When technology fails

The best-laid plans.
Today I was going to start a series of blogs called Writer’s Diary.
My intention was to tell you about the way I build a story. Not an instructional blog, but an insight into the way I work. I planned to start by talking about subplots because that’s what I have been struggling with recently.
That subject is on hold.

So now my writer’s diary is starting with technology. The reason is simple: in the last week technology has failed me badly.
In the modern world, writers and the printing industry are reliant on pretty advanced technology. It’s a romantic notion that we write in pencil on notepads, never make a spelling mistake, and have a perfect knowledge of both basic grammar and the latest changes in writing conventions.
I read comments on social media all the time from people who claim never to use technological aids. I don’t believe them. The process is too slow. If they write in pencil, who types up their work for the publisher or the self-publishing body? If they do it themselves, then writing becomes a two-stage process, even before the editing starts.

If they don’t think they need to edit their work, it usually means that they pay over the odds when someone else does it for them. If they use a publisher, several people edit at different stages of the process. If they self-publish, the chances are that someone edits and someone else proofreads to pick up the mistakes they claim never to make.
It took me a long time to realise that you need either technology or a team of people helping you. The other issue is time: the more efficient you are at using the available technology, the faster you can produce a new work. The creative part never changes; everything that surrounds it takes time.
That brings me to my point.

The battery has failed on my computer. On the day I noticed the problem, I spent my writing time making backups of everything, both in the cloud and on a separate drive. Last time I had a computer failure, I lost three-quarters of a new novel, so since then I have been borderline obsessive about backing my work up.
The second day we had a storm and our internet went down. I spent that day visiting the computer repair shop to order a new battery and the internet provider to report the problem. Next week I’ll lose my computer for three days while they fit the new battery. I can use it, but only for short bursts before it gets too hot.
My writing time follows a pattern. It’s a way to protect the creative part of the day. I set out my desk in a certain way; I have a computer setup that I feel comfortable with. I do things in a certain order. I have a list of jobs and an order to do them being creative is, tiring and I want to preserve that process.
When my order is interrupted, I find it a struggle to get any creative work done. This week I have been hitting brick walls, like a sportsman who has lost his lucky socks. When I examine it, it seems superstitious, so it’s time for a rethink. Steve thinks I should stick to using paper and a pencil because they are portable and reliable. I say ‘blow that for a game of soldiers’, but seriously, I do need to be more flexible in my approach.
So why do I need the internet to write? Most of my research is done on line. Most of it before I start writing. It’s quicker that way, and I write crime fiction, not history. I don’t need primary sources. Once I start the first draft I need to look things up, check a detail, consult a map, email someone to ask for information, I use the web everyday.
I use a spell and grammar checker, for which I need to be online. To make it clear, I use one because it speeds up the process; I do still edit myself, but my first draft is cleaner and better if I use a spell and grammar checker.
Editing, like storytelling, takes time to learn, and writers take a lifetime to learn both properly. Technology helps and speeds up that process for me. These days writing aids are the key to quality work because the infrastructure for writers has changed and also depends on technology.
So do I have workarounds when I lose part of my system?. No, I hadn’t before this week. Most of this bog was produced using mobile data from my phone and a hotspot. It works well enough, and I pay for mobile data that I don’t use, so it makes sense, but it’s the first time I have used in that way.
While my computer is being repaired, I will spend time reviewing my systems. I am thinking of a portable keyboard, so I can use my phone or, better still, a tablet as backup, and so that I can write anywhere.
Many people write entire novels using their mobile’s keypad, but my thumbs don’t work that well. I’ve tried it; it doesn’t work for me. I guess I wasn’t born into the mobile generation. I have one and use it, but its like speaking in a different language; you never quite get the nuance, right? What do you do? I would be interested to know.

I admit to being frustrated, and my work in progress is suffering. I have completely lost the thread of the story, and resolving the subplot is the least of my problems. When I am set up again, I will need the first couple of days to read what I have written so far and get back into the groove. I need longer that to regain my momentum and finish the draft. That’s why I need to build in flexibility in the future so I can move from one setup to another without a pause.
I need to be challenged from time to time to put me on the road to a better path; maybe we all do. When you get stuck in a rut, the rut gets deeper and deeper until it’s impossible to climb out.
I see that on the news every day, as I watch NATO leaders flounder as the USA changes its position in the world order. Some of them are in ruts so deep that they can barely see over the top.
This isn’t about politics, though; it’s about adapting to change. I want to; I need to, but I don’t always have the courage to do what needs doing. How about you?