The Official site of TJ Wright

There I was, casually updating Windows on my PC while working on my latest blog post. What could go wrong? Everything, as it turns out. My system bricked completely, and suddenly years of writing, including crucial materials for books two and three of my debut trilogy—seemed to vanish into the digital void.

Panic mode engaged. Full throttle.

I frantically searched through my other PC and cloud saves, my heart racing with each unsuccessful attempt to recover my work. Something kept nagging at the back of my mind, but I was too busy having my meltdown to pay attention. (Isn’t it funny how logic takes a vacation during moments of crisis?)

That nagging thought? Oh, just the small detail that I’m actually a computer technician. You know, the kind who’s been building computers since their teenage years. But did I listen to that rational voice? Nope. Instead, I chose the time-honored tradition of fretting myself into exhaustion.

After a few restless hours of sleep, I found myself pacing by my wife, coffee in hand. Instead of just sympathizing with my crisis, she did something remarkable – she listened. Really listened. As I poured out my fears about losing years of work, she asked thoughtful questions about what exactly had happened. Each question led me deeper into explaining the technical aspects of the situation.

Suddenly the technician in me emerged. With each explanation, each question she asked, the fog of panic began to lift. Sometimes we need someone to guide us back to our own expertise, to remind us of what we already know. In trying to help her understand the problem, I found my own solution.

With renewed focus, I approached my PC the old-school way, diving into the hard drives manually. Not only did I rescue all my writing data, but I also had an epiphany: most of what I thought I’d lost was just digital clutter—years of accumulated files that held no real significance anymore.

This “disaster” turned into an unexpected blessing. I now had the perfect excuse to transform my PC into a dedicated writer’s workstation. No more digital hoarding, no more distractions. Just a clean, focused environment for creating stories.

The lesson? Sometimes what feels like a catastrophe is actually an opportunity in disguise. When the walls seem to be crashing down around you, maybe God is just clearing them away so you can see a better view. As a fantasy author, I’m used to writing about characters facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. Turns out, we all have our own dragons to slay—even if they come in the form of Windows updates.

And yes, I’ve now set up a much more robust backup system. Because while life lessons are great, some experiences don’t need an encore.