Feb 7, 2009

The Wall

by Cindy R. Williams

I hit a wall this last week. Not with my car, but with my writing. Not because I have writers block, but because I lost my resource to write on. My wonderful lap top self-destructed right before my very eyes. My stomach rose to meet my heart. I have two years of Thundertail's Tale on there along with every project I have ever started. Notice, I say started, and if you are like me, you have MANY projects started that are still waiting to find their home.

I am really quite lucky though, because my email was the first to go, and when I called my Internet service people, those disembodied voices at the other end of the telephone, I found out it was my computer that had the glitch. This led to a call to my IT specialist, David. He just happened to be a few miles away finishing up a job and came right over. He did whatever it is these geniuses do, and found the diagnostic whosits, and like I said, we watched my lap top in its very own nuclear fallout zone.

David, the techno guru, immediately grabbed the chord to my desk top computer's memory, and copied all my stories and pictures before the computer exploded. (Okay, I am being a bit melodramatic here, but it did fizzle a bit.) I guess I am one of the lucky ones, because David, the computer magic man, was able to copy them all, and I do have them now on my big family computer in our home office/hobby room/guest suite.

However, like I said at the beginning, I have hit a wall because I can no longer curl up on my cozy love seat with my beloved lap top on my legs in my writing corner of my bedroom surrounded by my many dragons, castles, fairies, fat belly boohahs, and goblins. These are my inspiration. I look at them, and can imagine them flying, soaring, talking, laughing and living in Dellrimple, New Dragonland. My daughter's fiance is visiting and staying in the front half of our office/hobby room/guest suite on the day bed, so I can no longer write in the wee hours of the night. This new wall looms large.

So, just like my characters when they hit a snag, a problem, a crisis, a wall, I am now brainstorming about how to go through, over, under or around this wall. I know this too, shall pass so I smile as I write this and am looking forward to whatever my new creative solution will be. I will not give up! I just wish I had the answer right now. I think I will go have some chocolate.

7 comments:

  1. Oh, Cindy, I can just imagine your panic when your laptop fizzled, appearing to take everything you'd ever written into the World of No Return! Thank goodness you were able to save it all, after all, even though your writing surroundings are now less than ideal. As you said, like your characters, I know you'll find a way over or around it, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy. I know your characters will be pulling for you all the way, though, because they so badly want their story to be told!

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  2. Someone in a writing class once said the best thing that happened to his book was his computer died. He had to start over and did a better job. Terrifying idea.

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  3. I too lost my laptop! I accidentally dropped it and the screen broke so I have no idea if the hard drive broke also. And now I can't curl up with my laptop in bed or downstairs or at the in-laws....I have to get on the PC which is NOT convenient! I wish I had a David! :)

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  4. PS. Ice cream works too. In case the chocolate just isn't enough.

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  5. That story alone is worth a scene in a book.

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  6. Wow, Cindy...that is the stuff nightmares are made of. So glad you were able to save your stories. As for the chocolate...I have this triple chocolate brownie-like cookie recipe that you sort of half bake and then serve it warm with ice cream and drizzle with melted Dove chocolates...Chocolate bliss! Ooh! I think that's what I'll call my first novel.

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  7. Thanks all for all your comments! What clever ladies you all are.

    Thanks, Joyce. My charactgers often talk to me. I have been afraid to admit this in the past or I might be locked away.

    Rene, I think if I lost this dragon novel I have been working on for two years, I would have a good cry, load up on chocolate and icecream and just bag i, Then write anew novel about fairies. They are getting pushy in my mind.

    Taffy, the great DAVID of the computer magicians happened to order an extra lap top for one of his businesses. He gave me a smoking, (lol) deal, and I am back in my cozy writing sofa.

    Sarah, you are absolutely right about icecream. It can save lives.

    Teri, isn't it funny how near crisis situations can be turned into scenes. I get so many scenes from the drama of my children.

    Kari, I WANT YOUR CHOCOLATE BLISS RECIPE!

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