![file-1293983_1280.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/stuartcturnbull/23yncxuXYC5o2Y8563CbyVQfWEYe8dACxPRnmJZYdcwf4P6TMtJiK6uPToTmdzrF6fncs.png)


I'm doing a weekly novel writing check-in with another HIVIAN (if they wish to reveal themselves, they can do so).

We message each other on a Sunday to say how things have gone for the week, and what we hope to achieve for the week to come.

We're only three weeks in, but I'm feeling the benefit of it. It's given me a target to focus on which, as the recovery from COVID continues, has been most beneficial.

Last week was not a great week for the novel and I only logged 915 words, all of them yesterday. Part of the reason for that is this chapter is in the FMC pov and she's a woman in an abusive relationship. It's taking a lot of mental effort to write in a way that feels real, that acknowledges the complexities of such a situation and neither trivialises nor glorifies such a relationship.

Anyway, I'd got a start on the next part of the chapter and, waking up at 05:30, thought I'd get set on the next part of the chapter.

Well now. I did not save yesterday evening's work correctly. I'm not sure how. The file name for it was in the novel folder, it's just that the file was a blank page.

Cue death spiral.

At other times an event like this has been enough for me to abandon a project for months. This time I spent the day re-writing, and then let my accountability partner know the score.

So, the end result is I'm back to where I was last night at this time, except I have definitely saved it this time. I'm hoping to push on to the end of this chapter this week, and am having to mentally steel myself for the concluding scene which is loosely plotted.

anyway, make sure you save things properly, double save them, write down where you saved them.

and come read my [Modern LA Noir novel](https://peakd.com/hive-110144/@stuartcturnbull/la-noir-collected) as I write and post the first draft here on HIVE.

oh, and if you're writing a novel and think a weekly check in to update on progress and set targets for the week may help, get in touch.

*text by stuartcturnbull picture by [OpenClipart-Vectors]*(https://pixabay.com/vectors/file-icon-save-1293983/) via Pixabay