How to deal with moving pieces when writing novels

How do you deal with all the moving pieces when you write a novel?

Dave asked me this, on his podcast. To hear my answer, tune in to episode 458 of  Living the Next Chapter. I share my thoughts on this from 21:30-23:05

Direct link to the podcast session:

https://pod.link/1607392975/episode/7d35acf28ff2b47132a258f6025c5d50

You can also read a summary of my answer here.

I think every author does it differently. I heard about Margaret Atwood. She created a large Excel spreadsheet spanning multiple years. What is happening in the characters’ lives, what is happening in the world, and then she puts it out on a timeline.

I don’t start with a structure, I just get the story out of my head. But then after a while, I write a timeline in Excel. Sometimes I am specific about what year it is, and where the events take place – like in Love, Guilt, and Motorcycles. Other times I am more vague. Like in my story about Rabbitface. I am not saying where it takes place or what year it is. It's somewhere in Oregon, and it’s contemporary. But even if I didn’t write the exact months and places, I still needed to know for myself. How old are they now? Where are they?

So I did start using an Excel sheet to keep track of, like you said, the moving pieces. A story doesn’t have to have a lot of moving pieces of course. There are great novels where the story plays out in a single day.

So it all depends on what you write. It is important to acknowledge that some stories have many moving pieces instead of assuming they should be simple. Instead, let it be as complex as it is and deal with that complication one way or another.

About the Rabbitface series 

What would happen if you took the themes of Dirty Dancing, Wonder,
and Antonia's Line all set against the backdrop of competitive figure skating?

You get Rabbitface: a contemporary romantic drama in 4 parts. 

This is a story about love that defies expectations, the ripple effects of family legacies, and the courage to embrace who you truly are—inside and out.

Heartfelt, multi-layered, and deeply moving, it’s a tale that will touch your heart and stay with you.

The books are available on Amazon.

Why Oregon? The way to the Rabbitface series

You’re a Swedish author who penned a tale set in Oregon. Why Oregon?

To hear my answer to Dave’s question, tune in to episode 458 of the podcast Living the Next Chapter. I describe why Rabbitface takes place in Oregon from 23:10-32:00

Direct link to the podcast session:

https://pod.link/1607392975/episode/7d35acf28ff2b47132a258f6025c5d50

You can also read a summary of my answer here

It all circles back to Tonya Harding. The protagonist in my book, Rabbitface, is a figure skater, much like Harding. Her background is far from affluent, making her skating journey quite unexpected. And since Tonya Harding hailed from Oregon, it made sense to me. Additionally, I researched Oregon's climate and found it similar to Sweden’s, making it easier for me to describe.

I have a friend from Oregon. She sends me photos and answers my questions, which serve as my research input. The story itself couldn’t unfold in Sweden because the stark contrasts between the haves and have-nots are more pronounced in the US. People living in trailer parks versus those with plenty—these differences are not as significant in Sweden. Another critical aspect is the lack of access to healthcare without insurance, which greatly impacts one character's life—a situation uncommon in Sweden.

So, I needed a setting where these elements would make sense. Tonya Harding provided a starting point: Where did she come from? Oregon. Consequently, I researched Oregon and consulted my friend. I also watched movies set in Oregon for inspiration. That way, I discovered its beautiful hot springs—now a key element in one of the books.

Oregon seems like a place where a Swede could feel at home, even though everything is bigger in Oregon, like the trees and lakes.

So I chose Oregon since it’s beautiful and fitting for the narrative.

While those interested in figure skating will find Rabbitface – a love story on ice - particularly engaging, it has wider appeal. The first book follows characters in high school. One of my friends in her 60s enjoyed it despite initially thinking it wasn’t for her age group. There’s no upper age limit; anyone high school age or older may relate to it.

The series delves into life’s shadows and light, exploring how we find ourselves and each other amid adversities. Love stories are central but intertwined with deeper questions about life, death, love, hate, and friendship—themes that naturally weave into my narratives.

Figure skating fascinates me despite not being a skater myself; I danced when I was younger and always admired the beauty and athleticism of skaters. They often receive less attention than other athletes, like footballers, but deserve recognition for their grace and skill.

The idea for Rabbitface emerged while waiting at a hospital during one of my pregnancies. A leaflet about the handicap of being ugly caught my eye—it seemed absurd at first until I realised how societal beauty standards could impact lives profoundly.

