 62. He could, as the youths say today, get it.)


All this is to confess I'm offering up some fan service to my long-time readers. Since the plot of AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY revolves around small-town white supremacists, I wanted to let people know this small town was also home to some migrant workers and immigrants. How to show this briefly? Well, I happened to have a couple who were central to I SHALL NOT WANT. Why not catch up with them and see how they're doing, in a visit to an interfaith Christmas donation drive?

 

 

“Father! We caught you!” The accented voice caught her attention.   A short, dark man in a heavy barn coat crossed the parking lot, a toddler perched on his hip. A visibly pregnant blonde was at his side. “We wanted to make a donation.” The man noticed Clare and smiled broadly. “La Reverenda!

“Amado! Isabel!” Clare and Fr. St. Laurent had married Amado Esfuntes and Isabel Christie two – no, three – years ago. “Is this Octavia? She's so big.”

“I'm two.” The girl held up two fingers, just to make it clear. “I'm going to be a big sister.”

Clare laughed. “I can see that. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” The girl's grave demeanor and dark coat made her look like the world's tiniest supreme court judge.

Her father slid her off his hip and handed her an envelope. “Do you want to give the gift to Father?”

“Yes, please.”

Fr. St. Laurent squatted down. “Mil gracias, Octavia.”

“El placer is mío, Padre.”

Clare raised her eyebrows. “Polite in two languages. I'm impressed. My son is still at the babbling stage.”

“She started talking early,” Isabel said, “but she really took off after her second birthday. Our pediatrician thinks it might be because we're raising her with both Spanish and English.”

“Or it might be because she's a genius!” Amado held his arms out and Octavia let herself be hoisted back into the seat of honor.

“Amado.” Fr. St. Laurent looked up from the envelope. “This is too much.”

Amado shook his head. “What we have to share, we share. The farm has run a good profit this year, thanks to God--”

“Thanks to hard work,” Isabel amended.

“--and I know this helps those who need help. Including other immigrants.”

“Although Amado's not an immigrant anymore. He's an American citizen.”

The smile Amado gave his wife was slanted. “In some people's eyes, I will never not be an immigrant.”

Isabel snorted. “Well, those people are assholes. Sorry, Father. Reverend.”

 

What do you think, dear readers? Do you like a little fan service now and again? And is Lynda Carter actually secretly an Amazon? Because it doesn't look as if she's aging along with the rest of us humans.

57 comments:

  1. Yes, a little fan service sounds like a delightful thing . . . and it’s lovely to meet up with Amado and Isabel again. A heartfelt smile to start the day . . . thanks.

    As for Lynda Carter, I have no idea . . . but I’d love to know her secret!

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    1. I know, right? I just saw a trailer for a movie in which she appears, and she doesn't at all look like she's had a face lift - she has lines and such - but her skin is beautiful.

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  2. Thank you for the fan service, Julia! Lovely to see Amado and Isabel again. Now you're making nervous some threat might come to Octavia...because she's a great little character.

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    1. No, Edith, no dire plans for Octavia - I think that family has had enough trauma!

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  3. I certainly like a little fan service.
    Reading this made me worried about this charming family and hoping nothing bad happens to them.

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    1. Danielle, I have clearly conditioned my readers to expect the worst. I like that.

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  4. Sometimes I am one of "those" fans. Sometimes I forget plot lines and characters completely, even if I love a series. It's funny how some details stick and some, not so much. When you've watched Star Trek movies dozens of times, or read a series over and over, the nuggets are a great reward.

    Julia, when does At Midnight Comes the Cry come out? How many more characters
    besides Kevin are you going to put in peril? Diabolical!

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    1. Judy, I love being diabolical! As for the date, I don't have one yet - just the loose designation of mid-2021.

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    2. Which we have passed, Julia. Assume you mean 2022? ;^)

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  5. I hadn't heard this term before this morning, but I do understand the concept and recognize it, now that you[ve brought it to my attention. It is necessary in a series I think, and even more delightful in a stand alone, when a previous character shows up in a new book, an Easter egg.

    Thank you, Julia, for updating us on this charming family.

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    1. Ann, it is particularly enjoyable when a character from a previous book shows up in a non-series book - a sort of shared universe.

