Elaine Faber

I have 13 published novels and have published short stories in 22 anthologies. I have also written over 20 articles on writing, some of them published here on this website, and others published in Writer’s newsletters and on-line blog posts.,

The Crash

I recently had a major computer crash and lost everything… pictures, email, address book, documents… I had backed up my stories and manuscripts and some writing articles on flash drives and thought that was sufficient, but didn’t consider backing up emails, address book or pictures or all articles.

Restoring the Information

We purchased a new computer and began the process to retrieve my lost material.

I retrieved my stories and some articles from the flash drives and actually found a few email contacts on them as well. The ideas below pertain mostly to retrieving pictures, email addresses and written articles that were lost. Perhaps one will be helpful to someone who has suffered a similar loss.

Ideas to Restore Lost Material

1. If you have saved material on a flash drive, carefully evaluate and download that information into your repaired or new computer. Be sure to establish a ‘back-up’ plan to prevent a repeat disaster, i.e. In the Cloud or other location.
2. If you have a website, check all content to see if anything you previously published pertains to lost material you might want to down load to current computer. Many websites also have pictures on top of your article. If you put a personal picture on that article, you can capture it and return a copy to your new “pictures” file.
3. Check any online location where you established an email directory to download information to friends and family. I found a number of emails on Jackie Lawson Greeting Cards location. You might want to research Facebook or Instagram. Perhaps there is a way to retrieve previously posted photos you might want to retrieve.
4. Most people have I-phones that hold a zillion pictures (which I don’t) that can be recaptured into your computer.
5. Contact any newsletter or blog post where you may have submitted material. They may still have copies in their files that could be sent back to you.
6. Post a note on your Facebook or Instagram page, explain the issue and request friends send you their emails and phone numbers.

I’m sure there are other ways to relocate lost material, but these are the few that have worked for me. I’m still working on it. Good luck. If you have any other ideas, feel free to share.

There is a simple template for how to write a best selling mystery novel.
The Plot

Chapter one must have a hook that compels the reader to keep turning pages. Perhaps it’s a hard-boiled detective bringing the killer to justice, or a romance with the boy next door. Along the way, you’ll laugh or cry, be scared or surprised, along with the hero. When the story ends, you hope there’s a sequel because you want to spend more time with the characters.

Conflict

A compelling story must have something that prevents the main character from easily fulfilling his goal–conflict! If the CIA agent catches the villain on page one, there is no adventure. If the girl’s heart is broken in the first chapter, where is the romance? If someone isn’t looking for the lost puppy, he’s just a puppy.

Supporting Characters

Besides the intriguing main characters, a good story has compelling supporting characters. They are the friends, relatives, or even the protagonist’s pet–someone to interact with the main character. They may provide the conflict or help bring about a resolution, as in my Black Cat Mysteries, where Black Cat aids in solving mysteries.

Beginning-Middle-End

A good book has an exciting beginning, a compelling middle, and a satisfying end. The beginning of the story jumps into an event that convinces the reader to travel this journey with the main character. A mystery to solve, a romantic conflict or a specific goal must be revealed within the first few pages to keep the reader turning pages.

The middle is the crux of the story, where the character struggles to overcome the obstacles, but events go from bad to worse, and when all seems lost, we come to the exciting conclusion. The reader leaves laundry in the dryer and dishes in the sink to see how our hero solves the problem.

The ending must tie up all the loose strings, solve all the puzzles and reach a conclusion that is acceptable to the reader. Did you ever read a 300 page novel and the main character dies on the last page. You want to heave the book against the wall!

The Satisfying Conclusion

In a satisfying conclusion, the hero gets the girl, the killer is revealed, the interplanetary six-headed monster is relieved of at least two of his heads, or the puppy finds a home. The conclusion leaves the reader satisfied and wanting to buy the sequel.

The Right Editor

Now, the nuts and bolts: An author needs a good editor to look for spelling errors, poor punctuation, poorly written sentences or scenes that don’t make sense. She suggests corrections in a constructive manner to help the reader becomes one with the protagonist or at least travel alongside the hero.

The Book Cover

The book cover is snappy, good looking, brightly colored with an easily read title and intriguing picture, which suggests the story line. The appealing cover tempts the potential buyer to read the summary on the back and then, to buy the book. Mission accomplished.

That’s all there is to writing a best seller. Easy-peasy, right?