I know, I know. A Monday post? Not my usual frequency here on WordPress but today’s a great day for a confessional. Or is it a rant? You decide…
A giggle popped up in my social media feed a few months ago. Let’s just say the almighty algorithm accurately detected my editing mania. Less about the editing itself, mind you. More about the ridiculousness of document naming conventions.
Version roulette.
Exhausted but unable to sleep, my mind continued editing minute aspects of my first-ever novel, “Slivers” late into the night when my Deadline (capital “D” on purpose) loomed. Do you do this, too? Edit in your head? No paper or screen necessary. No writing implement or keyboard required.
Phrases and whole sentences nest in my brain, pulsing for attention because something…undetectable at the first, second, third or 99th glance…needs attention. Sleep eludes me. Instead of counting sheep, I’m visualizing passages and getting lost in woodsy paragraphs of my own making.
When sleep deprivation and editing desperation are at their worst, I’m lulled into false epiphanies. Eager to bring closure to loose ends and fueled by overblown optimism, I bounce from my bed and head to my desktop and make adjustments. Tweaks at 3am are dangerous, though. For the exact reason this spot-on meme cites:
When the sun rises and I rattle cobwebs from my brain, guzzling iced coffee #1, I see a new draft in my inbox. One I emailed to myself for safe-keeping but with a curiously unique document name–one that gets lengthier with variations of “last”, “final”, “final.last”, “final.xxxx.date”.
Which brings me to a confessional moment:
Every now and then a friend or family member will inquire about my reticence about drinking alcohol. Many who’ve read “Surviving Sue” assume I’m a teetotaler, a sober gal because of the harrowing experience of living with my wild alcoholic mother who also had massive mental health issues. True, that’s one thread. But the actual truth? Sober me is pretty darn wild and crazy au naturel with a tendency toward recklessness when it comes to record-keeping, especially if sleep-deprived. A Vicki who imbibes? Good golly. I’m sure I’d never unravel my own knots. Writing-wise and otherwise.
So dear friends. If you’re in the midst of a BIG project or you’re contemplating how to get organized to begin something new, know that I’m sending loads of positivity your way but no expert guidance. My best advice? When in doubt, save, save, save and occasionally email your work to yourself. And…consider adopting a document naming schema. One you’ll stick with. Just a suggestion. And get some sleep.
With love,
Vicki 💝
Lagniappe? A little more? I love sharing writing tips. Here are a few from the archives that you might enjoy — including wisdom from fellow bloggers Brian Hannon and Elizabeth Wickham.
Hi – I’m Victoria, Vicki, Dr. Vicki. I hold a doctorate in Adult Education and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and author of Surviving Sue and Slivers.
Check out this link to learn more about my book “Surviving Sue” – all about resilience and love. Check out this link to order “Slivers”…a ghost story with surprising twists.
Victoria Ponders 
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