The Bad
On Wednesday, I wrote the final scene for The Tinkers' first draft. On Thursday, I was reading it, playing around with Pages a bit on my iPad, and accidentally deleted it. All of my 60,000-word opus. (Of course, at this point, opus is relative. But still.)
I sat numbly at my lunch table, a bubble of silence unfolding around me. Of course, I couldn't tell my friends; they wouldn't understand. To make matters worse, it was my birthday. I had ruined months of precious writing... on my birthday. Sweet fifteen, right?
I have about 20,000 words saved in another file. However, it's only the last third of the book. I looked it up, but on Apple's help forums, it says there is no way to get it back.
The Ugly
I'm going to literally rewrite everything. Not changing the structure and personalities of a novel, but fighting blank-page syndrome for a few more months on a novel I've already written. I tried to talk to the tech guy at school, but I've already backed it up, so the damage can't be undone, as far as I know.
I don't want to lose my idea. The characters and world have been amazing for me, and I think I've got to give it another try. In the process, of course, it'll be awful. I'll probably hate it, but I've got time and there's nothing to lose, right? (No, this isn't some big scheme just to put off editing... I promise.)
I've also been bored with writing lately. I've been writing short stories, but for me, novels are much more enjoyable than short stories. I love short stories, but novels really make writing worthwhile (and of course, are more salable, but I'm not considering that right now).
Additionally, I haven't been inspired much, which leads to the next segment of my week on writing.
The Good
I had this novel idea a few weeks ago and was going to save it for Camp in July. However, I really like it, and so I'm writing it now. I haven't been writing much because the end of the school year has been insane, but once school ends, I'll be working much more on it.
It's called When I Liked Converse. You can read the blurb here. (You all can be proud of me. Last night, I actually came up with seven whole bullet-points about the plot, so I kind of know the climax and how it ends.)
Writing is unpredictable. It's frustrating, mind-boggling, and hard. However, it's amazing. At its core, it's an art. However dreary it may sound this week, it's an incredible skill. It's provided so much richness, creating new characters and perspectives I'd never dreamed of. It's given me a different, more complex worldview. And, of course, it's fun.
Katia
On Wednesday, I wrote the final scene for The Tinkers' first draft. On Thursday, I was reading it, playing around with Pages a bit on my iPad, and accidentally deleted it. All of my 60,000-word opus. (Of course, at this point, opus is relative. But still.)
I sat numbly at my lunch table, a bubble of silence unfolding around me. Of course, I couldn't tell my friends; they wouldn't understand. To make matters worse, it was my birthday. I had ruined months of precious writing... on my birthday. Sweet fifteen, right?
I have about 20,000 words saved in another file. However, it's only the last third of the book. I looked it up, but on Apple's help forums, it says there is no way to get it back.
The Ugly
I'm going to literally rewrite everything. Not changing the structure and personalities of a novel, but fighting blank-page syndrome for a few more months on a novel I've already written. I tried to talk to the tech guy at school, but I've already backed it up, so the damage can't be undone, as far as I know.
I don't want to lose my idea. The characters and world have been amazing for me, and I think I've got to give it another try. In the process, of course, it'll be awful. I'll probably hate it, but I've got time and there's nothing to lose, right? (No, this isn't some big scheme just to put off editing... I promise.)
I've also been bored with writing lately. I've been writing short stories, but for me, novels are much more enjoyable than short stories. I love short stories, but novels really make writing worthwhile (and of course, are more salable, but I'm not considering that right now).
Additionally, I haven't been inspired much, which leads to the next segment of my week on writing.
The Good
I had this novel idea a few weeks ago and was going to save it for Camp in July. However, I really like it, and so I'm writing it now. I haven't been writing much because the end of the school year has been insane, but once school ends, I'll be working much more on it.
It's called When I Liked Converse. You can read the blurb here. (You all can be proud of me. Last night, I actually came up with seven whole bullet-points about the plot, so I kind of know the climax and how it ends.)
Writing is unpredictable. It's frustrating, mind-boggling, and hard. However, it's amazing. At its core, it's an art. However dreary it may sound this week, it's an incredible skill. It's provided so much richness, creating new characters and perspectives I'd never dreamed of. It's given me a different, more complex worldview. And, of course, it's fun.
Katia
Oh. My. Gosh.
ReplyDeleteNo.
Did you email it to anyone?? Didn't save it anywhere else? KATIA!!! I'm devastated for you. My gosh, you're picking yourself back up and that's awesome, but I can't believe it. I feel for you. :( :( :(
Nope. I checked my email, and nothing comes up. I don't remember emailing it or anything... Of course, I'll totally remember to save stuff now, right?
DeleteAnyway, I'm a pantser, so this draft's quality will be about the same. I'll talk to the tech guy on Monday.
I just checked my doc, and this is going to be interesting. 7,000 from the beginning, 20,000 from the end... 30,000 in the middle. A new adventure, right? *smiles insanely*
iPads should also be more compatible. It's all Steve Jobs' fault, really.
Anyway, Cait, (just spared myself from going on a long rant there you will be the first to know when my first draft is done again. Anyway, I have a heightened understanding of the plot now.
*cries quietly for you* I back up all my stuff on a USB, an external harddrive and then I email them to myself. :/ Yes, I am paranoid. But SEE. You should have sent it to me... okay, okay. Kidding. Still. I will remain here (loyal and patient...er, sort of patient) for whenever I get to read it. Or something. Or anything, really. I'm flexible.
DeleteAll right. The day I finish it, after saving it again, I will send it to you, in all its awful, unedited glory. I'm going to try to finish the first draft in the next month. 1,000 words a day isn't so hard, right? Okay, I'll have brain-killing finals, and studying for said finals, but still. I can do this.
DeleteIf you want to read the first few thousand, unedited,I could email it to you.
I've never worked on two vastly different first drafts before... this is either going to be fun or crazy. Or both.
If you don't *mind* emailing it to me...then YEAH.
DeleteBut seriously (I'm never serious, so pay attention here) only when you're ready! I know it's hard to let go of a seriously edited baby, let alone one you know you want to fix. So only if you want!
Good luck with your finals too! And..yeah, pff, 1K a day is nothing, right? (AAAH. I died in the 100x100. I haven't written since it finished. :P Naughty me.)
Sure. Notebooksisters @gmail, right? I'm fine with it, as long as you have a "nonjudgemental and caring presence". (That was quoted from this Christian service group the church's deacon was a part of. He encouraged us all to join, but we never did. Shocker, eh?)
DeleteCait, it's only been two weeks or so snce 100x100. You don't need to write *every* novel at an insane speed.)