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  6. Julia, you just made my whole day!! I loved this couple and the scene with the barn of marijuana burning remains one of my favorites. I don't know if it's so much the fangirl in me, or the point we were discussing on this blog earlier--about how authors flesh out a plot with details of character and place--adding a richness and depth to the story. That's what you've done with Clare and Russ and the denizens of Miller's Kill--so rich that even the minor characters and events linger to be savored.

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  7. Amado and Isabel! LOVE this scene! And can I just say this: "The girl's grave demeanor and dark coat made her look like the world's tiniest supreme court judge." SO brilliant! I do occasionally drop a character from a previous book in a drive-by appearance in a new book. I have no idea if anyone notices but it tickles me.

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    1. Hallie, I think fans do notice it. It's a special little treat that makes us sit up and go, "Aha!"

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    2. The supreme court reference is wonderful!

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  8. Lovely Julia, and I have the same questions as Judy--when we will see this wonderful book?

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    1. Roberta, my deadline is end of November, so I'm thinking late summer/fall '21?

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    2. Thanks, Jenn, yes. Hadn't had my tea yet when I wrote that! :-D

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  9. Lovely scene and another Christmas book? Any chance the MM, as a librarian, could put together a cheat sheet of favorite secondary characters for your website and in which books they play a prominent role? No spoilers, but "Like Russ's Mom? You'll enjoy these books, too."

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    1. Margaret, that's a great idea, but the Maine Millennial doesn't read my books. She was traumatized as a teen when one of her friends read a sex scene aloud during a sleepover. She drew a hard line after that. :-)

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  10. LOL - I love that scene! So nice to see Amado and Isabel again. You can fan survive me any time! Oh, that does sound pervy. Personally, as a series junkie, I adore Easter eggs, nods to past shenanigans, and series cross overs where characters from other series do walk ons. So fun! And, yes, Lynda Carter is definitely an Amazon. Thanks for the shout out for Killer Research! I can’t wait for AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY.

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  11. I love when a character or two make a cameo appearance in a book. It's good to catch up with their lives. As for Lynda Carter, she was a beauty when she first appeared on TV as Wonder Woman. I'm not at all surprised she still is.

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    1. She was, and it's so nice to see she's continued to live a live of grace and beauty, isn't it?

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    2. Totally agree, Lynda, like fine wine, has aged well! Genetics, methinks!

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  12. Julia, my readers get quite annoyed if all their favorites don't appear in every Georgie book. I heard complaints when I took Georgie to Africa without the ensemble.
    It's true that the recurring characters mean much more than the puzzle.

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    1. Absolutely! And there's the downside of fan service - you can wind up stuffing the book (or movie) with cameos from EVERYONE in order to make the readers/audience happy.

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    2. I took my Country Store protag back to her hometown of Santa Barbara for a book, and readers liked it all right. Many said how much more they liked the books set in Indiana. I loved the pre-COVID February research trip!

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  13. Says my comment was published but I'm not seeing it. Oh well. Good job, Julia, as always and I can't wait to read it, whenever it comes out!

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    1. Judi, I just checked - it's not caught in moderation, so maybe Blogger is playing tricks on you. Glad you like the excerpt! -Julia

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  14. Yes, please, to fan service. I love this excerpt and reading about how Isabel and Amado are doing. Yay! I cannot wait for this next book, Julia.

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  15. When I read the description of Olivia looking like a small member of SCOTUS, I thought "perhaps we should put her there. She might do a better job than some" I do like seeing characters from previous books. Miller's Kill is a small universe, so it adds to realism when Clare or Russ run into folks from earlier times.
    On the other hand I don't like all cameo no plot -- which seems to be more a failure of movies than novels. May I be among the first to say 15 months and counting....

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    1. Coralee, I agree with you - all cameo and no plot in movies or TV shows gets a bit much. You find yourself wondering "Why is that person there?" instead of, "Oh, yes, I know him!"

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  16. We-ell, if every author did it, the ones who do would no longer be special, right? And some authors prefer not to, and some readers are not as obsessed with characters as other.

    Can you tell I'm a Libra? All sides of every issue! In my own case, I enjoy seeing characters leave their "frames" and visit other casts, that can be fun, especially if it's a series I have followed closely. Because that's how life operates, right? Why shouldn't that happen in books, too? But we sometimes don't see or communicate with friends or family members for long stretches, sometimes.

