Last month I said, “I give up!” That was the first time I ever heard those words from my lips. I never give up.
Even if I’m holding plank and the teacher says, “Just ten more breaths!” I take ten more breaths, but here’s the story about last month.
I was well into 40K words on a new WIP and feeling very…
when my computer coughed up a ginormous hairball and died. Okay, so I have backup, right? Yes and no. The file that I was working on–the 40K, bright and shiny, new, amazing, and best story ever–didn’t quite back up. My grocery list from 2010, did.
That’s when I went all…
and…
and fell off my 
Now, I’m climbing back onto my
and once I find my
I’m ready to ride!
Feel free to send warm, cheery thoughts and saddle soap.
Quote of the Week: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” Coach John Wooden
Always a sharp and pithy quote Lee. And I love how you deconstructed story for us. I’d never quite seen it this way before but I definitely can now.
Hope your computer is sorted soon. And yes it does take a lot of energy!
I love this week’s quote.
We all filter differently don’t we? Which is good because it makes for many unique stories.
YOU, have a pleasant, productive week.
Whoops, went down one too many posts to leave my comment.
Lost files are so painful. I have been there before. Sending you good vibes!
I think we’ve all had it happen, so I knew I’d get true understanding when I posted about it. I’m so much better now, and partly because you and Jess have been so supportive of my new book. Actually, you’ve been supportive of the entire trilogy! How could I not feel better?
Ooh–I can identify with you and the cat! But each time I’ve lost a file, well not a 40000 word file–I write it again and it is MUCH MUCH better. So don’t give up. It’ll be even better than the first one. I’m positive. I bet you’re already back in the saddle and galloping fast.
JQ Rose
Thanks, JQ. You’re so right. It’s a lot of work, but it’s not impossible, and in the end, I know it will be a better story.
I am so sorry! I hope some of it is saved somewhere. I am so paranoid about losing anything. I even take my external hard drive (backed up several times a day) with me when I leave the house.
I’m the same paranoid writer as you. All would have been well if that file hadn’t been corrupted. I’m thinking of this event as my ultimate critique. 🙂
Oh no. So sorry about the loss of your work. Its so hard when that happens.
I’m recovered. Just scrambling once in a while to find something that’s been misfiled in this mishap.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your story! It’s never easy to come to terms with losing so much work, and having to recreate it from scratch and memory.
It’s a challenge, but then everything in this writing business has been that way. I should be used to it! 🙂
OMG!!OMG! My heart is breaking for you right now. 40k is **tearing up right now** so much to lose…
I once lost a story and somehow, somewhere my son retrieved from out space.
I pray that you’ll be able to sort through this debacle, and you don’t get saddle sore…
Becoming saddle sore is probably not in my future, but getting that story pulled together is. Thanks for the good wishes. They help.
Oh Lee – sounds horrendous … I hate mess at the best of times … but ‘blacks’ like these are the pits … I”m still getting over the one I made on my move over … but haven’t yet had the gall to write it up … one day! Good luck … and just take a few nip and tucks in the meantime to get through it … take care and thinking of you – and I’m sure I can find some saddle stuff here … a few horses, cows on offer!! Now it’s almost time for the sun to go over the yard arm … so I’ll be having a drink for you – cheers Hilary
You’ve had a major life change. Hope things are smoothing out and that you will tell us about it when you’re ready. Hope you enjoyed that drink! I going to have one myself in a couple of hours.
I’m sending cheers and good wishes and brilliant ideas to come to you, Lee, that will make your story even better. I can imagine your disappointment. Some of my work has been lost at various time, though not that much. But I’m thinking (don’t laugh, I do think on occasion) that something good will come out of this bad experience. One thing I do is mail each day’s work to me so I have it in my mailbox, just in case. Thinking about you. Hugs.
Thanks for all of that, Beverly. I’m sure you’re right. And loved the hugs!
Ugg, that is super duper awful. I’d take a hammer to the computer after that. But yeah, we must keep going. Can’t you get into the harddrive some how?
I had them wipe it. Of course, at the time everything had backed up. Almost.
The picture of the wet cat depicts how you must have felt perfectly 🙂 While I don’t have any saddle soap, I’m telepathically sending you lots and lots of chocolaty treats to help you back on the saddle.
Chocolaty treats help a lot. <3
I suspect that you are more stubborn that stains and will be riding high in that sadlle soon.
And my greedy reading self certainly hopes so.
You’re great to think me stubborn. My family confirms it! Thanks for buoying me up.
Hi, Cheryl-Lee!
All things considered you handled this setback remarkably well. You maintained a sense of humor, took time to lick your wounds, collected yourself and mounted a comeback. You might think those 40K words were lost, but they were not. You still have them stored in the greatest computer man never made, your brain. Have the courage and conviction to begin again. To your surprise, you will find yourself recovering significant chunks of what was previously written and integrating the old material with new ideas. Before long you be back where you were before disaster struck, hopefully having executed multiple backups along the way.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Cheryl-Lee!
Truly appreciate your encouragement and your faith in this cluster-bombed brain of mine. I’ll let you know how much recovery the brain and I can manage.
How frustrating! I have to remind myself to back everything up or email my WIPs to myself. But I don’t do it often enough. Just think how much better you’ll write those words this time around. (attempt at positive thinking)
Yep. Do it once, get it almost right. Do it twice and it’s perfect. Good way to think about it.
Oh that’s such a bummer. Right now I’m feeling the frustrations of my mom’s move. I have to get back in my saddle too after a little rest.
Moving Mom is a challenge, so I understand how you must be feeling.
Oh my cod, Lee. You have my sincere condolences. That just sends chills down my spine. Kudos for giving yourself some grieving time then picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and getting back in the saddle. It’s what we do:) (Easy for me to say-I’d still be wearing sack cloth, tearing my hair and wailing.)
I’m in hiding for a few weeks until I truly have the wailing under control. Actually, writing this helped and my readers are, too! Thanks so much.
Ouch! Wet, mad cat is right! I understand how that would stop you cold.
Breathe.
Incoming rainbows and unicorns to brighten your day.
At last. A unicorn. Exactly what I needed. You are the best!
Oh I hate that. I have problems with Word, where it blows up regularly, but that only means 500ish words. I can do that. I’m so sorry!
Pen and pencil don’t seem so slow anymore. I might take to making more of those notes on paper so I’ll have something to help rebuild if this ever happens again.
Losing words in mass like that is sooo painful! Like a special form of author torture, worse even than a visit to the dentist without novacaine.
However, it is my experience that–once I’ve cried myself out, and started writing again–the new words are just as good, come quicker, and are sometimes actually better. Which doesn’t make the frustration go away…but does help.
Here’s to finding your saddle and getting back out there! You can do it!
I’m so sorry. I thought I read that it was 2000 words somewhere. 40,000 oh my, oh dear! I’d be so flipping – flipped! I use carbonite but I wonder if sometimes it’s doing what it’s supposed to do! Another reason to email the work to ourselves everyday!
I got back about 20K, so you’re right. The problem was they weren’t all legible. Code was mixed in and I’m sorting that out bit by bit. And it wasn’t Carbonite’s fault. It was a corrupted file–the one I was working on–that caused the failed back up. Who knew?
Eeek. I’m sorry. Is it completely gone, then? No cloud backup? Nothing?
Ah well. If that’s the case, then it probably needed a rewrite anyway. Your next version will be that much better after having had a practice run. Of course, you won’t be jumping in and rewriting until much, much later, I’m sure. (I’d need time to grieve. A year, at least.)
A year. Yes. I have some sorting out to do and not a lot of energy to do it with. Or is that with which to do it? Who cares?