Word was getting completely unwieldy.
In the past I’ve written essays, reports, letters and manuals using Microsoft Word. I even used it to write my Master’s dissertation. I’ve always been happy with it. Then I started trying to write a book. I’ve never written anything this long before and it was soon getting out of hand.
My book on the Kungsleden is gathering pace and the word count is creeping up and although this is good, I was beginning to feel very chaotic; scrolling through reams of pages whenever I needed to add or check anything was not leading to a state of authorly tranquility. I knew I needed to find a solution before I went any further.
I asked the Google gods and found that there are generally two choices of software for authors out there. I’m sure there are more, but as I have no knowledge of writing books and so don’t really know what I need until I need it, I wanted to choose something mainstream and with good reviews.
Of the two software choices – Scrivener and yWriter5 – the first is pay and the second is free. I didn’t particularly want to pay for something until I knew what I really needed and fortunately the freebie yWriter5 seemed to have everything I wanted and I only found good reviews. So without further ado, I decided to give it a go.
It was really easy to install and just as easy to figure out how everything works. I’ve copy and pasted my book from Word and been able to set each chapter up in its own folder which can then be sub-divided into different scenes. The chapters are listed in a left-hand column and by clicking on a chapter I can bring up a list of scenes. I had briefly considered setting something like this up in Word but soon realised that as every chapter would be a separate document, this would probably be even more unwieldy to use than just one long document. With yWriter5 each chapter is always easily to hand.
Once I’ve clicked on a chapter, I then have options for adding planning notes, character profiles, locations, goals and a description of the chapter as well as the actual content. Clicking on different lists reveals exactly how many, and in which, chapters each character and location has been mentioned.
I’ve been using yWriter5 for a couple of weeks now and I’m finding it very intuitive and really user-friendly. As the work on my computer becomes more organised and less chaotic I feel as though the same is happening to my brain. I’m thinking more clearly, noticing errors and repetitions, knowing where more detail is needed, fixing omissions and generally starting to feel like a real writer.
From pictures I’ve seen of Scrivener, it looks to be a lot fancier and to have even more functions to play around with. As with yWriter5 I’ve only read good reviews of Scrivener and so would like to have a test run with it to see how the two compare. For now though, I’m very happy with yWriter5 and the way it’s working for me.
I’d bought a 3 day Stockholm Pass which had been really good value as it had covered the cost of my last three days sightseeing and my public transport. The SkyView gondolas are included in the Pass and wanting to well and truly get my money’s worth was another reason for squeezing this last activity into my itinerary.
From the ground to the top of the Globe, 130m above, the journey takes about 10 minutes. Overall, the experience lasts about 20 minutes.
The views over Stockholm were great. I don’t think Stockholm is the prettiest city I’ve seen from above, but it was still lovely to see.
And I loved the feeling the feeling of being on top of world. Sorry, I mean on top of the sun!
I shouldn’t have been surprised as it’s no secret.
Art in the stations began in the 1950s as a way of making culture accessible to all. Throughout the intervening decades more art has been added with the art from each decade encapsulating the hopes and fears of the time.
I didn’t get to visit many stations, but next time I’m in Stockhom I’m going to work out a route so I get to see as many as possible.
The 3 day Stockholm Pass I’d bought had a scenic boat tour included and so early(ish) on my last morning I was standing in line for the first trip of the day.
Having spent the last three days racing around trying to do as much as possible, I was quite tired and was looking forward to starting my last day chilling out on a boat for an hour or so.
It was another lovely morning and would have been nice to sit out on deck, but the only seating was inside. I suppose this is practical for most of the year, but it was a shame that it couldn’t be opened up on such a nice day.
The tour itself was worth doing despite the lack of fresh air and dodgy photos. The boat was comfortable and each seat came with a multi-lingual headset, so I was able to hear the commentary in English.
We saw lots, including some places I recognised – 
It was a good way to start the morning though and by the time the tour was over, I’d woken up enough to race around making the most of my last day.
How wonderful is this study? I want one just like it.
Paintings pictured different aspects of the culture and daily life. There were some great ones of the mine in Falun.
Dala horses are iconic images of this region. They have been made and sold since the 17th century. Even today the genuine articles are still hand-carved and hand-painted in the traditional colours.
The horses are decorated in a folk art style known as kurbits. This style was used on material, walls, crockery … just about everything that could be painted or printed really.
At the time of the tour there were almost as many female as male MPs, though this has dropped somewhat since September’s general election.
Leaving the modern building we headed downstairs to the older parts of the building. This was very different in style.
Everyone seemed in a jolly mood and the ice cream shops were doing a roaring trade.
St Gertrude’s is known as the German Church because of the number of Germans who lived in this area during the Middle Ages. As St Gertrude is patron saint to travellers and cats I decided I liked her.
Outside the church was a small cafe, shaded by trees. I sat for a while with a coffee. It was so peaceful and even the temperature felt quite pleasant.
Feeling rejuvenated, I headed back into the tourist melee that is Gamla Stan, for a last look around before heading back to the hostel to collect my backpack and catch the train to the Arctic. Surely it would be cooler up there?