    This is for Debs: I finally had the jalapeno pineapple margarita, and it was worth the wait! And it was large enough to last the entire meal starting with appetizers. But the best part of the evening was my "present": our middle daughter flew in from Portland as a surprise! The best ever.

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  17. I'm a fan of fan service. I love seeing characters from previous stories. But, of course, they need to fit into the current story and not just be window dressing. I love the excerpt, Julia, and I can't wait for the next Russ and Clare book.

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    1. Thank you, Kathy, and I agree - the characters we see again need to be there for a purpose.

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  18. It's nice to get reacquainted with old friends. Even if we don't "see" in every book just a brief snippet shows they are still part of the community.

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    1. Deana, I don't want to turn Millers Kill into Cabot Cove, where not just the victim and killer are never heard from again, but also several of the townspeople per episode!

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  19. Loved the excerpt Julia and can't wait to read this one! Yes,I like some reappearing characters in books, TV shows and movies. The other night I rewatched Midsomer Murders (Series 20,episode 2)"Death of the Small Coppers". I had looked it up 1st on Wiki's episode list and noticed they had planted 20 "easter eggs" in the show, that made brief references to previous shows! Try as I might, I only spotted about 5. Rewatched it another night and found just a few more. I found a list online to satisfy my curiosity, and some were very obscure. Pretty tricky, but fun!

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    1. Lynn, when it's done well, it's a fun treat for fans, but doesn't affect the enjoyment of anyone else reading or watching.

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    2. Julia, so true! When I'm reading or watching something good I get caught in the story- characters,plot,setting and I just enjoy!

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  20. Julia,

    Love the excerpt. Love the photo of Lynda Carter. I think it's genetics. When my grandmother became a grandmother at 42, she looked 20 years younger and people thought my cousin was her baby.

    Speaking of cameos, has anyone noticed Stan Lee's cameos in the Marvel movies?

    Diana

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    1. Diana, those are delightful, and we always look(ed) for Stan to appear as a bus driver, a passer-bye, or my favorite, a space man stuck on The Watcher's planet. Usually it's directors who do this; having the man who was the founder of the feast, as it were, was a lovely tip of the hat.

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  21. Well, any long-time fan of D E Stevenson (1892-1973), who wrote warm and wonderful mid-century middlebrow novels taking place in England and Scotland, knows that she was providing Fan Service (aka Easter Eggs) way ahead of the game. We are always thrilled to catch up with old friends in later books.

    And then, of course, there's Mr. Darcy taking an impromptu swim in his elegant shirt.

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    1. Susan - the ultimate in fan service! You're not going to see me complaining...

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  22. Julia, LOVE seeing Amado and Isabel! And I adore fan service, although I didn't know what it was called. Seeing characters from previous books pop up again in a series gives the reader such a sense of continuity and community. There are several writers of British romantic comedy that do a wonderful job of shifting the focus from one member of the cast to another across novels, which Jenn also did so well in her Happily Ever After books.

    As a writer, however, I find it can be tricky to shoehorn previous characters into a plot, and it also risks spoilers if a character who was once a person of interest becomes a cast regular.

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    1. Debs, a good point - writing mysteries, you don't want to give too much away to readers who might approach the books out of order.

      You have a smart set-up; since Duncan and Gemma investigate in different parts of England as well as in a metropolis of over 11 million people, it's not at all surprising they don't bump into the same people again!

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  23. Whatever it's called, I'm over the moon to know there's a new book coming. Thanks for the delightful glimpse. <3

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  24. Thanks for a little peak, Julia. I'm waiting patiently. I look for Kevin's house often😊

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  25. Oh, Julia, I have never commented before, but I am so impatient for your next novel that I'm saying thank you for even such meager crumbs. I don't watch most movies, do not get caught up in tv series, and usually don't even stick with most authors for all that long. You are definitely an exception, for me, so I most sincerely appreciate a little fan service!

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  26. I love the idea of recurring characters. Especially those with strong personalities; the ones readers remember from book to book. And, yes, Lynda Carter is not human. Looking forward to the book.

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