My Book essential not completing job

I recently thought I was deleting all my files on my My Book Essential as as the drive was appearing full (according to the lights anyway) and wanted to start fresh.  I used the smartware app to delete my files without a problem.  When I began to backup the new copy, it went almost halfway through (73.1 gb of 172.3 gb) and then quit.  If I try to go through time machine, I get a “backup disk not available”.  

I’m running OSX 10.8.2 on m iMac.  Until I did something stupid I guess, it was running fine and seamless with time machine.  What do I need to do to fix the mess I’ve made?:confounded:

Go to disk utility and run first aid and partition the drive

after that, you can continue to backup with TM