Give it another go, or is it time to let it go?

[TexasBluebonnet]

Hi all,

I have a problem and I'm wondering if I could get some input on it. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I've been working on a book for about 3 years now. Right now I'm working on the second draft and have been for about 2 of the 3. Last night I stayed up really late working on it and I just left the computer on while I got some sleep. When I woke up, I saw that my computer had been restarted because of updates being made and after that it restarts. Well, I lost all that I had worked on. I got so mad that I trashed my first draft (in paper form) and threw it in my small wastebasket. I'm wondering if I should try and re-do it, or just give up on it. At what point do you throw in the towel? I'm really tired and feel I have nothing left to give to this story because of so many setbacks like this. I want to know if I should give it another go, or let it go. Please help! Thanks.

 

[TexasBluebonnet]

Okay, what's with all of the looking and no posting. I need feedback people. It's make or break day. I'm at the point where it's either plug on or trash it and I'm within a breath of trashing this entire thing. So, vote. Tell me what you think. I need feedback.

 

[Sojourner<><]

Okay, what's with all of the looking and no posting. I need feedback people. It's make or break day. I'm at the point where it's either plug on or trash it and I'm within a breath of trashing this entire thing. So, vote. Tell me what you think. I need feedback.

Well how good is it?

 

[kittysbecute]

Don't give up. Just because you are having problems with it isn't reason enough to give up. It sometimes does help to take a break and think over what you are writing. And loosing the original that you typed out is a terrible thing, but maybe the next time you write it out it will be even better.

 

[TexasBluebonnet]

Well how good is it?

How should I know? I generally think I uksay anyway. Even though there are times when I think I'm actually pretty good. It's probably me just being too critical and hard on myself. It's a first born trait I have yet to control. Being critical.

 

[TexasBluebonnet]

Don't give up. Just because you are having problems with it isn't reason enough to give up. It sometimes does help to take a break and think over what you are writing. And loosing the original that you typed out is a terrible thing, but maybe the next time you write it out it will be even better.

Yeah, I think you're right. And sorry for the upset post. I was really stressing about it and needed major help. I did start to work on it last night and I think that you could be right about it being better the second time. I talked to my brother and I'm feeling better about it. It was totally my fault and I blame no one else but me, but I didn't know whether it was worse to walk away after putting in so much time on it, or I should? I guess it's kind of like I'm in so deep now and have been doing this for so long that either way it's a hard decision. But for the moment I'm working on it. I just need to make sure this doesn't happen again. Thanks for the replies. I was in serious need of help and advice.

 

[Christianfantasy]

Definitely don't give up. I can't imagine the magnitude of the loss you've suffered, but you can't let your circumstances get the upper hand. I'm reading a book now about the attitudes of successful people. [Not my usual reading material, but it came highly recommended.] The most outstanding thing I have learned so far is the difference between the way successful people and, for want of a better word, failed people, face setbacks. Unsuccessful people hit a major setback and get mired in it, and use it as an excuse. Successful people actually see even setbacks as opportunities! In other words, they look at what happened, and say to themselves that there HAS to be a way to turn this negative-looking situation into a net positive. [This book is written by a mainstream, evangelical pastor, btw.] With that upbeat attitude, they tackle the situation and come out better for it than before it happened. (The book is full of examples, but I'm not a fast enough typist to include one here.)

With your story, I truly believe this can happen. God is the ultimate giver of good gifts. He took things from Job, but in the end He blessed him with twice as much as he had originally. I believe God can give you the same story back, but in a much stronger, superior form. God has no desire to frustrate our efforts to serve and please Him, but He does want us, in an attitude of faith, to look at the situations we face and acknowledge that He can bring good even from seeming tragedies. I really cannot encourage you enough to ask God to help you recover your story. If you do, I'm willing to bet that the day will come when you look back and say, 'It hurt SOOO much at the time, but now I can see that a really, REALLY good thing has come from it, and this story is FAR better now than it was originally.' Or so it seems to me.

