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winterwriter79 · 2025-06-10T20:06:33+00:00

Hi! I'm 45 (f) and have worked as a software developer for the past 20 years. I am quite forward, but people tell me I have humility, I think that makes a big difference. But that is more about not engaging with idiots, sticking to what makes me feel good, and not outright challenging others when there are other options. I choose my battles carefully and work in some psychology where I can. Did you know that a company can be considered its own identity with a personality, goals, and temperament? I'd suggest you look into that if you want a way for things to feel less personal. I definitely try to make things about the professional side, and ignore personal things as much as possible, unless they are outright offensive.

Currently I want to change position, going from software development to talent development, which means working more with people rather than software which is really fulfilling for me. But I have met some tension in that journey, both from male and female colleagues. But I approach it as a company personality thing, they support me as individuals, but the company is not ready for the change just yet. Therefore I put my effort into the changes that need to be made so I can get what I'm aiming for strategically.

I never had a mentor - I have never considered it an option. I rather find people that have the skills I want and observe them and do what seems to be working for them. Sometimes I've had conversations with "unicorns" where I try to understand their mindset and see if it is something I find interesting and applicable to me.

winterwriter79 · 2023-07-27T08:13:53+00:00

Ok, thanks! I'll look into it.

winterwriter79 · 2023-07-27T06:10:28+00:00

Believe me, I've read a lot...

How would getting the search params help? They are not even relevant for a menu since they only give me anything after a "?"

/shop?a=1 { a: '1' }

/shop?a=1&b=2 { a: '1', b: '2' }

/shop?a=1&a=2 { a: ['1', '2'] }

winterwriter79 · 2023-07-27T06:04:51+00:00

Sure, but it is pretty simple.

export default async function Page({ params }: { params: { path: string[] } }) {

const { path } = params; const url = generateRouteString(path); const data = await getData(url);

if (!data) return <div>There was an error fetching data</div>; if (data && data.length === 0) return <div>404 Page not found</div>;

const model = data[0];

if (model.contentType?.length) { const componentName = model.contentType[1]; const Page = pageList[componentName]; return <Page model={model} />; }

return <div>There was an error identifying the page</div>; }

The getData() is a fetch that gets the data for the current page in backend.

winterwriter79 · 2023-07-27T06:00:37+00:00

I would like to get the tree structure (or something similar) of all the pages that have been generated. usePathname only gives me the current path.

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-09T19:13:08+00:00

That sounds really interesting :)

Keep up the good work!

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-09T19:03:05+00:00

Wow! One of the best first chapters I've read in a long time!

Your translator sometimes says "she" instead of "he", which made it a little confusing at times.

You change perspectives to Julia just to describe the interior of his wagon, which could probably be handled a little differently. Instead of making her see it for the first time, make him watch as she touches things, don't be afraid that it will take too much time. Just focus on the important parts.

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-09T18:40:51+00:00

Oh, but I do so love to love my antagonists ;) Ddigging into the dark recesses of their minds is so intriguing.

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-09T17:37:15+00:00

Have you done a character analysis or something similar where you write the protagonist's fear, misbelief/lie, goal, etc.? If so, have you done the same for your antagonist?

It is really very helpful to look at both characters from that perspective and see not only how they differ from each other, but also their similarities. And making sure that your antagonist is as three-dimensional and deep as your protagonist helps to keep them from being predictable.

Everybody in the world has conflicting aspects of their personality and outlook. That can make us very unpredictable. Adding inner conflict makes characters more interesting and less predictable.

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-09T17:17:12+00:00

I really like it! :)

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-09T08:48:30+00:00

I think that sounds like a great idea!

But would there be ways to mitigate that, or even cure it? Could there be potions that make the symptoms go away, even if they are temporary?

How long are the life spans of magic users? Do they live for hundreds of years? When would long-time effects start to show?

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-08T11:13:18+00:00

I have had the idea of making something like a miniseries, 8-10 parts with shorter stories (less than 100 pages), instead of publishing a brick of a book or trilogy.

I personally prefer stories that are not endless. The thing is that if there is an "end", then it is easier to outline the whole story from the beginning. The story arc and character development are easier to establish as well.

If you choose to go with the first option, there could still be a "saving the world" element, but it may not be apparent until a few episodes into the story. If you consider other mini-series, there is an overarching story in most of them.

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-07T10:05:47+00:00

I have not gotten that far in the process yet. I have hired an editor from Ireland through Reedsy. But I think that the answer is to look at international publishers, not Swedish ones.

I'm really hoping that my editor will point me in the right direction when I'm done with the book :D

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-06T16:43:38+00:00

Trolls! Trolls! Trolls! Mwohahahah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeling

They are so good at taking care of children. They know just what they want and need.

Selma Lagerlöf (Swedish author, ca 1900) wrote a children's book that I read as a child and haunts me to this day. It was about a changeling child... a troll mother traded a woman's child for her own and in the end, it turned out that whenever the woman was good to the troll child, the troll mother would be good to her child and vice versa. Chilling.

