A sure fire way that shoots me down is when technology gets in the way of my writing.
Recently, I had what I thought was a beautiful piece of writing ripped away from me. It was piece about a character who was often depressed because they felt they weren’t contributing enough to the tribe they lived in. I loved it. I loved this character. I put a lot of “me” in it and I was so excited to share it with my friends.
When I hit post, technology crashed. The piece I was working on for two hours disappeared without a trace. Gone. Just like that. At first, it was like my mind glitched. I stared at the screen, trying to fathom that it actually happened. I checked the page, I refreshed, I tried checking my drafts, but it was gone.
My heart broke. I put so much into this piece. I felt the character’s heart could really be heard. The thought of rewriting it crossed my mind, but I don’t remember the words I used. How did I start it? What life events of that character did I cover?
I had to walk away. I had to do something else. I couldn’t get that piece back and I couldn’t spend another two hours trying to write it up again.
This is probably the time I hate technology the most, and this wasn’t the first time it’s done this to me. When it rips away your hard work and leaves you with nothing. It’s hard to get over that defeated feeling.
nikki diekemper 