New Year, new motivation. Time to commit to finishing the elusive final chapters, and pulling the book together for a good edit. Except, I can't find it. I had a version of it on the computer that died, but smart me also had it saved on a flash drive. I can't find the flash drive. I think it is in my blue with red polka dots computer bag. I can't find my blue with red polka dots computer bag. I tucked it away somewhere-maybe before DD2's party, maybe since then? I was using a big black paisley print purse and my computer fit nicely in it so I haven't looked too hard for the bag-until I wanted to look at the video my daughter made for my nieces wedding. I think the video is on the same gizmo as my book. I spent an hour or so on Wednesday thinking and looking in places where it should be, but was not.
I feel a bit like Jo March in Little Women, when Amy burns her manuscript. Of course this was no malicious jealous little sister but middle age memory gaps that I seem to have too often. I cannot begin to recreate what I wrote. Regardless of the quality, it still has been my work for over four years now.
I wrote this post on Wednesday and was too sad to hit publish. Then, I just thought of one more place to look, and low and behold, it was there! On the flash drive was also some great video my younger daughter took in the UK, complete with 13 year old narration. I am very relieved, and will take this as a sign that I need to get going on completing the darn thing before it really is lost.
I highly recommend backing it up online - if you have office 365 to the onedrive or dropbox (drop box has a limited amount of free space before you have to pay) or even specific chapters to online email. We do that with all of our business stuff and photos for personal. Then if something happened ie house burns down we haven't lost our business. Your book is your heart and soul!
ReplyDeleteYes-I need to do this! My kids use Google drive, and I should as well.
DeleteOh my goodness, Sam. I'm so glad you found it!!
ReplyDeleteI would be beside myself, so happy you found it.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. When I was at work I needed to produce 2 documents twice a year - about 500 pages - for large meetings (think G20 trade ministers' meetings) and as the meetings approached they were obviously urgent. When we got "down to the wire" I used to email myself and my boss a copy every evening just in case. And every Friday I also now back up my blog on an external hard drive. You don't realize what you've got until you lose it do you. Glad you found it though!
ReplyDeleteam so relieved you found it. I hope I find online or paper copies of short stories I have written. Back it up or email it to yourself. I am now breathing easier for you.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I'm so glad this post had a happy ending. I lost the spare key to my car over the summer. (Actually my husband lost it). We looked absolutely everywhere. We were ready to plunk down a couple hundred bucks to buy a new one, but then one day I happened to flip the back seats down in my car and there it was, staring back at me. I tied bright orange ribbon on it and made a special hook for it to hang on, so hopefully that will never happen again.
ReplyDelete