Lose Your Manuscript? Follow These Steps to Keep From Losing Your Mind

Few things are as devastating to a writer as losing a manuscript. Whether it’s a novel or personal journal, the countless hours spent crafting and perfecting your work seem to vanish in an instant. The emotional toll is immense.

God helped me recover from these agonizing moments in the past, but now the stakes were higher. I had never pitched my story for publication before. Attending my first Christian writers’ conference was already overwhelming. The best of the best in Christian publishing gathered with the hope to further their purpose as writers. After doing my due diligence, I secured a 15-minute interview with a traditional publisher who specifically wanted memoirs.

My heart sunk when I discovered three years’ worth of corrupt files on my thumb drive. Not even my backup files saved on the Cloud were reachable. Despite taking the precaution of emailing Word documents to myself, I couldn’t open them on my new laptop. After two hours of tears and struggling with technology, I had nothing.

Have you ever been there?

Being Kingdom writers, we bear a special burden of responsibility. This is why misplacing a manuscript can feel like misplacing a fragment of our life’s mission. There are valuable lessons in both the loss and recovery of a manuscript.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Inspired Writing

In John 14:26, Jesus tells His disciples, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” This is a powerful promise for writers. It means that when we submit our work to the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit into the creative process, He will help us recall the things that God has shown us, leading us in truth and ensuring that the message is conveyed in alignment with His will.

For Christian writers, every manuscript is more than just words on a page. It’s an outflow of what the Spirit has revealed to us—through Scripture, prayer, and life experiences. The Holy Spirit acts as the divine inspiration behind every word, guiding us in writing with clarity, compassion, and truth. He doesn’t just inspire us at the beginning of the writing process; He is with us throughout, prompting us to remember key insights, biblical principles, and even the exact phrases that communicate God’s heart.

The loss of a manuscript can leave one feeling like all that divine inspiration has gone to waste. Still, it’s important to remember that the Spirit who inspired us in the beginning has the ability to help us rewrite and even improve upon what was lost. What may seem like a setback can often lead to an even greater opportunity for growth, reflection, and deepening trust in the Lord.

Resting in God’s Sovereignty

As writers, especially those committed to glorifying God through our work, we are often perfectionists. We pour our hearts into every sentence, ensuring that what we produce reflects the best of what God has placed in us. So when a manuscript is lost, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by feelings of failure or frustration. However, in those moments, it’s crucial to remember that nothing is ever truly lost in God’s economy.

My conference roommate helped me understand this fundamental truth. “You know, maybe the Lord has an even better story to come from this. After all, so much has changed in your life over the past few years. You are a different person now and your perspective is much different.” Her words of wisdom calmed my spirit. I hit the proverbial reset button and headed to our evening session.

Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” This verse is a lifeline for any believer who has experienced loss—whether material, emotional, or spiritual. That manuscript, though precious to us, is not outside the realm of God’s plan. He knew the loss would happen, and He also knows how He will use this situation to strengthen our faith and perhaps even sharpen the message He wants to communicate through us.

I was taken aback when the evening keynote speaker shared the unexpected turn of events that brought her pursuit of a publishing contract for her two novels to an abrupt halt. Now a Christian, she realized the books would not glorify God. With the assistance of her agent, she resolved the situation with the publishing company and rewrote both novels with a Christian viewpoint.

I found solace in her testimony. She made the choice to rewrite both books. In my case, I had no choice. But her resolve and obedience to the Lord helped me stay on track with my own God-given assignment.

In moments of loss, we are invited to lean more deeply into God’s sovereignty. The act of losing a manuscript can remind us that our work—no matter how carefully crafted—is ultimately God’s work. It’s a humbling experience, but one that leads us to depend not on our own strength or memory, but on the Holy Spirit, who can bring everything back to our remembrance, as Jesus promised.

The Holy Spirit Will Call to Remembrance What We Have Lost

One of the most comforting aspects of a relationship with God is the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is our Helper. In John 14:26, Jesus explains that the Spirit will remind us of everything He has taught us. This is particularly relevant for writers who have lost their manuscripts. Though the written document may be gone, the truths and revelations God has shown us are not erased from our hearts. The Holy Spirit can, and will, bring these things back to our minds when we ask Him.

In practice, this means that when we sit down to rewrite, the Holy Spirit will guide us, helping us to recall key points, themes, and even exact phrases that were part of the original work. Many writers who have gone through this experience testify that their rewritten manuscript often turns out better than the original. Why? Because the Holy Spirit not only helps us remember but also refines our understanding and clarity.

In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This is a reminder that God is not done with the work He began in us—whether that’s a book, a blog post, or a personal testimony. If God inspired us to write, He will complete that work, even if it takes us down an unexpected path. When it comes to the ministry of writing, you can also expect to encounter spiritual warfare.

Debbie Alsdorf with Books & Such Literary Management is all too familiar. Her article, Spiritual Warfare and the Ministry of the Christian Writer, is a great resource on the topic. The loss of a manuscript is not the end; it’s a part of the journey where we learn to rely more fully on God’s ability to finish what He started in us.

Practical Steps After Losing a Manuscript

While it’s vital to trust the Holy Spirit for guidance, we are also called to take practical steps in safeguarding our work. Here are some steps you can take after losing a manuscript:

1. Stay calm, pray, and assess the situation. Look in temporary files, email drafts, and backup locations like cloud services (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) or even email attachments. Sometimes, a manuscript isn’t lost but misplaced.
2. Trust in the Holy Spirit’s promise to bring things to your remembrance. If the manuscript is gone for good, sit down and start writing again, trusting that the Holy Spirit will help you recall what you need.
3. Backup your work regularly. Take practical steps to prevent this from happening again. Use multiple backup methods, like cloud storage, external hard drives, and emailing copies of your work to yourself.
4. Contact a Professional for Data Recovery. In some cases, files may still exist on your hard drive or external storage, even if they’ve been “deleted.”
5. Remain open to rewriting. Sometimes, the process of rewriting can refine and improve the message. Trust that God can use this process to help you communicate His truths more effectively.

Trusting God’s Plan and Timing for Your Writing

Losing a manuscript can be a deeply frustrating experience, but it’s also an opportunity to deepen our trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance. God is sovereign, even over our written words, and the Holy Spirit, our Helper, is always ready to bring to our remembrance the things that God has shown us. When we face loss, we can take comfort in knowing that nothing is wasted in God’s kingdom, and the work He began in us, He will carry to completion. For more insight on God’s timing, be sure to check out Betty A. Rodgers-Kulich’s blog post, Learn to Wait On God’s Timing. Even in the act of rewriting, God can use us to communicate His truth in ways that surpass our original vision. So take heart, fellow writer, and trust that what has been lost can be restored, and perhaps even better than before.

Author Bio:

An award-winning author, speaker, and women’s ministry leader, Cherie Denna’s messages guide audiences toward belovedness in Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. In addition to multiple publishing collaborations, Cherie’s debut book, Beloved Outcast: The Quest for True Belonging, shares a message of hope and belonging in response to the epidemic of loneliness and isolation (Bold Vision Books, February 2024). You can find her writing on the northern California coast with frothed coffee in hand, or on an RV adventure with her purpose-mate husband. Join the Everyday Belonging Movement at https://www.cheriedenna.com.