Reb MacRath, Action Manifester: Flash Bulletin #5

Two days after the last Flash Bulletin, my laptop crashed--resulting in the loss of a completed but unsaved manuscript. In two more days I'd planned to send it to my beta readers for their feedback and an early spring release.

Luckily, I did find a saved second draft on a flash drive. This would have been at least six months old and the novel would have gone through a half-dozen drafts since then. But, compared with the alternative--abandoning the book altogether--the blessing, to me, seemed rich beyond compare. I dried my eyes, rolled up my sleeves and got down to work.

Since then:
--I have sent the first 120 'recovered' pages to my beta readers--completed using library computers in 1 hour sessions.
--I have nearly completed recovering the remainder, working in long hand on a hard copy from the flash drive. Am typing 3-5 pages a day.
--With the loss of the laptop, I lost my online connections and my Kindle reader app, except for short library sessions. Decision: Before repairing the laptop, I'll buy a Kindle Fire on 1/24 to regain those necessary powers. And I'll continue using library computers to type.
--A long-planned photo shoot took place in December, thanks to a generous offer of help from a California artist who'd read of my plight. The 200 photos taken have been culled to six....which I'll use within the next couple of weeks to replace existing shots here and on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon.
--The artist repeated a suggestion from years ago: that I search for freelance proofing assignments with advertising agencies, etc. I have the background but needed the repeat nudge. I'll begin the search this month.
--This work, in turn, will help finance the move to Seattle later this year--and could be regarded as existing employment when I arrive there.

So I enter 2014 with rekindled faith and a strengthened sense of synchronicity: the crashed laptop, the photo shoot, the chance of proofing for excellent pay, the move--all of these things came together from what first seemed like total disaster.

Banzai!