What’s the worst thing…

What is the worst thing you can think of that could happen to a writer? I hear a lot of calls of ‘rejection’ out there and before the last two days I would have agreed with you. As I said, that was before…..

WARNING ‘WOE IS ME’ POST BELOW.

THE worst thing that can happen to an author is COMPUTER CRASH! Yesterday I went to start up the PC and all sounded fine, the fan whirred, the blue light came on, the beep sounded and the screen lit up. Then nothing. Nada, zip, zilch. NOTHING!!! About now the heart rate is accelerating at an alarming speed and I’m on the verge of hyperventilating. Thinking I’ve just hit a glich I do the old turn off turn on thingy. Nope, no good, same thing. After I’ve done that a THIRD time I start to really panic because it’s about then I realize I didn’t back up after writing the day before. OR the day before. Now I’m seriously seeing stars, sweating and about to vomit. My mind races and I try to think when the last time I backed up to the USB I use every-god-damn-day except the last two? Maybe more?! OMG! I’m really, really trying not to cry about now but when Son#1 comes in and has a look (he’s pretty good with these things) he can’t work it out either (okay not so good).

It’s about then it starts to really sink in. If I’m right (please let me be wrong but history proves otherwise) I’ve lost about 8k. *gulp* This is where those cement walls come in handy. They’re good for bashing your own head in. First plan of attack didn’t work, Son#1 has no clue. Second, ring Dell. I’m not sure I want to get into that fiasco because I might get angry enough to kill again. Did you know that if you aren’t covered under warranty you can’t talk to anyone to find out what something means, ie- one beep, two beeps, four beeps? No, no can talky to man who knows what it all means. WHAT? If you pay another $400 you can. Um, $400? For what? To buy more warranty. And THEN we’ll charge you for any time or parts etc. *picture me with eyebrows disappearing into hairline* You want to charge me to charge me? Ugh! Third plan, unplug the tower and take it to the shop where Son#1 got his laptop fixed. I’m still crying by the way. My life is in that machine! I don’t need this real life bullshit! I’m knee deep in fake life bullshit right now! *sigh*

Magic computer techo man says two to three days and he’ll know what’s wrong but there’s been grumbling about mother-f*en-boards and I’m not at all pleased by the look on Hubby’s face when Son#1 says this. The upshot? Techo man MAY be able to save my stuff depends what’s wrong. I NEED A YES OR NO PEOPLE! Lives hang in the balance inside that plastic box! Don’t you people understand? And then it hits me. No they don’t understand. They don’t get the time, the effort, the blood, sweat and tears that go into those fake worlds. To them it’s just the thing I sit in front of day in and day out. For me it’s my world and I’m lost without it.

I’m deluding myself at the moment. I’ve got Mini-stud (my netbook) plugged into the monitor, keyboard, speakers and mouse and I’m pretending that there isn’t a great big gapping hole to my left where my tower lives. Nope, not there, can’t see it, can’t hurt me! But it can! *sob* I have to jump way ahead in the story and hope they save my work so I can piece it all together when I get my life back. Or worse, write new stuff to fit when I get my life back. Yes, that crying you hear is me. I can’t stop thinking about my missing Quinn and whether this will fit with that or whether I’ll ever see that again. It’s really screwing with my flow. I’m even spelling worse than normal and that’s saying something.

I’d take a rejection letter over this any day!

Any and all sympathy happily received and please make a sacrifice to the Computer Gods on my behalf.

RC/Rhian