In Rabbitface, the protagonist has an injury from childhood affecting her appearance. On the ice, her socioeconomic status or perceived ugliness doesn’t matter—she finds solace and strength there. Her journey reflects defiance against unfair judgments and evolving beyond hiding or fighting against societal norms.

Ultimately, the worst judgment often comes from within ourselves—a theme deeply explored throughout the series as characters seek self-acceptance amidst external prejudices.

About the Rabbitface series 

What would happen if you took the themes of Dirty Dancing, Wonder,
and Antonia's Line all set against the backdrop of competitive figure skating?

You get Rabbitface: a contemporary romantic drama in 4 parts. 

This is a story about love that defies expectations, the ripple effects of family legacies, and the courage to embrace who you truly are—inside and out.

Heartfelt, multi-layered, and deeply moving, it’s a tale that will touch your heart and stay with you.

The books are available on Amazon.

About writing and getting published

 How do you go about writing books and getting them published?

To hear my answer to Dave’s question, tune in to episode 458 of the podcast Living the Next Chapter. I share my thoughts on this from 9:55-10:50 and 12:40-15:10.

Direct link to the podcast session.

You can also read a summary of my answer below.

As I said earlier, the stories just came to me. I wrote them down to clear my mind. It never occurred to me that authorship was something I would pursue; it seemed like something other people did. I am an engineer, having worked in corporations, so writing was merely a side activity for a long time.

Especially since I started long ago, before I even owned a computer, writing by hand took forever. So, I didn't do much of it. Then we had a typewriter, but it was clunky and hopeless. It wasn't until computers became easily accessible that I truly began writing. By then, I had accumulated many unwritten stories in my head.

Writing is one thing; getting published is another. Back in the early 2000s indie writing or self-publishing wasn't as common as it is today.

Like many others, I contacted publishers and faced rejection. I feared they might send horrible letters saying my work was awful, but they didn't. At least not the ones in Sweden, and probably not in other countries either. What you get is a professional, standard response—back then it was paper letters—saying thank you but no thank you, it doesn't fit their portfolio.

So at least one fear—receiving super negative feedback—was unfounded in my experience. After several rejections, I put it down for a while. I thought I'd just print it out at home and give copies to a few friends.

Then one morning, I woke up and decided, no, that's not fair to the people in my book. When I talk about my characters as people, my editor wonders if I know the difference. Well, they feel like people to me, but I know they're characters. And I felt like I owe it to myself, and to the people in my first book, to let more people get to know them. So I decided to give it another go.

Depending on how much you believe in serendipity and destiny, I was just reading the local paper where my parents live. There was a piece about a fairly new publisher. They had only released one or two books so far and were looking for books that were different, aimed at youth, and hopeful. So I contacted them and they became the ones.

So then came my first book. It was a long, long road. It's been a lot easier since then. But sometimes it can be a really long road, which I guess some of those listening might understand. Maybe they are on that road, maybe they are on their way, maybe they have come all the way. Sometimes it can be long, even though sometimes it can be short.

Either way - I hope you enjoy the journey if you're on it. 

How can we tap into our gifts?

How do we tap into our gifts? What steps can we take to uncover them and make them more apparent?

To hear my answer to Dave’s question, tune in to episode 458 of the podcast Living the Next Chapter.

I share my thoughts on this from 6:55-9:55.

Direct link to the podcast session:

https://pod.link/1607392975/episode/7d35acf28ff2b47132a258f6025c5d50

You can also read a summary of my answer below. 

Dave: You possess a gift, and it almost seems as though everyone has this gift, but in truth, not everyone does. They look at you and think, there's something special about you, and you're left wondering, I thought this was a normal thing everyone has. The key is that we could all benefit from recognising those gifts that seem common to us but are extraordinary to others. Someone listening to this may have never taken the time to identify their gifts and understand what they possess. So how do we tap into our gifts? What steps can we take to uncover them and make them more apparent?

Annika: It's easy to assume everyone is the same, which leads us to downplay our own talents. Sometimes it helps to ask others because we might not see it ourselves. Questions like, what do you think I do that seems special? can be enlightening. In addition to writing, I also coach people, particularly leaders. One exercise I do with them involves reflecting on what you excelled at as a child, what you loved doing, what you achieved with ease, and any awards you won.

