I am just now calming down from an alarming experience. I emailed a half-completed file to my laptop and completed the file there. I then emailed the completed work to the client. I was paid and then a couple of hours later got an alarming message that the file was only half completed. At the very end there was some of my naked research and notes, just as it has been when I emailed it to myself.
No problem, I thought. I just sent the wrong file. Unfortunately, the actual completed file was never saved on the laptop and was somewhere squirreled away in a temp file that was almost impossible to get to. Getting to it actually took my shouting spouse awake to help me find it. I was sweating the whole time, thinking I'd have to do that part of the work again from scratch. Fortunately, it was found after about a half hour of searching and cursing. I was worried that the client might think I had done it on purpose or that I was really just that incompetent.
Normally I am less of an idiot, but the danger of losing a file is always there with any writer. I am going to be the most vigilant file saver in the history of the world from now on. If this hasn't happened to you, take this as a lesson. Point and laugh if you must, but always, always save your work often.
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4 comments:
Something similar happened to me a few years back. It wasn't work related but it was a final for an Art History class. My prof. had told the class over and over again to save our work often, as we were working on it. I figured I was safe. Why I thought I had some guardian cyberspace angel is beyond me. Anyway. about 2/3 into my paper it was gone. Poof, just like that. It was 3am. I had to start again but I did finish with a whole 45 minutes to spare. So, with teeth brushed and face splashed I headed to class with completed paper, to take my written exam. I'm not writing papers anymore, but I sure learned my lesson from that experience. It was not fun! That was so good of your spouse to help you. Good to know you found your work. Just wondering how long it took you to start breathing normaly again?
Lol, he didn't have a lot of choice. Help! Help! Is pretty hard to sleep through. :)
It probably took about an hour before I really felt calm again. well, as calm as I ever am.
I write longhand, I type on an electric, I photocopy and I send out. I have computers but I don't trust them. I have my manuscript with me everywhere I go and I can't tell you how good it feels to have it there. I always print out anything that I simply cannot afford to lose.
For a book manuscript, I can certainly see that. I have part of a book manuscript that is stuck on an old Brother word processor which is now obsolete. They don't even make ink cartridges for it anymore. Having a physical copy is so important for reasons just like that.
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