How to write a Homage
Sometimes we see authors or TV and film directors giving “shout outs” by someway imitating, using, or mentioning another work, author, or director that they really admire or respect. Really, a homage is like an enhanced shout out, and so there are all kinds of them in literature and on screen.
First, authors often create works paying homage to other authors or artists whose works greatly influenced their own. As mentioned, that can take many forms, but some of the most notable ways are…
- by remaking a work
- by incorporating some elements of the other author’s style or content
- by recreating or imitating a style
- by writing a work of the same genre or they could
- by focusing on some particular subject that the author wrote about
Now, remember the idea of the ‘shout out’—you’re making a tribute to someone or something. For instance, let’s say you’re a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movies. You might make your own horror movie as a homage to him and his work; or, you could even pay homage by filming your own version of one of his movies.
Likewise, you could also pay homage to anything that strongly influences you, inspires you, or has a significant place in your life. For example, an author may have great awe and fear for the sea, so yea writes a story about a group of men who are out at sea when a big storm hits, and they are never seen again—such a story could serve as homage to the sea and all its might.
When to use Homage
Homage is specifically for when we want to pay tribute to something, and we pay tribute when we want to…
- Show respect or admiration for an author or specific work
- Show a source of inspiration
- Try to follow in an author’s footsteps
- Try to reimagine or revamp an influential work
Basically, if you’re writing out of respect for something specific and you refer to it in one way or another, you’re paying homage with your words.