Another intriguing question is, what do you never stop doing? Life can be challenging and overwhelming at times, but if something is truly important to you, it will keep resurfacing. For me, stories always come back; I can't imagine a time when they won't. When we consider musicians, for example, they likely don't stop creating music regardless of whether they publish it or not. Similarly, people who love crafts or excel at being great friends continue their pursuits despite life's challenges.

So ask yourself these questions: What do I never stop doing? What makes me uniquely me regardless of life's circumstances? It's worth figuring out by asking both yourself and those around you what it is that you do differently or unusually well. You might be surprised by their responses.

Dave: I recently had a conversation where we discussed what people in your life—friends and family—say about you. You might realise things about yourself that seem natural but are actually noteworthy to others. Listening to such feedback can be incredibly valuable on your journey, especially as an author.

What ignited the spark for writing?

What was that initial moment when you thought, “Being an author is something I want to pursue?” Who or what ignited that spark within you?

To hear my answer to Dave’s question, tune in to episode 458 of the podcast Living the Next Chapter.

I share my thoughts on this from 4:35 to 6:55.

You can also read a summary of my answer here.

What was that initial moment when you thought, “Being an author is something I want to pursue?” Who or what ignited that spark within you?

Interestingly, it wasn't the idea of being an author that sparked my journey; it was the stories themselves. They came to me and they continue to do so.

When George Michael created that iconic saxophone solo in Careless Whisper, he mentioned it just came to him as he boarded a bus. I wondered how such brilliance could simply appear. But then I realised that's how stories come to me. For others, inspiration for inventions or art might just appear.

 

My stories have always been with me, even from childhood, though it felt like mere play back then. I would act out all the parts in my own tales.

As I grew older, this evolved into daydreaming, though it still didn't seem serious enough. For those considering becoming authors, it's worth noting that it might not feel like a real job at first—just making things up. For a long time, I viewed it as such and thought I should focus on more real activities.

The stories kept coming, but they only became complete when I started writing them down. They didn't arrive as full narratives but rather as scenes or characters in various situations. To bring them to life fully, I needed to put pen to paper.

So to answer your question, what ignited the spark for me, was the stories themselves.

Facing Fear: Insights from The War of Art

Is fear holding you back?

Is there something deep within you that you yearn to do, yet fear holds you back? Perhaps it's a dream you've tucked away, a change you long to make, or a new direction that feels just out of reach.

In The War of Art, Stephen Pressfield explores fear as a reflection of the resistance we face when striving to follow our hearts.

When I left a secure and interesting corporate career to pursue my own business and write books, I was consumed by many of the fears Pressfield describes—fear of failure, fear of letting others down, and even fear of success.

In this video, I’ll read the chapter on Fear from The War of Art.

 My hope is that you’ll find courage in his words and a renewed perspective on the fears that may be keeping you from taking your next step, whatever that might be.

PS. If you would like my help to dare to take that next step, email info@annikarosendahl.com, and I will come back to you.

Bruttolönen – en dimridå som skymmer vår ekonomiska verklighet

När vi diskuterar löner, hamnar alltid bruttolönen i centrum. Det är bruttolönen som anges i lönestatistik och det är den vi förhandlar om vid lönesamtal. När vi pratar om vad vi tjänar är det bruttolönen vi anger.

Egentligen är det lite märkligt då bruttolönen varken är det vi får i plånboken eller det arbetsgivaren betalar.

Genom att flytta fokus till nettolönen och den totala kostnaden för arbetsgivaren får vi en klarare bild av hur vi bidrar till samhället, hur vår privatekonomi ser ut och vad våra arbetsgivare egentligen betalar.

I det här inlägget lyfter jag dimridån en bit för att öka förståelsen och därmed möjligheten att påverka den egna ekonomin och Sveriges skattesystem.

 

Bruttolönen är en förpackning för det du får i plånboken

När min yngste son fick sin lönespecifikation efter sommarjobbet tittade han besviket på raden som visade hur mycket som hade satts in på hans konto. Han visste att bruttolön och nettolön inte var samma sak, ändå blev det en kalldusch när han såg svart på vitt hur mycket mindre han fick än den timlön han hade jobbat för.

Bruttolönen är som en förpackning. Den innehåller nettolönen - det vi får i plånboken - men är större och flashigare och det är inte förrän vi öppnar paketet och läser lönespecen som vi säkert vet vad som finns inuti.

