Writing Report #6: Disaster!

This writing report is for Thursday (25/08/2016) and Friday (26/08/2016).

On Thursday, I was barely able to edit a single chapter. So I became 3 chapters behind schedule.

But that doesn't even compare to what happened yesterday, on Friday. Oh my good God it doesn't.

I switched on my computer only to find my file rolled back by 8 days! That means about 14 edited chapters gone! And something like 42,000 words edited regressed to the previous draft!

... Sigh ...

Let's just say I'm definitely going to find a new word processor. Something had been screwy with Nimble Writer ever since the upgrade to Windows 10. As mentioned in a previous post, I couldn't rename my chapters easily, and now my story is in danger of regressing like it's in a bad sci-fi movie about animals and humans regressing into earlier stages of evolution. Good God.

Throughout this entire year, I had done some search on other word processors, both out of curiosity and, more recently, out of a need to swap out my equipment, and I've come to realised that I'm actually spoilt for choice. Other than Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, there's like a dozen or more to choose from!

I just hadn't weaned myself out of Nimble Writer these past few months. Why? I guess it's out of habit. Like how George R. R. Martin's still using Wordstar. Maybe... Heck, maybe it might even be a misguided loyalty to Nimble Writer and the man who made it.

In fact, this kinda opened my eyes to how I've been neglecting a fundamental part of the writer's arsenal. Sure, a writer's own wit and skill in the craft is the most important thing. Sure, discipline and habit should be maintained.

But there's one other thing that could also make or break a writer: His equipment. Same as how a soldier would be severely limited by his weapons, the writer could also be limited by his writing apparatuses. It sure is the reason why I chose not to use Microsoft Word or LibreOffice to write my novel. How can I be so blind!

First, the word processor. Then, there's this very computer that I am writing on now. A S$299 HP Stream. Its screen is small, its keyboard is small, and its specs are humble. It lags when I use Chrome and it lags when I tried to do what it says on the tin: Stream videos on Youtube. I gotta upgrade that too. Not to stream videos or play games, of course, but for the guarantee that I won't be distracted by limitations of the hardware to write.

Indeed, thinking back, I remember how anxious I feel about writing on this tiny little thing. Hah... Funny how I managed to complete my novel on an even smaller writing laptop. This current laptop is 15" in measurement. My previous one was something like 13".

Well, I guess that's that. Enough rambling. So basically: Upgrade my damn hardwares!