Insert Sad Face Here

[jenna]

Oh, this is a very sad tale, but I thought you guys would understand the pain I'm going through right now, because non-writers don't seem to get it.

On Sunday last week I had my work bag stolen, with my beloved MacBook in it (as well as pretty much everything else I use every day, including my iPod, my wallet, house keys, work keys, even down to my make up and diary.)

Yes, this is the laptop that contained ALL of my writing work. Now, not all of it is gone, as I thankfully still had a lot of it on my old computer from a year ago, and a lot of other stuff is hand written.

But, I lost a LOTTTTTT of work, thousands of words that I'd written straight onto the computer in the past year, plus editing that I'd done and tweaks to the outline etc. I also lost my story idea folder, I am wracking my brain trying to think of everything that was in there, but I know I am missing a lot.

I know what you're thinking, yes I did have it all backed up onto a USB key. I had taken the USB key with me for a couple of days as I was working on some things and wanted to save them onto it. So yeah, that was in the bag too....

It's the worst feeling, losing so much work. I also had about $600 in cash in my wallet, but no one seems to understand why I'm distraught over the loss of my work and I couldn't really care less about the cash (although I"ll take it back if it's offered!).

I'm at least thankful that I write so much with a pen and paper, or I estimate I would have lost at least 60k words from the past few months.. Now that would have been unbearable...

 

[Urien]

Yikes. That's terrible. I remember once writing for two hours or so (good stuff,I thought), and then a computer burp meant I lost it. I was so annoyed. So I can scarce imagine how you must feel. You have my deepest sympathies.

On a side note, apart from the usual saving techniques, I now send a copy of my most up to date work to myself attached to a yahoo email.

 

[Overread]

That is horrid!
At least you managed to have copies of a lot of the work not all is lost (and no matter how much you think the first lines were good, they are nearly always lesser than the lines you write later after more thinking)

- I think if it had been me the single computer would have had the lot


As a point word documents for writing tend to be rather big and e-mails with larger attachments can go wrong (usually they are fine, till you go to get your back-up!)
A CD or DVD burner would be a good solid store for data - printing off 1000s of pages is just not possible or economical for back-up (plus think of all that re-writing time).

 

[mosaix]

Terrible, terrible news.

I know this is coming too late but 1) Always back up your work and 2) Always store the backup away from your computer.

Have you seen that microsoft are offering 5GB of free storage with SkyDrive? This is the ideal place for backing up documents because they are away from you computer, it is easy to do the backup, you don't have to worry about losing it and you can access it from anywhere.

Follow the link: Windows Live SkyDrive

 

[Shingetsu]

It seems it may be wise for a writer to be paranoid. Whatever is written on a laptop then should be transferred to your home PC. Then—since hard drives can fail—copy/paste them onto a second hard drive and burn your work to a CD. Or a USB drive, those can be useful.

As for carrying a laptop and all your important stuff in a bag, you could always try hiding a GPS beacon in the bag and laptop. Perhaps try some hand cuffs to your wrist and bag. A lock on the zipper. And always keep it in your sight and not on the floor. I suppose good lessons are always hard-learned.

Sorry for your loss, jenna. I hope your memory goes into super-drive and you can remember all you need. Good luck.

 

[Lith]

Unfortunately, experience is the best teacher- the lessons stick a lot longer. I'd recommend keeping a backup on non-rewritable CDs, possibly several backups, in different physical locations. Update them no less than once a month (I try to do right at the beginning of the month). If you're writing heavily, then once a week or every day backups are necessary. Also, a printed copy of the important stuff is a good idea. You never know when everything will fritz out on you, or you'll be without power for a while. CDs are easily scratched, and hard drives are susceptible to viruses and power surges.

Sux though, doesn't it? I've had stuff stolen before. Even now, it makes me mad. Others around me can't understand why I'm such a stickler about it, but they haven't had stuff stolen.

And if you add up all the hours you spend writing, and multiply it by your standard pay at your job, it'll add up to a LOT more than $600, I'm sure. Not to mention that it's something you choose to do, and it's got a part of you in it, so the price is inestimable.

 

[Shingetsu]

Computers are usually fine if you treat them right. I've had no hard drives fail ever out of 8 years. And I have a dozen. You shouldn't have viruses with proper protection (no, rubber won't save your files here), such as firewall and anti-virus and anti-spyware. Stay away from cheap computer parts and you're fine. Pre-built computers usually aren't good either.

Have to take care of your environment for your writing.

 

[jenna]

Yes, I'm trying not to play "what-if" scenarios in my head, but it's frustrating that if it had been taken 2 days earlier my back-ups would have been safe and sound at home. I am feeling a bit lucky though, because only a couple of weeks ago I was planning on wiping everything off my old computer and giving it to a friend, so THANK GOD I didn't do that, or else I would have lost so much more.

