Wednesday, May 5, 2010

It's Physical

My book is no longer virtual or cyber. It's neither imaginary nor false, but in printed form it just became physical. Holding all that paper in my hands got me to thinking, not for the first time, what would have happened if I had lost it.

I went through three computers in the time it took me to write it, it's on every external storage device I own in one form or another, so there was little chance of it being completed blown away, yet I cringed at losing even one sentence. Funny since I eliminated 10,000 words, but that was deliberate.

Of all the things I have to lose, the one thing I would have saved in an emergency evacuation was my zippy drive. Seriously, how demented is that?

Well, last night I finally finished printing it. Now I could touch it. I don't know, it just felt like there should have been a drum roll.
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12 comments:

  1. Of course there should be a drumroll! That is so great! Congratulations.

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  2. Words in black and white. On paper. No sight more beautiful than that. Congratulations.

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  3. Wow, what an amazing feeling. I have my writing backed up all over the place, online and on two different computers. You can never be too safe.

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  4. Congratulations! And, yes, my thumbdrive is also on high on my list of priorities (and therefore on my keyring) in case of emergency!

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  5. I know that feeling! I first printed my 90,000 fantasy novel last fall.
    Its nice to know all those hours have some WEIGHT! :) Good luck in your editing.

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  6. Well done! Have fun with it now. :)

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  7. Hooray! Boy, there nothing quite like holding your manuscript in your hand, thumbing through it and seeing all those words and thinking to yourself "I did that!" Congratulations!

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  8. What a relief! My highest respect for you that you did it! I'm still working on mine and getting familiar with the publishing industry. I'm feeling kind of inadequate right now. Not about my writing. I'm confident as a writer. It's the publishing process that I have to trek through that intimidates me. I wish you the best on getting this manuscript through that process. God bless.

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  9. respect indeed!
    Good luck with your MS

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  10. Physical copy is a kind of shock -- it has a weight to it that cyber files just can't carry. You are moving forward, and that's great.

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  11. That must have been an awesome moment. Well done! Yes, scary to think you could lose your work! Thank goodness for flash drives (as we call them in Oz).

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  12. I wish you the best on getting this manuscript through that process. God bless.
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