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Bill Nelson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2117
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 10:44 am: |   |
Okay, this is a writer's site.
What are you writing?
Who's got what going?
I know Shrews has probably written six stories this morning (he's prolific)
Personally, I've backed off novel writing lately. My thinking is that by working in short stories and screen plays, I will experience more and enhance my ability to write. If so desired, I can come back to a novel format later.
Recently, I've written twelve short stories, a sort of anthology thing. Made no attempt to publish, other than posting on several websites. That's just to get feedback and, hopefully, learn something.
I've started a stage play, and am enjoying trying to compose it.
The three different mediums (?), novel length, short fiction and stage all ask for something different in composition. I'm really working out the old gray matter and having fun.
Some of you seem to have hit a wall with PA. I don't hear of any new work or effort to get published from many. What's that all about? Are you writing or not? |
Dennis Collins
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
1972
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 11:21 am: | |
Funny you should ask...
Some people here may have heard of the "Treasure of Poverty Island," maybe a myth but with enough supporters to justify a half hour on Robert Stack's "Unsolved Mysteries" a few years back.
The story is that 400 million in gold was on its way to Canada to purchase munitions for the Confederacy when it was intercepted by A. a Union naval vessel. B. A French Naval vessel contracted to the Union, C. A pirate vessel. In any case it was sunk with all hands and the Gold has been on the bottom of Lake Michigan ever since. Enough people believe the legend to spawn hundreds of fruitless treasure hunts that continue as we speak.
My protagonist, Michael O'Conner is going to find that treasure when he contracts his boat to a couple of "University researchers."
I have a few chapters complete, several blocked in, and am in the research stage on others.
Dennis Collins
Moderator
www.theunrealmccoy.com |
Gloria Marlow
Unity Member
Post Number:
1816
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 12:11 pm: | |
I was becoming quite prolific. I had four books over 3/4 of the way done and one all the way done and three or four in progress. And guess what????
My computer ate them. All of them. It ate all my promotional stuff, all my FWA stuff, all my files from work. I came home a week ago and poof! It was gone. All I got on the screen
Was "Invalid Boot diskette" or else "No hard drive detected"
I don't know if there is anyway to get it back or if it is gone forever. Does anyone know?
I am sooo mad. I have been mad for days now. If they had only been a few chapters, I could reconstruct them, but some of them had just taken off and were really getting done.
Gloria
Gloria Davidson Marlow
**The Butterfly Game***Shades of Silence***Flowers for Megan**
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Bill Nelson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2118
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 01:05 pm: | |
Damn, Gloria, that's awful!
I think your hard drive can be recovered, but it costs a lot. I would think it's worth it, however. That's a lot of work. Sorry. |
Harry Simenon
Unity Member
Post Number:
1311
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 01:06 pm: | |
I think it might be possible to use a new hard drive as boot, and get software that might be able to recover some of the information on the original boot? |
Gloria Marlow
Unity Member
Post Number:
1817
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 01:58 pm: | |
I tried that, Harry. The hard drive is one I bought a few years ago and I know it came with this disk that I have tried inserting, but the program says it can't find that type hard drive and gives me a number to call to buy a new disk. I just got to this point the last day or two where it would do that so I guess I am going to have to give it a try.
It has been forever since I finished a book and to be that close is just sooo aggravating.
Add to that the fact that the day it happened I was working from home because my boss was out of town and my phone and modem quit working (I have phone through the internet now) and I live too far out in the boondocks for the cellphone to have good reception so when he called to see what was up with me not answering his emails and got only my voicemail several times, he was very, very mad. I really almost lost my job that day. And then I got home and no computer, no files, no books, nothing.
I was ready to give everything up and go live in a cave somewhere that day.
Gloria
Gloria Davidson Marlow
**The Butterfly Game***Shades of Silence***Flowers for Megan**
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Tom Elkins
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
482
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 03:13 pm: | |
That sucks, Gloria. I'm scrambling to back up everything.
Tom Elkins
NORTH of TEXAS
www.authorsden.com/tomelkins |
Gloria Marlow
Unity Member
Post Number:
1818
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 05:07 pm: | |
My last back up was in September from what I can tell -- I thought I backed everything up a couple months ago, but time flies, so maybe it was September. At that time, I was in a funk and had a few of these started, but not anywhere near were I was last week.
Gloria Davidson Marlow
**The Butterfly Game***Shades of Silence***Flowers for Megan**
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Harry Simenon
Unity Member
Post Number:
1313
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 09:12 am: | |
Gloria,
I can imagine how you must feel, so I asked my nephew who works in the IT sector.
I tried to translate his story, but unlike him I’m not a computer expert; I only manage to get by.
“If the hard disk is not physically damaged you should be able to save the partition table and files.
If it is the operating system, (so the PC can’t start anymore,) then it’s easy. You could boot the computer from a flop or CD, and copy the files to another medium.
I have used ‘testdisk’ to save several disks at work:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
‘Hiren’s bootCD’ might work better, it’s a CD crammed with tools diagnose, recovery and cloning.
You should start the PC from a CD, and you could try to save what can be saved. Perhaps she should ask someone to help her with this.
A few links to boot CD’s:
http://rapidshare.de/files/20786902/ExSoFT.oRG_Hiren_Boot_CD_8.1_full.rar.html.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M822LGG8
(Harry: Links run in the family, it seems…)
If she has a second disk (same brand, model and size) she might be able to make a sector copy by using ‘Ghost,’ or something like that, en repair the copy. After that she could still return to the situation she is in now, as recovery tools can also worsen the matter.”
Hope this might help a bit. After hearing about your ordeal I immediately started to make back ups, as I always forget to do so. Probably some more people at this board jumped into action after reading your post.
Perhaps it is an idea to install a (smaller) second drive, and make automatic copies to that drive? The chance that both drives crash simultaneously is nearly zero, and you don’t need to remember to make back ups.
Although it is possible for Word to make automatic back ups, it seems to do so only to the same drives as the originals. I don’t see where I could change that, as the backup location is not specified in Word’s ‘File Locations.’
You could have Windows to create backups at any given time though, but you have to tell the Windows ‘Backup Utility’ first which files you want to back up, and where to. This might work for you.
I will have to look into it myself too, but I don’t have a Windows machine.
Also: back ups on CD’s or DVD’s can rot away after a while. Hard disks seem to be safer, but keep them away from magnetic fields of course. |
tlh (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: cpe-24-242-233-173.houston.res.rr.com
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 08:42 pm: | |
Hey, I asked my fiance who is a tech guy about this (I've been in that boat and I feel your pain!) and here's his response:
I wouldn't recommend any of that stuff if you don't know what you're doing. You can end up making the situation worse than it is right now.
The question is pretty simple - is your hard drive defective or not. If you don't have any extra computers that you can use to burn a CD that you can use for testing, then you don't have the ability to find that out. You'll need to pay someone. If you do, then you'll need to burn a CD to boot from. I recommend Hitachi's Drive Fitness Test. You can get it at http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2828.html
If you are able to run the Drive Fitness Test and your hard drive comes out ok, then you're in luck. Bring it to any local computer repair place and they can pull the data off for you and burn it to CD or DVD.
If the drive is damaged, then be prepared to pay. A lot. On the order of $500-$1000, depending on where you go. I don't have any data recovery specialists to recommend off of the top of my head, but I'm sure you could find some on a Google search. |
Sean D. Schaffer
Hunger Member
Post Number:
61
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 01:25 am: | |
I've been working on two manuscripts lately. One is called For Those Who Believe and the other is called Promised World. Presently I'm working on Promised World and trying to make the work actually hit--if not surpass--the 90,000 word mark. The other work is on hold for the time being, whilst I let it ferment. I just finished its First Draft about a month ago. It sits at roughly 60,000 words in its First Draft state.
I was trying to submit Promised World for a while, but I found that, as its present form is only 57,000 words in length, no one really wanted to take the risk on it. So that's why I'm re-writing it.
I have a couple ideas sitting in the back of my head for when my present works are completed. They're still in the infancy stages right now, although I might be trying out an outline for one of them fairly soon.
Also, I've been thinking about re-writing some older works, including possibly Wyverinia Chronicles, (My old PA work) and making them more publish-worthy. There's one about a princess who turns into a dragon that I really have been debating a lot on lately, that I might work with in the coming months.
That's pretty much where I stand on my project list for the moment. I've been keeping myself and my typewriter pretty busy these last few months. |
Frederick A. Babb
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
443
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 05:43 am: | |
Gloria,
I hope you can recover. In the future, the investment of pen drives would be a valid solution. You can place a complete manuscript on them and use them on any computer while being able to edit at any time. With the price of small ones these days, it is the best solution I have found.
Now, I have been up to 6 ft. (Ok, old joke). I have my satire site up at http://www.ironicallyspeaking.net. I write most of the stories there either based on real stories or complete imaginative. I have had my fifth book released this past April (7 Seconds till Eternity) and I have two more books coming down the shoot. Oh...and that dang day job I have to maintain until I have the bestseller take me to easy street.
Preview books: http://www.frederickbabb.bravehost.com |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1800
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 12:23 pm: | |
I signed a contract to co-author (closer to ghost write) a book with Colonel Derek Duke who is working to salvage the abandoned Tybee thermonuclear bomb in shallow water off the coast of Savannah. My involvement stems from an earlier article So Long, Savannah!, http://www.fdungan.com/savannah.htm, which helped to get the ball rolling.
http://www.fdungan.com/savannah.htm |
Bill Nelson
Unity Member
Post Number:
2137
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 12:58 pm: | |
Fred,
That is outstanding, man. Congratulations! It not only is success, it sounds like a very interesting project.
Best of luck with it. |
Harry Simenon
Unity Member
Post Number:
1324
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 01:32 pm: | |
That is good news Fred, good luck! |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2786
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 01:49 pm: | |
Fred, DITTO and all the rest of the good wishes. You have been a very deserving writer since time before we knew ya' and now, with a little more perseverance, it will pay out for you. I am so happy for you.
Claudia
MINDSIGHT MODERATOR
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Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1803
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 05:08 pm: | |
It's not in the bag. I have to get up to speed. It is, however, great to be part of a team that is helping to bring closure to the Cold War. Savannah and the entire eastern seaboard will sleep a lot better once the threat is removed.
Here is a picture of the bad guy. The current at the site is 6 knots. Sand and silt reduce visibility to zero.
http://www.fdungan.com/savannah.htm |
Sean D. Schaffer
Hunger Member
Post Number:
63
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 - 11:22 pm: | |
Wow, Fred. I wish you all the best with your endeavor. It sounds like quite an opportunity.
http://seandschaffer.blogspot.com/ |
Tom Elkins
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
485
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 24, 2006 - 07:36 am: | |
Right on, Fred. I'm adding your name to those I drop when I want to impress somebody.
Tom Elkins
NORTH of TEXAS
www.authorsden.com/tomelkins |
Pacwriter
Unity Member
Post Number:
2459
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 24, 2006 - 07:46 am: | |
excerpt of JOB'S COUSIN
During the children’s sermon, he corralled Kelly Bishop and sat her on his knee as he knelt telling them about Jonah. It was a mistake, Kelly wiggled free, stood and farted. The dozen kids gathered around Matt giggled then held their noses. It was bad, in fact, Matt tried to hold his breath . Stifled laughter broke out among the adults because they all heard the fart, Kelly’s rear was against the lapel microphone and amplified the sound. The point he tried to make about Jonah was lost on the children and the congregation.
Somewhat red-faced, Matt stood behind the pulpit glad to be away from the smelly child. A man began to howl with laughter. His face turned a bright crimson. The laugh was picked up and the whole congregation roared. He allowed a smile, a small one while he waited for a semblance of respect to return to God’s house.
“Somewhere in that experience was a lesson.” Matt stated. “Perhaps, God is reminding us not to take ourselves too serious and to remember we are to be like the little children. But, please, if you must follow Kelly’s example, do it outside.
http://www.perrycomer.com
http://www.blogger.com/publish.g?blogID=20779252&inprogress=true
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Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1806
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 24, 2006 - 08:14 pm: | |
Perry,
This is excellent. Only a true man of God would have the fortitude to withstand such a disaster. A lesser individual would have taken it personally, maybe even viewing it as a slap in the face for having done the right thing.
http://www.fdungan.com/sent.htm |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
3379
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 25, 2006 - 06:49 am: | |
Congrats to you, Fred, and good luck in closing the deal...
Myself, I've been slacking off on my writing (and posting here) in pursuit of other endeavors, but still have a few projects out there...
The next Aston novel(la?) is making the rounds. I've been considering going back in yet again and doing a full edit to improve it, despite the fact I've barely sent out any queries on it. Just that nagging feeling I have...
The next one is in work.
Another novel, stand-alone from the rest, is in work, and was discussed over at the Midwestern Writer blog I attempt to maintain.
I want to get back into some short stories, as well as place ones I already finished.
Gloria, do you have a floppy disk drive and access to another computer running something other than Windows XP? If the problem is merely in the boot sector of the bad hard drive, it would think your data could still be accessed...though it's been a while since I've had a drive failure (crossing fingers and running a backup)...
Mindsight Moderator
Aston's Blog
Midwestern Writer |
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