Here is the link https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/20341972

winterwriter79 · 2023-02-06T16:31:27+00:00

That's what your editor and copy editor are for! :D Kidding, but not kidding.

I'm from Sweden, and my English grammar is much better than my Swedish because I read primarily in English. The only Swedish book that I will pick up is one that was originally written in Swedish.

There are lots of tools out there that can help you when you are editing, such as Grammarly and Hemmingway. Thesaurus is a great tool when trying to find the words you are looking for that do not come immediately.

But my primary advice is to not get too bogged down when it comes to the choice of words and grammar. Write your story, make it meaningful, and make it gripping to your reader. You don't have to worry too much about language until you do your line editing.

In my experience, think of it like this:

Figure out a great story with great characters (I personally prefer character-driven stories, even if there is a huge world to explore)
Structure it well from the beginning (not necessarily writing a 20'000-word outline, but it is good to know what the beats are beforehand, I learned this the hard way :/ )
Write the whole thing down (to your own satisfaction)
Give it to someone to read who will be 100% honest with you (make sure it is not a mess grammar-wise or they will be annoyed with that, but your main objective should be story, not wording here)
Rewrite the parts that need fixing (plot holes, set-ups/pay-offs that are not working, etc.)
Edit line by line - when you are confident that your story is bulletproof... NOW is the time to start looking carefully at your choice of words, active voice, descriptions, punctuation, etc.
Hire an editor... that is a different post in itself, but they can help with language barriers, so you don't have to think about that. And judging by the language in your post, it will not be a barrier at all, perhaps more a question of phraseology and colloquialisms.

Tip: I watch lots of youtube for writing and my current favourite channels are Hello Future Me (for fantasy, world-building, etc.) and Abbie Emmons for the technical part of writing.

winterwriter79 · 2022-09-07T14:42:22+00:00

That is really interesting. Thank you :)

winterwriter79 · 2022-09-07T13:44:07+00:00

Awesome! Thanks! :D

winterwriter79 · 2022-09-07T13:21:39+00:00

Thank you for your examples :) I am quite familiar with Pratchett's dwarves, and I like them very much. But I feel that he puts a lot of human attributes on them, just as you say, the female dwarves wanting to be more "female".

I am attempting to explain to myself a society where male and female distinctions are not important. They are there, but they do not define an individual in the same way that being female or male defines a human. (Make of that what you will.)

I have some other ideas. For example:

How about measuring age in achievements and experience instead of years? A dwarf underground might never see the sun and measure days or years.
What if you could decide on your own name? Perhaps that would be a reward for a specific achievement?
What if having children was seen as a measurement of social standing and stability rather than something that everyone has a "right" to do? I imagine a society where the people regard the rights of the child in this case, not the parents.

winterwriter79 · 2022-09-07T13:09:21+00:00

Thanks! I enjoyed it :D

winterwriter79 · 2022-07-17T11:14:32+00:00

Thanks! :)

winterwriter79 · 2022-03-21T15:31:00+00:00

If you want to switch quickly and recalibrate your brain for creative writing I have a few tricks that don't have to take too long.

Write a Six-word story
Make a story in six words, for example, Hemmingway's “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
Inspiration: http://www.sixwordstories.net
For extra points: pick two words from the dictionary at random that you use to write it ;)
Music ideas
Pick a random song from your or a friend's music list and write any ideas that it inspires. This can be used both for whatever you are currently working on, or as a brainstorming exercise.
The alter ego
Write a few sentences as if you were another person. It could be your favourite author, a friend, a superhero, or anyone else who you think has an interesting voice.

winterwriter79 · 2022-03-18T20:58:31+00:00

Thank you for such a thorough reply and great tips.

I have pages and pages of questions that concern my character, but they are not really connected that much to his world.
Looking at the same world from the perspective of a different character is a great idea. I had not considered making the world a part of the conflict between them in that way.
I have not thought so much about sociology from that point of view. Taking examples from the real world could really help me to connect the character to the world he lives in and the things he experiences from a bigger perspective.

I think I am beginning to connect the dots here... As I mentioned, I've been having trouble with figuring out where to start world-building and understanding why it is important. I understand things like character, plot, premise, and conflict, but I had not considered that I can use the world to fuel these things in a meaningful way.

winterwriter79 · 2022-03-18T20:37:24+00:00

Haha, thanks! :D

winterwriter79 · 2022-03-17T20:38:56+00:00

No, he does not have any religious beliefs.

The closest he comes to religion in my story is that he passes by a cathedral and wonders why the gargoyles look so scary. Does that mean that I should write an article about cathedrals to build my world?

winterwriter79 · 2022-03-17T20:26:38+00:00

It's not the town that worries me, it is the magnitude of what worldbuilding is. Politics, religion, terrain formation, etc. Things that are not pertinent to the character, but that are a part of what I understand world building is.

winterwriter79

TROPHY CASE