Hi Finnish People,
I'm currently writing a novel about two young women traveling from Germany to Finland in a bus to bring a young part Finnish, part German girl back to her Grandfather who she doesn't remember as she left Finland with her mother when she was two. I have been to Finland when I was thirteen and I absolutely fell in in love with the country.
Now I don't want to step on anyone's foot painting this Finnish grandfather in my mind so I want to check on a couple of things. Maybe some of you could answer some of my questions. Thanks!
1. Names: I need names for the grandmother (but she's dead already), the grandfather and the father (he died as well).
I was thinking about Jonne for the father, Paavo for the grandfather and Lennja for the grandmother. Would that make sense?
I also need a surname for all of them. Any suggestions?
2. I'm setting the grandfather's place in Pankakoski near Joensuu. That's where I went myself but has one of you maybe been there or even lives in the area? I would love to hear if it still looks like back when I was there.
3. So the plan is they travel through Sweden first because that's what the mother did when she met the girl's father. They cross the border at Haparanda, does anyone live there and can you give me some insights there?
4. Where should they go on their journey from there to Pankakoski? Any favorite cities or sights?
5. I planned a scenes where the grandfather teaches the little girl a bit about Finnish culture. I'm thinking about fairy tales, songs, customs... ideas?
So that's it for now, I would really appreciate it if you took the time and answered maybe one or two of my questions!
I'm writing a novel, help me! :)
Re: I'm writing a novel, help me! :)
Hi,
I can give you my little insight on some points, including my girlfriend's comments:
1. Jonne is a name more commonly used from the 80s onwards, and not too traditional. Paavo seems like a good name for the grandfather. Lennja is not a Finnish name but of Russian origin, and would only make sense if the grandmother is of Russian descent, which would be possible in that area.
3. The journey seems rather complicated, and unless you have specific reasons the grandmother would not have followed that way. She would have taken the ship form Germany to southern Finland and then gone on by train/bus. She could also have gone to Stockholm and taken a ship via the Åland Islands, but that's less likely. Going that far North in Sweden, crossing the border and then making the way down South again and cross the whole country would have taken a lot of time, planning and money.
5. Finns are in general not big in teaching culture. They rather integrate you in the culture and show you things, but they are not very talkative about it (or anything in general). You have to live Finnish culture, you cannot 'learn' it. The grandfather might have taken the girl to the sauna, or into the forest, or showed her things while working around the house and outside.
In general I would advice you to take the journey you are planning to tell yourself in real life. Without any knowledge of how the journey and the areas you describe are to you, as an adult, it will not be very authentic and so lose quite some quality.
cheers, all the best
I can give you my little insight on some points, including my girlfriend's comments:
1. Jonne is a name more commonly used from the 80s onwards, and not too traditional. Paavo seems like a good name for the grandfather. Lennja is not a Finnish name but of Russian origin, and would only make sense if the grandmother is of Russian descent, which would be possible in that area.
3. The journey seems rather complicated, and unless you have specific reasons the grandmother would not have followed that way. She would have taken the ship form Germany to southern Finland and then gone on by train/bus. She could also have gone to Stockholm and taken a ship via the Åland Islands, but that's less likely. Going that far North in Sweden, crossing the border and then making the way down South again and cross the whole country would have taken a lot of time, planning and money.
5. Finns are in general not big in teaching culture. They rather integrate you in the culture and show you things, but they are not very talkative about it (or anything in general). You have to live Finnish culture, you cannot 'learn' it. The grandfather might have taken the girl to the sauna, or into the forest, or showed her things while working around the house and outside.
In general I would advice you to take the journey you are planning to tell yourself in real life. Without any knowledge of how the journey and the areas you describe are to you, as an adult, it will not be very authentic and so lose quite some quality.
cheers, all the best
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Pursuivant
- Posts: 15089
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:51 am
- Location: Bath & Wells
Re: I'm writing a novel, help me! :)
Leena or Lyyli or even Lyydia, but when exactly (years) would all this have happened? And which Germany? DDR would easily be explained with studies etc. in the 70-80's
"By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes."
Something wicked this way comes."
Re: I'm writing a novel, help me! :)
Update: The grandparents of the girl were born in the 50s, parents in the 80s, the story takes place in present day.
The mother of the girl traveled to Finland with friends in her 20s (so around 2000) as an adventure trip, that's why they took the long and complicated route. She met her husband there, they had a daughter but the father died soon after the birth and the mother took her daughter back to Germany.
I will hopefully travel to Finland again before I'll have it published. For now I just don't have the time or the money so that has to wait.
I still want to write the story now as the Finland part is just a fraction of what it is about. And right now I want to focus on the other topics. But I want to make sure I'm not completely on the wrong track with my faint memories of Finland, so that's why I'm asking for your help. Thanks for your replies!
The mother of the girl traveled to Finland with friends in her 20s (so around 2000) as an adventure trip, that's why they took the long and complicated route. She met her husband there, they had a daughter but the father died soon after the birth and the mother took her daughter back to Germany.
I will hopefully travel to Finland again before I'll have it published. For now I just don't have the time or the money so that has to wait.
I still want to write the story now as the Finland part is just a fraction of what it is about. And right now I want to focus on the other topics. But I want to make sure I'm not completely on the wrong track with my faint memories of Finland, so that's why I'm asking for your help. Thanks for your replies!
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Flossy1978
- Posts: 1395
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:38 pm
Re: I'm writing a novel, help me! :)
If we help, do we get royalties from however many copies of the book you will sell, if it sells?
Because you are basically asking us to do the research for your novel. We should get something for it
Because you are basically asking us to do the research for your novel. We should get something for it