The Hunt for Missing Pages Every Writer’s Nightmare plus 2 tips

with 4 Comments

Manuscript Treasure Hunt TIps A month ago I went on a hunt for missing pages.

Every Writer’s Nightmare.

I was getting ready for summer travel and activities and wanted to move some of my work to my laptop. Two of my books are fairly far along. One needs a rewrite that seemed simple and straight forward until I printed it and got overwhelmed at the scope. I know what I have to do, but I am not sure where to begin. I made notes and organized and imported that to my laptop.

Finding the other book was not so straight forward.

I believed I had 197 pages of a probably 250 page manuscript. I knew clearly the last few scenes I had written but the drafts I found were 190 pages. “Maybe it’s a font thing,” I thought.  I transferred it to my laptop, printed out a hard copy and away I went.

As you may know from reading  this post,  I was reading the end of that manuscript just a few days ago.

I got to the end of my reread where I had written down all the characters to make sure I had them all available and my draft ended early.

Those scenes that are in the missing 7 pages are simply not there.

They aren’t on my home computer. They might be printed out somewhere in my house but I believed I had everything on my computer.

My mind started to go in the wrong direction.

“What if I can’t rewrite? What if I never find those pages?” Then I just took a deep breath.” If I have to write it over I will. If all I can do at this point is research, ok.” I refused to panic.

So I was sitting there, breathing, racking my brain and I realized something marvelous. The desk top computer in this house is mine from 7 years ago. On a whim I sit down at it and start to search for the manuscript by name. We know it was one I was working on 7 years ago, but how old is the computer? How long ago did I write those pages? Was it over a Christmas break or a summer trip?

 The Hunt for missing pages:Writer's nightmare

 

The keyboard needed batteries.

Batteries in –I hit search and up pops all the drafts plus independent material, including those scenes. I am thrilled. I can’t email them to myself  or print them due to the ancient nature of this versions of word and mail. So the next few days I will sit here and copy them into my laptop. Luckily it is 2-3 pieces that are 5-9 pages long. I can’t believe my good fortune.

I am in just the right place at exactly the right time.

I started last night and it got me so excited to finish this book I cannot tell you! I am back in.

Tips–

  1. Be careful when you change computers that you don’t leave anything behind
  2. Never panic because there is always something you can write or research

 

The Hunt for missing pages: writer's nightmare

4 Responses

  1. Helen
    | Reply

    Great news out of what could have been a frustrating situation! Who’d have thought the missing pages were on the old computer but you had the presence of mind to check it out just in case. Woohoo!!

    • Angelique L’Amour
      | Reply

      I still have no idea how I thought to check…I just refused to get flustered and when I got quiet I thought, “What if…”

  2. Chuck Stiltner
    | Reply

    Sounds like Murphy’s Law was getting a little rambunctious with you, I enjoyed the article and tips.

    • Angelique L’Amour
      | Reply

      Thank you so much, Chuck! I love hearing that you enjoyed the article…and yes a bit of Murphy and a whole lotta luck!

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