The Perils of a Prone-to-Fail Computer: A Writer's Tale
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It occurred once more!
After five intense hours of writing, I had crafted what I believed to be my best article yet. Inspiration surged through me; this piece was destined to go viral, potentially transforming the world.
All that remained was to find one more pertinent quote. I conducted a quick Google search, clicked the first link, and suddenly my computer froze.
“No!” I exclaimed, shaking the mouse in a hopeless bid for it to respond.
But nothing happened. The cursor remained still, and I was left staring at the image of a cheerful blonde promoting some obscure sunscreen brand.
I took my hands away from the keyboard. “When did I last save my work?” Panic set in as I realized I couldn't remember. “What should I do?”
The computer made that choice for me. The screen turned blue, displaying the dreaded error message, then went black, leaving me in silence. My mind raced beyond the current article—what about my novel? What of all the writing I've done over the past five years? How much of it had vanished?
Fifty years ago, writers didn't face these fears. Their words were etched in ink on paper rather than existing as digital files. While even Hemingway faced losses, for the most part, his writings remained intact!
Today's writers live in constant fear of their work disappearing in an instant. It's crucial now more than ever for writers to implement strategies to safeguard their creations.
My Computer Is a Total Mess
I’m not trying to perform rocket science here; document files are relatively small. If a computer knows it’s being used by a writer, it should breathe a sigh of relief.
“Oh, this is going to be an easy job!”
All I require is for my computer to open files when I click on them and to show me the icons.
I need it to efficiently search for a chapter fragment I penned at 2 AM six years ago that contains the line, “I awoke on the beach at Mancora, Peru, and quickly realized my shoes and clothing were missing.”
Above all, I just need my computer to open files. That’s it! Click on the file, and it should open. Unfortunately, my computer fails at this regularly.
Why Won't My Computer Show Thumbnails?
My relationship with my computer mirrors any typical relationship: there are highs and lows. Some days, it cooperates and displays thumbnails, which is incredibly helpful when selecting images for articles.
When it works, I can scroll through a vast folder of hundreds of images and pick the one I need. Life feels good.
On other days, however, I encounter this:
“What did I do to deserve this? Why are you upset with me?”
Believe me, I’ve searched endlessly online for reasons my computer sometimes refuses to display thumbnails.
Interestingly, it seems to know precisely when I need it to show thumbnails the most—those are the moments it refuses to cooperate.
This situation reminds me of the wave/particle duality concept in physics. Ask a physicist about it sometime. Photons appear to understand when they’re being observed and behave differently, which drives scientists crazy because it defies explanation.
I feel a similar phenomenon at play with my computer.
The Dreaded “Working On It”
Occasionally, I’ll email an image to myself, download it, and then try to insert it into an article. I navigate to my downloads folder, only to see this:
“Working on it!”
Sometimes, my computer takes what feels like an eternity to “work on it.” What could possibly be taking so long?
This issue arises sporadically; some days my computer opens the downloads folder instantly, while on others, it’s utterly unresponsive. When that happens, I’m forced to return to my email, save the image into a different folder, and upload it from there.
This alternative folder is humorously named “new folder (17)” because my computer refuses to let me rename folders. I get it; you might assume I’m at fault, but let’s consider the possibility that I’m the one being wronged here, and my computer is the real problem.
“Why must you be so mean to me, computer… how can I quit you?”
When My Word Processor Crashes
I use Open Office 4.1.7, whatever that means. It generally works, but occasionally the program enters a catatonic state and refuses to budge. I’ve had some luck using the task manager, but restarting often leads to complications.
Sometimes, a miraculous moment occurs where my computer announces “restoring files,” and everything reappears. Other times, they’re gone forever.
When my word processor freezes, my first instinct is to take a screenshot. That way, I preserve the half-page of work visible under the unresponsive cursor. I’ve rewritten entire articles from such snippets.
The freeze-up from clicking a Google search result was a new experience (the disaster I mentioned earlier). Now, I have yet another worry to contend with.
How I Manage My Aggravation
Long ago, I realized that confronting problems head-on rarely yields results. People can be unpredictable, and since computers are made by people, they can be equally stubborn and unreliable.
The best approach is to recognize your computer’s quirks and develop effective workarounds. If it won’t upload a file from the “Downloads” folder but will from “New Folder (17),” why waste time stressing over it? Just transfer your files to “New Folder (17),” complete your work, and move on!
The question “Why won’t this do what I tell it to do?” leads to madness. Instead, ask, “If you won’t do that, what will you do to help me get my work done quickly?”
The solution doesn’t need to make sense; it just has to work!
Here are some of my strategies: - Save frequently - Print often - Email important work to myself - Turn off my computer at night and restart each morning (instead of just letting it sleep) - Create multiple backups on portable hard drives and hide them in various locations for future generations to discover
I’m currently working on a novel for my children. Every night, I print the day’s chapter and store it in a binder. Knowing that a physical copy exists, even if unedited, is comforting. Essentially, it’s 80% of the book, which is infinitely better than 0%.
Additionally, I send copies of my drafts to myself via email, using two different accounts for redundancy. This way, my work remains accessible even if my computer is lost in a flood or another catastrophe. This strategy has saved me on more than one occasion.
My hard drive backup system has spiraled out of control because I don’t fully trust them. I used to buy a new hard drive annually and update the others. The primary goal was to safeguard precious baby photos. Honestly, I’m not even sure where those drives are now or what’s on them.
I Rarely Lose My Writings
When I first got a cell phone, I misplaced it constantly. A subconscious part of me eventually grew tired of this and developed a muscle-memory process that corrected the issue. Now, I rarely misplace my phone, though I can’t pinpoint why. I’ve conditioned myself to be aware of where I place it.
The same goes for my car keys. When I arrive home, a compulsion kicks in, and I place my keys on the hook by the door. I wouldn’t dare question this behavior since it benefits me.
My haphazard methods for protecting my writing actually work quite well. Occasionally my computer has a tantrum, but at most I’ll lose three-quarters of a page. I’ve trained myself to leave a trail of backups everywhere. As long as I remember my Gmail password, I can recover most of my writing. Plus, a little hard drive treasure hunting can be exciting.
In the instance I mentioned at the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised when my computer restarted itself and my work was (mostly) recovered. I lost a paragraph, but I managed to recreate it.
Other writers possess greater technological skills than I do. They trust their intentional actions and their inherent ability to impose order on their digital devices. Good for them!
I’ve learned to rely on the peculiar, subconscious mechanism that helps me keep track of my phone and keys. This allows me to focus more on writing. Every writer is unique; we don’t all need the same backup strategies, but having a plan for preserving our work in this unreliable digital age is crucial.
Even if you have a functional system, I suggest trying the method of emailing your drafts to yourself. Just hitting save isn’t sufficient. Make it a part of your routine to ensure that your work isn’t considered complete until you have three copies in three different formats.
It may feel like extra work initially, but trust me, you’ll thank me later.