1. TheDude2002

    TheDude2002 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2011
    Messages:
    6
    Likes Received:
    0

    Novel Lost First Novel

    Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by TheDude2002, Dec 17, 2011.

    I lost my first novel a few days - there was only one copy and it had like over 60 pages completed, it fucking sucked. But oh well, have any of you had any similar experiences? I lost it on the way back from the library.
     
  2. AmsterdamAssassin

    AmsterdamAssassin Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2011
    Messages:
    343
    Likes Received:
    24
    Location:
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Write down everything you remembered, so you can recreate those 60 pages.

    By the way, it's not a novel yet, if it's only 60 pages. That's about three chapters/7,000 words. The average novel is 80,000 words, so you lost less than 10% of a manuscript that might have ended up as a novel. Just to put it in perspective...
     
  3. Blue Night

    Blue Night Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2011
    Messages:
    111
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Texas
    I haven't had the situation. But if you can recall most of the writing, I would suggest using a computer so you can save it.
    After all, you're going to start over anyways. If you do use a computer the second time around, back up your files, too.
    Do anything and everything not to lose it.
     
  4. need to write

    need to write New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2011
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    united kingdom
    i lost my memory stick with 30 pages of work on it and i was guted but lukily for me have a hard copy so i can type it up again but luily for me it is now becoming a draft so that i can make a better virsion and inprove so sometimes losing your work is a blessing in deskise hold on in there
     
  5. Pea

    Pea super pea!

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2011
    Messages:
    329
    Likes Received:
    20
    Location:
    in the garden
    Back up everything on Google Docs, always. I have recurring nightmares about this exact situation.
     
  6. Felipe

    Felipe Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2011
    Messages:
    231
    Likes Received:
    41
    Location:
    Texas!
    I use carbonite and memory sticks.
     
  7. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2010
    Messages:
    13,984
    Likes Received:
    8,557
    Location:
    California, US
    I use Dropbox. There is always a copy of each of my works on every computer, via Dropbox, and a copy on the server.
     
  8. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2011
    Messages:
    2,818
    Likes Received:
    300
    Location:
    A place with no future
    Oh NO!! :eek: How did that happen? I'm sorry to hear that, it can only imagine how it must feel... Hope you'll be able to reconstruct it and for the future, save everything on a memory stick or something, preferably more than one place.
     
  9. AmyHolt

    AmyHolt New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2011
    Messages:
    473
    Likes Received:
    17
    Location:
    Warsaw, IN
    I've lost scenes before but not whole chapters worth of story. That would be terrible. I think I would cry. I mean it seriously.
     
  10. Shifty

    Shifty Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2011
    Messages:
    69
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    I live in my head with my characters most of the
    I lost all my short stories a few weeks back, managed to recover most of them (e-mails and such).
    Since then I have found a program called dropbox which allows you to save your files on a server and access them where ever.
    All files strictly remain your property and is really handy if your lacking a datastick or overly afraid of losing your hard work

    http://www.dropbox.com/
     
  11. Kallithrix

    Kallithrix Banned

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2011
    Messages:
    390
    Likes Received:
    15
    Location:
    UK
    60 pages is way more than 7000 words - depending on how it was written. If it was typed it could be 25,000 words! But losing any amount of work sucks - I get mad when I just lose the latest edit of a single chapter! But I always have backups because I email my work to myself after every major change. I also have it on more than one computer.

    Sucky as this experience was, I hope it served it's purpose in demonstrating why you must make copies!
     
  12. naturemage

    naturemage Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2011
    Messages:
    530
    Likes Received:
    12
    Location:
    West Lawn, PA
    My first story I got published had a sequel that I wrote, and also a second sequel after that. However, I lost those (had them on floppy disks back in high school, don't know where they are now.) They were ok, but I don't see myself pursuing them. Besides, they're probably gone and destroyed by now. I have other works that I am doing now, better than that because I am more experienced. If I found those disks and files, I would definitely keep them, but I do feel a bit bad losing one of my creations, no matter how bad it was...
     