I choose to take this as a lesson, to make multiple back ups of everything. At least this didn't happen to me when I had completed the book, or else it could have been much much worse. I am hoping I will be able to come back from this with even better work than what I lost. At least it is motivating me to get back on track with writing again..

 

[Culhwch]

Commiserations, Jenna. I hope they catch the perpetrator, or at the least recover your stuff. I've never been able to comprehend the mindset of someone who'd do this kind of thing. I mean, easy gain is one thing, but I'd never be able to live with the guilt...

 

[JDP]

Sorry, Jenna; you must be gutted. I use my email, like someone else mentioned earlier, to keep backups of my MS. Perhaps for pics of maps and stuff like that, something like Skydrive might be better, but email seems to be fine for me for word docs. Means that you have a separate store than laptop/computer/house.

I'm glad to hear that you have lots of hardcopy stuff so you've not lost so much material (but don't forget to back that up too)!

 

[Malloriel]

Oh, you poor thing! I lost a substantial chunk of ONE CHAPTER and was so distraught I couldn't write for months, knowing I loved what had been and knowing enough not to attempt to re-write the exact same thing because it wouldn't be the same, and could never be. I had to wait to get to a point emotionally where telling the same events in a new way wouldn't just make me miss the old one more. I can't imagine the pain you're going through right now!!

--Offers many hugs and all the support she possibly can.--

I definitely would call this a tragedy. That's like losing a whole piece of yourself, for all the time, energy, thought, and emotion put into it's creation. Sad face indeed! I'm so sorry. Non-writers, I must agree, really don't seem to understand how we view our pieces and what goes into them. Next time someone asks, tell them someone stole your dog. Maybe then you'll get the reaction you should.

 

[P. R. D.]

I get mad when I loose only a single page of my work and I seriously can't imagine what's going on in your head right now. If I were you, I would do something completely new. You know, just think of it as a sign from somewhere that you should do something else. Buy a new computer and backup every page of your next novel (or whatever you will be writing). Think of a new idea, start fresh and in a few months when this new stuff is going even better than the old one, you'll be glad.


Added: Why are you talking about the "non writers" like they're some sort of fools?

 

[Zubi-Ondo]

Hi Jenna - I know this is a writing forum, and you have thought of it, or your friends have mentioned it, but: Protect yourself from identity theft. Change all of your account numbers, and if any of your passwords were vulnerable, change them, etc. And - report it. (Sometimes the police will get lucky.) We had our house broken into 2 yrs ago. I didn't lose my writing, but some expensive recording equipment with original music on it and stuff. The police came, and later they showed us some laptops, but none were ours. Best of luck,

- Z.

 

[Duchessprozac]

That is terrible. And I feel for you. If ever I lost my work I would probably just want to end it all as it would break my heart knowing it was all gone.

I have come very close to losing whole my entire book at least twice over the past 2 years. Luckily I have had friends who had copies so I have only lost a few pages rather than the whole thing. I have lost most of my notes, however and Doing my redraft now I am having to work from memory when it comes to many things. Luckily much of the world is still fresh in my mind but it's a bugger trying to remember a character's surname or their parent's names when the only place I had it was in a file now long lost.

These days I email my work to myself every so often so that no matter what happens to my computer or memory sticks, I always have it sat there in my inbox ready to download again.

 

[Briareus Delta]

I'm not an aspiring writer (except in my head - far too lazy to ever commit anything to paper!) but just wanted to offer my sympathy. It must feel terrible right now but I'm sure the stuff you come back with will be even better than the work you've lost, and at least it wasn't your entire lifes work.

 

[Urlik]

I'm not a writer either (have loads of ideas, but somehow, they loose too much in the translation to the page)
I have to say that I can't imagine anything worse than losing something that you've spent so long nurturing.

 

[jenna]

Thank you all for your kind words. It's been almost 2 weeks now, and the pain is subsiding a bit, I'm just trying to look at positives rather than dwelling on what was lost. I am trying to decide whether to get cracking on redoing the parts of that project I lost or whether to start on a new idea I had and come back to the other later. Either way, I'm not going to let a couple of rotten theives deter me from writing!

 

[jenna]

Hi Jenna - I know this is a writing forum, and you have thought of it, or your friends have mentioned it, but: Protect yourself from identity theft. Change all of your account numbers, and if any of your passwords were vulnerable, change them, etc. And - report it. (Sometimes the police will get lucky.) We had our house broken into 2 yrs ago. I didn't lose my writing, but some expensive recording equipment with original music on it and stuff. The police came, and later they showed us some laptops, but none were ours. Best of luck,

- Z.

Yes, identity theft has been playing on my mind a bit, since there was so much ID in there, 2 credit cards, an eftpos card, medicare card, drivers license and a couple of bills too. I am hoping that they are just small time theives who were happy with the cash that was in there and don't try to do anything further with what was in there...

 

[Shingetsu]

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.