OOOOHHH  HECK....I’ve  JUST LOST MY MANUSCRIPT  by Miller Caldwell

Having inherited from my mother, photos  taken by the Daily Sketch and Royal Family photographer David Harvie 1878-1916, her uncle,  I decided through looking at them, a story could be told. I pondered the concept. I developed the idea of providing the historical development of a nurse to a suffragette and later her experiences in the trenches of the First World War.  And so I set down to write the story of Miss Martha Douglas.

Following my success with Operation Oboe and my apparent ability to keep the era at the front of my mind, I saw the chapters emerge and soon I was approaching page 172 confidently anticipating the finished product would be around 240 pages.

Then after washing the evening dishes one Friday night, I returned to writing. The computer took ages to warm up. This was unusual. Then flashing blue pages gave the room an eerie presence, not appropriate for what I was about  to write in Chapter 14.  I summonsed my wife. Now I should say my wife is the senior computer programmer at Police HQ and she would get me up and running in no time.  But alas she announced the computer had had its days.

‘Have you backed your book up?’ she asked

‘I’ve saved it.’

‘No not just saved it. Have you backed it up?’

‘Oh dear me, No’

‘Then you have probably lost your manuscript. ‘

Indeed I had. And I can sense some sympathy from you but believe it or not, it was probably the best thing which happened to me. I knew the book so well now that I could almost write it again but this time, I added  more personality into my characters, and with the mantra  ‘show  don’t tell’ was enabling me to bring better quality to the book.  It was a major overhaul and one which took me down to the skeleton before reconstruction. Three days hard at the manuscript with a new computer got me back on track. I added the photographs and headings and the book was ready for publishing two months later. 

Miss Martha Douglas is selling well to the elderly as they enjoy reading that era of history and now I am being asked to speak about the genesis of the book, the life of David Harvie and his photographs and about the two suffragettes as we approach the centenary of the brave female struggles for emancipation.

So next time you find your manuscript  gone electronically, no matter whether it’s a chapter or fourteen chapters lost, do not jump off the highest building. No, go for a walk and decide to recall your story. It will come flooding back to you and now you have an opportunity to improve your writing as you reconstruct your book.  Your reviewers will welcome that.  Oh and don’t forget to get a proper backing device! Ends.

Miller Caldwell