For all of my writing career, I’ve had trouble with my computer.
My first computer was a Commodore 64. Talk about a dinosaur! I could type exactly 20 pages before running out of characters. If I wasn’t paying attention to the decreasing character count and typed to the end, I lost all of those pages. No way to retrieve them.
My next “computer” was an electronic typewriter. When I sat down to type a new story/article/book, Chuck took the kids somewhere for the day.
Then came a computer with Word Perfect 6. I did fine with that one. I learned all the F key functions and never stopped typing each day without a smile.
Then, TA DA, the amazing WORD was created, and writers had to switch to WORD because that’s what editors wanted. My dot matrix printer had to go. Editors’ eyes were turning to dots.
I didn’t realize a Harpy had moved into my computer until a couple of years ago. If I went through my journals, I could find the exact date she arrived.
If you’ve ever read Greek mythology, you’ll recognize the hydra as a flying creature, usually sent to torment someone for being tacky to Zeus. Remember the original Clash of the Titans movie?
Jason, Medea, Hera, the argonauts, and haughty Hercules, who went with Hylas and stole a huge golden needle from the treasure room below the Titan, Talos?
No? You must see that old movie. I always love seeing the animated skeletons start running and screaming. I scream along with them. And when Medea is killed, then brought back to life with the golden fleece, she’s helped up. The back of her hair is solid dirt. A second later, the dirt is gone.
By the way, the actress who played Medea was married to Zuben Mahta! Bet you didn’t know that.
Back to MY Harpy
Last Year, She Turned into the Hydra
Five heads, with horrible teeth and claws, all venomous.
Hydra Harpy started a war in my computer between Google and Microsoft that ended in THE GREAT DELETION. May 31, 2021
I’d finally finished my new novel and was ready to send it to my Harlequin Editor. I asked if she’d like to see it. Yes!
I created a post, then tried to attach the book.
It wasn’t there.
Word’s funny little habit of creating partial lists of files and never letting me see the full list sent me on a despairing quest to find my book. It no longer existed.
Hydra Harpy laughed and laughed and laughed.
Fast Forward to Today
I had to rewrite my book. Sent it the middle of August last year. Waited.
My wonderful editor didn’t buy the book in September. It didn’t fit any of Harlequin’s lines. I pulled a black bag over my head and moped.
Then, on January 30, 2022, I found a publisher who would LOVE my book, and who would reissue and promote all of my previous books in addition to the new one!
Hallelujah! The Horrible Hydra Harpy must have gotten tired of tormenting me and left!
Time to submit Kiss Me, Cindy to the new publisher! Doing the awkward happy dance! Happy happy, joy joy! Cis boom bah!
Time to move the synopsis from Word to my email.
Uh. Wait a minute. I found the file! Why, when I opened it, did I get a completely BLANK PAGE OF PAPER?
HHH is BACK
Now, I have to search every stack of printed paper in my closet, my chest of drawers, everywhere!
When I find that printed copy, I’ll retype it. It’s long. That’s what this publisher wants. No, I didn’t send the synopsis to my editor. I wanted the surprises to be surprises! And no, the synopsis isn’t in the huge ring binder with the final hard copy of the book.
I might find that copy today. I’m more organized with my writing now than I’ve ever been, but that doesn’t really qualify as organization. I just have drawers and ring binders for my stacks of paper, magazine articles, writing ideas, and recipes.
While digging through everything, I should put similar items in specific piles, right? Not me. When I rummage, I rummage!
Stay tuned for further developments.
Hugs, Happiness, and no HHHs for you!
Linda