Conspiracy Theories

Originally posted in October:

      I'm sorry. Water faucet? Hanging in the sky? Somethings wrong with this picture. 

      Okay, I don't know if you're all like me or not, but I ended up getting in a conversation about "conspiracy theories" the other day. I love a good conspiracy as long as it has nothing to do with me, really. But, before I go off spouting unintelligable crazies, maybe I should also mention that I label things as conspiracy theories far too easily.

      Easter eggs in games, shows, movies, or books? Automatically titled a conspiracy theory by me. And that brings me to what I want to talk about. What conspiracy theories do we have in our writing?

      Before you get annoyed with me, you can call your conspiracy whatever you want. Easter egg, hidden trapdoor, evil squirrel, pancakes. . . I'm calling it a conspiracy theory, so just fill in the blank there if you dont' like the term.

      Ahem.  Now where was I? Oh, right.  I've been reading The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan the past few days and while I was washing dishes yesterday, I started thinking about the Sammy conspiracy theory. Many of you probably don't know what in the Not-So-Well-Known-Kingdom I'm talking about, so I'd best elaborate. In the conspiracy, Character L looks like Sammy from Character H's past. This throws in some tension. Character L and Character H just met and have no idea what to think of one another. Me? I kick back and start to wonder how this worked out. 

      OH. Of course. Character L is Sammy and doesn't know it. HE HAD HIS MEMORY ERASED.

      Coughs. Highly theoretical. I usually stink when it comes to answers to these conspiracies and I'll wake up in the middle of the night freaking out over something entirely insane that struck me. All I'm trying to get at is what conspiracies do we have in our writing?

      If the Sammy example doesn't do it for you, let me pull out the Observers from Fringe. In every episode, one at least appears in cameo. It's so much fun to watch the crowds and try to figure out where he's at. Like Where's Waldo on TV, or something.

      What crazy things can you put in your book? Keep the readers asking questions!

-Silence