  13. Bran

    Bran New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2011
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    The Darkest Recesses of Your Mind
    I always save my documents in more than one directory, and on more than one device (hard drive, flash drive, other flash drive, SD card in camera)
     
  14. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2006
    Messages:
    19,150
    Likes Received:
    1,034
    Location:
    Coquille, Oregon
    yes, i've lost stuff from the computer in inexplicable ways... and yes, it sucks big time... since then, i've been more careful when hitting the 'save' button and backed all up on a flash drive...
     
  15. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2011
    Messages:
    2,818
    Likes Received:
    300
    Location:
    A place with no future
    I've looked up this dropbox because it seems pretty cool, but am I right if i got this as you can choose if to make the dokuments public or private? how does it actually WORK?
     
  16. Jhunter

    Jhunter Mmm, bacon. Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2011
    Messages:
    1,218
    Likes Received:
    45
    Location:
    Southern California
    I back all my stuff up with two different thumb drives and I also email it to myself.
     
  17. Dresden260

    Dresden260 Corrupt Diplomat

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2011
    Messages:
    152
    Likes Received:
    19
    Location:
    Sitting by a Fountain, Watching the world go by.
    I am really cautious and I back up my works on 5-6 different computers and about 12 thumb drives which sit in a box.
     
  18. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2011
    Messages:
    2,818
    Likes Received:
    300
    Location:
    A place with no future
    hahaha, nice to hear that almost all writers seem to be a little paranoid when it comes to backing up their work... :rolleyes:
     
  19. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2010
    Messages:
    15,262
    Likes Received:
    13,084
    I notice that nobody's even mentioned printing the stuff as a last-ditch backup. I realize that printing it doesn't save you retyping, but the work of writing is much, much more than the typing.
     
  20. Shifty

    Shifty Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2011
    Messages:
    69
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    I live in my head with my characters most of the
    pen and paper anyone?
     
  21. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2011
    Messages:
    2,818
    Likes Received:
    300
    Location:
    A place with no future
    Maybe because it often still needs a lot of work, and printing every version of it would feel like a waste? But you're right, It could be an idea. especially for when you've finished writing and put it aside before reading it through. a paper copy will probably give a totally different feeling. I'll think of it myself, because in my case it could also have another function: I write all the scenes randomly and it could be a way of putting them together in different order to see what works best. will think about it! :)
     
  22. Jhunter

    Jhunter Mmm, bacon. Contributor

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2011
    Messages:
    1,218
    Likes Received:
    45
    Location:
    Southern California

    I have numerous drafts printed out (all in different stages; I don't throw any away) for myself and a select few others to read. I just don't consider them "backups" since they are not the latest iteration.
     
  23. joanna

    joanna Active Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2010
    Messages:
    425
    Likes Received:
    12
    Location:
    Boston
    Once I didn't have my work backed up, and my laptop died. I lost maybe thirty pages. That was years ago. I ended up rewriting and having the characters do something different than what I had them do originally, and the story improved.

    Then I decided to get a typewriter. A classic Corona from the 1940's. "Now when you lose your work," my artist friend said, "it won't be because you forgot to save a file. It'll be because you got too drunk and excited about your novel in the bar and left it under a bench. Isn't that a more creative way to lose things?"

    As an idea I loved the typewriter but in reality the damn thing was a pain. I've got a netbook now. I can take it anywhere and I email my stories to myself so I don't lose them.

    I also have a notebook for short stories (pen and paper -- yes -- it's not dead yet).
     
  24. AmsterdamAssassin

    AmsterdamAssassin Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2011
    Messages:
    343
    Likes Received:
    24
    Location:
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    I have an early version on paper, and all current versions of manuscripts and all other documents are saved on my laptop, my USB stick and transferred to my wife's PC. So there's at least three locations where I can find my latest versions. Once a week I sent myself document per email. I don't use Dropbox, I don't trust the privacy issues.

    And, I almost forgot, I have the finished manuscript of the first novel on my Kindle. I use my Kindle, instead of printing out the manuscript, for editing my work. It reads like a real e-book, but I cannot make any changes to the manuscript, just high-light and make notations that I can view in a list for when I re-write/edit the manuscript on my laptop.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice