Sunday 21 December 2008

The Good & The Downright *&^*&%^!!!

THE GOOD: I've been given this fun award by Mummy Scrap = bits & pieces, fragments, discarded material, such as truth and honesty. People who write need to tell it like it is. There are two guidelines for receiving this award. One, to list 10 honest things about yourself, & two, present the award to 7 other bloggers. However, as it is a busy time of year, I'll give it to any blogger that would like it.

Ten (interesting?) things about me:
1. My brother says he always knows where to find me in a church (funeral, wedding, etc) as I'm the one with the shaking shoulders - such a wuss.
2. I can ride side-saddle (when the need arises!)
3. I had three cats, and called them all Smokey-Joe (& I call myself a writer?)
4. I think I'm shy, but those around me find it hilarious when I say so.
5. I can speak a little Zulu (very little, I can ask the time, find out where the dog is, etc).
6. I love lizards, but am terrified of spiders (though I can pick up those Crane fly ones).
7. I can spend hours in a bath (it's the only place where no one disturbs my reading).
8. I have many pet names for the dog, and he answers to every one of them (probably because he thinks I'm offering him food).
9. I adore antiques.
10. I've lost 19lbs since seeing my horrible photos in September.

THE DOWNRIGHT *&^*&%^: I started working on the corrections to HH&S in August after receiving my NWS report. When I hit a brick wall, and couldn't think how to change the ending, I left it for a couple of months (whilst mulling it over) and started novel 4. Berk that I am, I then returned to HH&S, having figured out where I wanted to go with it, and carried on with the rewrite.

THIS MORNING I discovered that back in August, I was working from one draft, and in October, continued with the rewrite using another version. SO, being that complete dunderhead that I am, I now have some corrections on one draft, and the others on another. ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I am so stupid, I could slap myself!

23 comments:

DAB said...

Not stupid m'dear - but VERY funny. Go have a hot bath. RELAX. Soak away those problems for tomorrow is another day :) TFx

HelenMWalters said...

That is soooo the sort of thing I would do. Hope you manage to sort out the pickle!

Lane Mathias said...

Never mind Debs. Can you 'merge' the two?

Zulu, side saddle and 19lbs! Wowee! Now, without this meme we'd never have known:-)

Jayne said...

Ooooh I enjoyed your answers Debs! Sorry to hear about your muddle....I hope you can get it all sorted!

CL Taylor said...

I can totally relate to your *^&!? situation! I did the same with HoWG when I was revising it. I had 3 versions open on my computer and was supposed to copy bits from two of them onto the correct one - only I got a bit confused and ended up working on the wrong one. VERY frustrating having to pick through what I'd done and paste it into the right version. It's annoying but hopefully you'll get it sorted. For me, the best way to do it was to open a brand new blank version and paste everything into that. Good luck!

Melissa Amateis said...

CONGRATS on losing the 19lbs! Awesome, awesome job.

I've done that, too, where I make corrections in the wrong document. One time I emailed myself a version of it, opened it and made all the corrections, then forgot to save it to a new folder, so it ended up lost somewhere on the computer and I never did find it. Talk about frustrating!

Flowerpot said...

Side saddle - and Zulu - my God Debs! I'm stunned! As for the revisiohns - I've done exactly that so can well sympathise!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

tom foolery - I suppose they don't call me 'dilly daydream' for nothing!

helen - thanks, it will take time, but I'll just have to get on with it. What a berk!

lane - I'm going to keep working on one, then go back and try and sort the changes from the other when I go through it again!

mummy - thanks. I'll sort it out eventually.

calistro - so relieved to hear I'm not the only one. I'm going to work on one, and will have to do a bit of merging too.

melissa m - thanks, I needed to lose that weight, still more to go too.

It is so frustrating when something like this happens :)

flowerpot - it's good to know I'm not the only one to do these things.

Anonymous said...

Hugs. Deep breath. You are a goddess after all, like all romance writers. This is an annoyance sent to try you,,, mightly.
Wine helps I find. ANd chocolate.
LOL

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

ray-anne - I shall keep telling myself, you are a goddess, you are a goddess. Wine certainly helps, chocolate too. Thanks. x

DJ Kirkby said...

Very interesting facts. I can speak a teensy bit of Japanese. Someone gave me this award recently so I must remember to add that bit in when I fianlly post it. I am so gutted foryou about your editing mistake, how incredibly frustrating. How will you amalgamate the two?

Zinnia Cyclamen said...

That must be SO annoying. But not as bad as a friend of mine who finished her (non-fiction) book, opened the champagne for a good celebration, then turned on the computer the next morning to email the book to her publisher and discovered she'd lost the last three chapters. They were irretrievable, she had no back-up, and she had to do all the work again.

Jenny Beattie said...

OMG. There's so much food for nightmares in this post and these comments. I am so sorry for your pickle Debs - it's so easy to do this and it's my big fear. I hope you get it sorted out soon.

Tamsyn Murray said...

Oh I feel for you, Debs. I've done that before but not to the same level. Have a rest and take it a step at a time.
Good luck :-)

Fionnuala said...

Oh Debs, As I read that I actually cringed for you. Its so frustrating isn't it? Put it donw to xmas busy madness (Dont worry, its a temporary state allegedly)Have a wonderful xmas with you and yours. Fx

Karen said...

I'd say something comforting in Zulu, if only I knew how! Very annoying and just the sort of thing I'd do, but bloomin' well done on losing 19lbs :o)

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

dj kirkby - Japanese? Wow, at least it's more useful than Zulu.

I've been working on the ms today, for several hours, and think that I'll get it sorted, eventually!

zinnia cyclamen - how ghastly for your poor friend, especially having to find that after all the celebrations.

jj - thanks, I will sort it somehow, damn thing. I can be such a dope sometimes.

tam - I will take it one step at a time, thanks. Sigh!

fionnuala - thanks, same to you too.

It's having to keep stopping and starting with so much to do, but things should quieten down again after Christmas.

karen - lol. Thanks re the congrats, I certainly feel much better being slightly slimmer.

claire p said...

So it's not just me then? I do daft things like that. Now a print out a hard coppy, scribble all over it, then coppy the corrections into the doc.
19lbs!! Oh I wish! One day, maybe, after Christmas, perhaps, but then it'll be nearly my birthday, and then we go on holiday again, ho hum!

Faye said...

Do you think our Richard A would be charmed by your side saddle riding capabilities? something amusing to consider when writing gets frustrating. And I'll echo Karen, well done on the weight loss.

Hope your holidays are all that you want them to be, Debs. And, all the best in 2009.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

claire p - it's good to know that I'm not the only one. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and Christmas, oh and holiday too. x

faye - mmm, what a glorious thought!

Thanks for the wishes, all the best for a wonderful Christmas and 2009 to you too. x

Pat Posner said...

Ack! Blogger 'disappeared' my post.

Have a wonderful Christmas and 2009
I hope Grumpy will enjoy, and benefit from, his water exercises

xxPat and Tessa Buttons

Troy said...

Fascinating facts, especially the Zulu.

"Ukhuluma IsiNgisi na?" is probably the most useful Zulu to have - providing they answer in the affirmative.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

pat p - thank you, and same to you too.

I hope you and Tessa Buttons enjoy your first of many Christmasses together. x

East Anglian troy - I shall have to give step-dad a call and ask him what that means. Have a great Christmas.