 
Tänk dig två bröder: Östen bor i Österåker och Dexter bor i Degerfors. De tjänar båda den bruttolön som var medianlönen i Sverige 2023: 35 600 kronor per månad.

Eftersom Österåker har lägst kommunalskatt i Sverige (28,98 %) och Degerfors har högst (35,3%) tjänar Östen på ett år ungefär 18 000 kronor mer än Dexter och unnar sig och sin familj långväga semesterresor varje år, medan Dexter och hans familj stannar hemma i Degerfors.

 
Bröderna har alltså samma bruttolön men olika ekonomiska verkligheter eftersom det finns faktorer utöver bruttolönen som påverkar nettolönen, såsom var vi bor, hur gamla vi är, med mera.

Slutsatsen?

Vid löneförhandlingar kan det vara lämpligt att titta på statistik för bruttolön för att säkerställa att du får en skälig lön, men för att förstå och påverka din privatekonomi, fokusera på nettolönen istället för den fina förpackning som bruttolönen är.

Din arbetsgivare betalar betydligt mer än din bruttolön

Om vi som löntagare får en kalldusch om vi fokuserar på bruttolönen, kan nyblivna småföretagare få en kalldusch när de ser att de behöver betala betydligt mer än bruttolönen för att ge sina anställda lön. Om bruttolönen är en förpackning, så är det ur arbetsgivarsynpunkt bara ett av flera paket.

För att Dexter ska få sin nettolön på 27 185 kronor per månad behöver hans arbetsgivare utöver bruttolönen på 35 600 betala en arbetsgivaravgift på 31,42% av bruttolönen. Tillsammans blir detta 46 786 kronor varje månad. Av det arbetsgivaren betalar går med andra ord 58% till Dexter, medan resten går till kommunen, regionen och staten.

Skatten till kommunen och regionen finansierar skolor, sjukvård, infrastruktur med mera medan arbetsgivaravgiften finansierar det sociala trygghetssystemet. Jag tror att många med mig vill bidra till allt detta, speciellt eftersom de flesta av oss någon gång drar nytta av det vi tillsammans betalar för, till exempel sjukvård och skola.

Arbetsgivaravgiften inkluderar dock även en ”allmän löneavgift”. Denna infördes 1995 för att finansiera Sveriges EU medlemskap och har ökat från dåvarande 1,5 % till 11,62%(!) och har enligt Skatteverket under senare år använts i ”allmänt budgetförstärkande syfte”. Dexters bidrag till detta blir knappt 50 000 kronor per år.

Erik Bengtzboe skrev i en artikel på Skattebetalarnas hemsida att den allmänna löneavgiften är en dold skatt på arbete. Jag håller med, den ligger dold bakom mer än en dimridå.

Idag är det endast ett fåtal arbetsgivare som synliggör arbetsgivaragiften på lönespecifikationen och ännu färre lönetagare som känner till att det ingår en allmän löneavgift i den. Om fler vore medvetna om detta, skulle vi tillsammans bättre förstå hur mycket vi bidrar till kommun, region, sociala avgifter och “allmän budgetförstärkning”.

Slutsats

För att lyfta dimridån kring bruttolönen och skapa en mer verklighetsnära bild av vår privatekonomi, arbetsgivares kostnader och skattesystemet, kan vi alla bidra genom att:

1. Fokusera på nettolönen – Förstå hur den påverkas av faktorer som kommunalskatt och ålder, och hur den bidrar till din privata ekonomi.
2. Synliggöra arbetsgivaravgiften – Föreslå att denna inkluderas på lönespecifikationen, så att alla löntagare får insikt i hur mycket de bidrar och hur mycket arbetsgivaren betalar.
3. Vara medvetna om att vi och våra arbetsgivare inte enbart bidrar till kommun, region och det sociala trygghetssystemet, utan även till den ”allmänt budgetförstärkande allmänna löneavgiften”.

Jag hoppas att det här inlägget har lyft dimridån något så att du har den kunskap du behöver för att påverka din privata ekonomi och bidra till en mer transparent och begriplig debatt om arbetsgivares förutsättningar och vårt skattesystem.

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Siffrorna och definitionerna i den här artikeln kommer från Skatteverket och SCB och beräkningarna gjordes i skatteuträkningsverktyget på ekonomifakta.se under december 2024.