Software crashes and fic musings

I've decided I severely dislike Microsoft Works.

With the new laptop, I do have Word, but I need to activate it. However, my activation key is sitting on Jeff's desk. So, when I was actually inspired to write chapter seven of "The Twilight Struggle" last night, I used MSWorks instead.

BIG. MISTAKE.

After a couple hours of writing, I was literally a couple paragraphs away from ending the chapter. I wasn't too happy with the Miroku/Sango part at the beginning, but that was mainly because my research had fled me - meaning I need to go back to the library. Other than that, I was very happy with the way that it turned out, especially the Inuyasha/Kagome scene. I'm working on the very end of the chapter when...you guessed, it crashed.

I lost the entire thing.

Apparently, one of the differences between Works and Word is that Works does not have the oh-so-convenient backup feature that Word has. alf_b and her husband tried to help me through IMs to locate the temp file and restore it, but that failed. So, I have to redo the entire thing.

::sigh::

In a way, I suppose it was a good thing. While I really like the plot development that occured in the Miroku/Sango part - which provided some good tension for the upcoming chapters - I felt it wasn't fleshed out enough. That, and I need to dig out my original outline again and see if I left anything out. So, in a sense, this was a good thing. It was just so frusturating.

To be honest, this chapter was my big hurdle in writing this fic because of the Inuyasha/Kagome scene. So, I'm hoping once I get past this, it'll be easier for me to keep going and bring this fic to a close in the 11 chapters I've alloted for it. I'm pretty excited about that. I hope to finish this fic and "The Deep and Savage Way" about the same time, and "Shikon no Go" shouldn't be that far after that. That would leave "Return to You" and its planned sequels. "The Twilight Struggle" has a sequel as well, but it's just very rough concepts and no concrete outline. Then, there's my lingering RK fics. I'm feeling more motivated on "For This Dojo's Honor" since I'm reading the manga right now. One of these days, I might finish "Love and Duty." Maybe.

When all is said and done, I would really like to come out of my Sailormoon retirement just long enough to complete "Between the Darkness and the Light." But, I really need to rewatch the series before I do that.

And, that's enough fic rantage for today. Now back to our regular scheduled speculation of how Naraku plans to torture Kagura next.