Pop culture references say who your character is and where in the world/universe/history he or she or it is. This is why such references are both extremely important and potentially condemning. So, tread lightly, my friends. However, they can be invaluable, if used correctly.

Lesson one: Where is he or she or it from? If you know that much, you've got half the battle, because that information will tell you something about what pop culture references to use. Not every single person in the world might read "Harry Potter", for instance, and there are loads who won't have seen it. But just knowing that, and where your character is from, will tell you just how much reference to the books or movies or maybe just video games should go in. If your guy off the street who works garbage detail sees a movie poster pass by on a bus, well maybe his kids want to see the movies and maybe they're too old for it. Or maybe his buddy is a fanatic who knows the scores of the last Slytherin/Gryffindor game in Book 2.

Yo, dog, how you do dat? Yes, it's a character jumping out at you. So, lesson two: dialog. How does your character speak? What dialog does he or she normally use? You don't have to actually make him or her speak in the current slang, but you do if you want to show others the pop references. Guy with garbage detail talks about "Harry Potter" with disdain, so he uses a lot of negative words. Or maybe he secretly likes it, and only wants his girlfriend to know. What slang do they use in London these days? I bet it's different from the South Side of Chicago, and different still from Fifth Avenue, New York City.

With those two steps, you can pretty easily slide in a bit or two about some pop culture reference. It's worth the effort.

Learn more about this author, Jess Howe.
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