How do you go about choosing the gender identity/ethnicity/sexuality of your characters?

I've been to finland twice .... once on a joint arctic exercise with the norgies when I saw very little except for snow and trees (and we got our arse handed us by the Finish army who were playing the red force), and once to photograph bears and great grey owls etc (more snow and trees)

My take away was

- its a pretty country, but very cold
- your soldiers are certifiably bonkers
- there are a lot of trees
- the women are mostly very good looking
- the alcohol is really strong, particularly when it comes in an unlabeled bottle
- you guys put ice in your cider .... weirdos

 

I did once start writing a military tale with the refighting of the winter war with modern weaponry ... Russia invades, the US president refuses to stand by his Nato commitments, The EU declines to get involved, and you wind up with an 'international brigade' situation with international volunteers going to fight for the Finns

The problem was I couldn't get past the issue that air power is much more of a factor these days than it was in the 40s and it was hard to write a realistic scenario where the Finnish armed forces plus international volunteers would be able to stop the Russians once the Russian air force was brought to bear.... at best it would drag out into a guerrilla war with the blue force striking and then disappearing back into the woods and I couldn't bring it to a convincing good guys win scenario

 

That aside theres probably room for a finnih detective story in the sort of Wallander , scandi fiction mould - but it would need a Finn to write it

 

Don't forget the first rule of Scandi fiction - set your first book is Australia (Jo Nesbo)

 

someone had to

 

you're not coming in here without a thai

 

This is a sea food restaurant - cest fini

 

lets hope no mods make them spanish into thin air