 

[Sojourner<><]

How should I know? I generally think I uksay anyway. Even though there are times when I think I'm actually pretty good. It's probably me just being too critical and hard on myself. It's a first born trait I have yet to control. Being critical.

If you want to write just for the sake of writing I would say go for it, don't give up! Writing a book would be a great achievement.

If you're worried about wasting your effort, honestly I think you should have somebody read what you've done. It doesn't have to be perfect but it's always helpful to get a second opinion. Constructive criticism can be very helpful.

 

[Brynwizard]

The way I read the account, the copies are gone. Therefore, it's not possible to have somebody read the story. Maybe Bluebonnet could clarify, as to whether all the copies are gone or not. It sure sounds to me like they are.

 

[sunstruckdream]

3 years is a long time. I wouldn't trash it. If you need a mental health break, take some time off from it. Don't worry about it for a couple of weeks, and work again when you feel the need to get back to it.
However, WE can't tell you if you have any spirit for it left. Do YOU want to write it? There's no timeline (I don't think), and you can do what you want when you want. It seems that you want to - who wouldn't, after all those years? - particularly because of your hesitation to chuck it all.
Since you seem to be looking for outside opinions, though, here's mine...get the first draft out of the wastebasket! =) Good luck

 

[SwanPrincess]

3 years is a long time. I wouldn't trash it. If you need a mental health break, take some time off from it. Don't worry about it for a couple of weeks, and work again when you feel the need to get back to it.
However, WE can't tell you if you have any spirit for it left. Do YOU want to write it? There's no timeline (I don't think), and you can do what you want when you want. It seems that you want to - who wouldn't, after all those years? - particularly because of your hesitation to chuck it all.
Since you seem to be looking for outside opinions, though, here's mine...get the first draft out of the wastebasket! =) Good luck

I totally agree =)

 

[Christianfantasy]

Hi again, Texasbluebonnet. I don't know if you are still reading this thread. I hope so because I remembered something that might help. Years ago, in a former lifetime, I was married to a card carrying genius from MIT who could build a computer from scratch, among other things. I was writing fiction at the time, and had a VERY hard crash on my computer. I couldn't turn it on, access files--nothing. When my ex got the machine rebuilt, I discovered that I had lost the entire novel I was working on. It was not something I felt I could rewrite, and I was devastated.

Well, my ex sat down again at my machine and tappity tappity tappity. I have no idea what he did, but eventually: voila! He recovered a very bizarrely formatted copy of the entire file from the damaged hardrive! Now, I don't assume you have access that to that kind of brainpower/technical expertise, but you might at least check with your local computer repair shop. You might be surprised at what they can do. My prayers are with you; many blessings.

 

[sunstruckdream]

*Sigh* I reread this thread again, and I feel really awful for you. If this happened to me, I'd be totally thrown. I mean, I'd rewrite it all if I had to - I'm sure of that - but I would be totally horrified and in a state of disbelief for at least a week. At LEAST.

That said, I hope all is going well with you...

 

[fuzzyjesusfreak]

I know how you feel. About a year ago, I was writing a game out of scripts and coding and it took a long time. I had everything from towns to people to weapons to items, everything to make a good rpg. Iwas into the last stages of making that game. And something happened that I thought I could never get through, my window was open in my apartment, my computer sits right next to that window. I had my nephew over and he knocked my computer out of my three story apartment window and it was totalled. Peices were scattered everywhere. And I thought I would never get that information and coding that I had back or be able to rewrite the whole stupid thing. I was completely devistated.

I got a new computer from my local store and put it somewhere safe. I rewrote the scripting and coding of the game and now its even better than ever. Im having writers block right now and cant think of anything to go to this part but I will get it sometime. But now its better than I could have imagined it. Im in the middle of the game and Im getting through it. If I can do that, you can do something as simple as write an novel. Its not that hard. So dont throw in the towel. Keep at it.