June 17, 2012

Simplicity by Valia Lind -- Guest Post and giveaway!




Writing Steps: What Worked for Me and What Didn’t.

Simplicity is probably the strangest book I have ever written. True, it was my first one so I had no idea what I was doing, but still. As I look back at my writing process, I feel like burying my head in the sand, hiding in shame. Seriously, it was a mess. I was a mess. I was still in the process of discovering what worked for me and what didn’t and what I discovered is that I’m not an outliner. I think this was the biggest revelation for me.

I started Simplicity with the whole idea in my head. I knew the beginning, middle, and end. So I decided to tackle my writing the same way I tackled college papers. I wrote the beginning, middle, and end. Guess what I discovered? I’m horrible at following patterns when it comes to my own writing. Simplicity took me over two years to write, hiding in the bathroom of my dorm room in the middle of the night. Now, that I know my writing a little better, I know that I could’ve saved myself a lot of time if I only didn’t fight with my own writing.

Yes, I fought with my characters, I fought with my scenes, I fought with my timing. I fought with everything. It’s quite sad actually. Alexis was such a real character in my mind, I felt discouraged that I couldn’t put to paper how I saw her. Her struggles, her whole journey is something so personal that I felt like she could be an encouragement to readers everywhere. Top things I learned about my writing:

  1. No outlining.
  2. Write out of order. Whatever scene comes to mind, write it.
  3. Take breaks when needed. Don’t push yourself.
  4. Talk it out. Dialogues are important, make them sound real.
  5. Edit. Take a step away from your manuscript, for as long as you need to, then edit again.

Granted, the last step, especially, is not something you can do if you’re on a tight deadline. However, practice makes better and the more you write the better you get. It doesn’t take me as long to edit now as it used to, yet, I still give myself a break. This book taught me how to see my own writing as something other then a necessity (like college work) and write for the love of it for once. Now, I write for the love of it all the time. Despite everything, I loved every part of Simplicity and my characters journey.

I hope you enjoy Alexis and Jake’s journey as much as I loved writing it. This book has taught me so much as a writer and a person. Thanks so much for stopping by!


About Simplicity...


Driven, beautiful Alexis Sinclair lives her life to the fullest, following her dreams of running a big company. But when her world is torn apart by a storm, everything she has ever known disappears. Now, marooned on an island with a group of men, Alexis must learn to live in a world made up of simple things. Letting go of every known convenience, she realizes how insignificant her life has become. Filled with unrequited love for her rescuer she must battle the demons buried deep inside and she must look within herself and to her faith to find the strength needed to survive.

Strong and influential, Jacob Peterson, has done all he can to survive. When the fate turned its tables on him, he learned to cope with the inevitable. Plagued by his past and secrets buried there, Jacob exerts a rigid control, refusing to succumb to the joys, and torturous pain, of strong emotions. Without considering love a gift he may never receive, he believes--he chooses to live by strict set of rules. But when a strange beautiful woman washes up on his beach, the walls that he has put up long ago begin to crumble. Is she a punishment sent from God to torment his weary soul? Or is she a gift, sent from above, there to teach him how to trust? Who is this woman? And how will he stop himself from losing his heart?

Will he learn to forgive the past in order to save the woman he loves?

Find Valia Lind...
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Giveaway...

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13 comments:

  1. If I was stuck on an island, I'd want my laptop with a solid internet connection (hello, I could leave whenever I'd want to), a never-ending supply of books, and a never ending supply of food so I can survive lol

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  2. A book, my laptop (if there's electricity) and my iPod

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  3. Water. Any book at my fingertips. Toilet paper. lol.
    Thanks for the giveaway!!!

    Alyssa Susanna

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  4. thanks for the great post and giveaway! I'd hope to have my kindle/laptop (if there's a magical source of electricity and wifi); a lighter/matches; toilet paper

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  5. Thanks for the giveaway. I would want a lot of books so I don't run out of reading material, a laptop and food. I really want to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

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  6. Assuming that I'm in a survival situation, I would want an all-purpose body cleanser, water purifiers, and some sort of nutrient-dense food like peanut butter. (commenting as Justine)

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  7. Books, a survival guru like Bear Grylls or the likes (I don't know how he would fit in a bag... O_0), and water. Thanks for the giveaway! :D

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  8. I'd need a flint, a hunting knife & safety pins I could turn into fish hooks.

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  9. Hmmm I would want Duck Tape, a Knife, and some sort of fire starter

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  10. I would like to have sunscreen, a great book, and food!

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  11. Ah man! Only three things? Well, I guess I gotta go with survival. A BIG jug of fresh water. A fire starter kit. Some food! Maybe something like beef jerky. No point in bringing a book if I'm not going to survive long enough to enjoy it, right?

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