Saving Wriitng Tips V2.0
Apr. 23rd, 2012 10:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kristen999I'm re-posting a modified version of my saving documents tips from last November because in the last two weeks, I've seen a half a dozen F-List disasters that have resulted in the loss of their stories, fics, or drafts. (Hugs you guys. I've been there)
I save all the time when I write. Pretty much after every few paragraphs I hit save. It's just one keystroke and it becomes a habit.
Don't just save to your hard drive.
Save your story to a flash-drive or to some other source. The one time you write 2k in one night is the one time your HD fails. A 4 GB flash drive is under $10 and can hold hundreds of novel length books. External hard drives are also great but can be pricey.
Use a free online app. Googledocs and Dropbox are online services that allow you to save tons of documents, edit them, and share privately with others like your beta.
Every time you write, e-mail yourself a copy of your fic. It's habitual. This way if your computer is hit my lightening, you've saved the latest version of your fic that is accessible from anywhere. I swear it becomes like second nature. When I'm done writing for the night, I send myself the doc. (I always delete the old one in my inbox after I send myself the newest one)
I also number my drafts. If I decide to go in and tweak a draft for some reason. I copy it and rename my new file Version 2 or V3, V4, before I make drastic changes. This way if I write for a bit and realize I liked the older version better--I have the older version in my writing folder.
Whatever you do, whatever works best for you. Make it a HABIT. And do not just save in one spot or use one method. Use more than one.
I save all the time when I write. Pretty much after every few paragraphs I hit save. It's just one keystroke and it becomes a habit.
Don't just save to your hard drive.
Save your story to a flash-drive or to some other source. The one time you write 2k in one night is the one time your HD fails. A 4 GB flash drive is under $10 and can hold hundreds of novel length books. External hard drives are also great but can be pricey.
Use a free online app. Googledocs and Dropbox are online services that allow you to save tons of documents, edit them, and share privately with others like your beta.
Every time you write, e-mail yourself a copy of your fic. It's habitual. This way if your computer is hit my lightening, you've saved the latest version of your fic that is accessible from anywhere. I swear it becomes like second nature. When I'm done writing for the night, I send myself the doc. (I always delete the old one in my inbox after I send myself the newest one)
I also number my drafts. If I decide to go in and tweak a draft for some reason. I copy it and rename my new file Version 2 or V3, V4, before I make drastic changes. This way if I write for a bit and realize I liked the older version better--I have the older version in my writing folder.
Whatever you do, whatever works best for you. Make it a HABIT. And do not just save in one spot or use one method. Use more than one.
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no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 03:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 03:12 pm (UTC)I've never had issues with my flash-drive, but that goes to show that saving it it more than on spot is the key! Glad you were able to piece it back together.
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:12 pm (UTC)But I didn't do it, Kristen... whyyyyyyyyyyyy?!?!?!?!?!?!?! UGH.
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:14 pm (UTC)Oh, no!! Was it yours or something you were betaing?
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 03:35 pm (UTC)((HUGS))
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 03:24 pm (UTC)>;-)
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 03:25 pm (UTC)Years of writing (both fanfic and for a living) have made hitting Control-S a reflex reaction - every time I pause to think I do it. And I'm always careful when dragging files to copy and replace, too - I once lost an entire day's work because I wasn't concentrating and managed to replace the new file with the old... luckily the last thing I'd done before backing up was print the document out, so it was only (only!) a copytyping job to get it back.
I write onto a flash drive (easy to move between computers, and easy to remove and lock away so that my kids won't inadvertently stumble on Mom's porn when they borrow my laptop without permission... grrr... and no difficult questions about why all the documents are locked...). However at the same time as writing I also post to a locked LJ or Dreamwidth post as I'm going along (because I find it easier to read what I've written with an objective eye if it's posted, plus I can read my progress so far on my smartphone) so I always have a backup.
I occasionally use Google docs too, but I find it slow and laggy on one of the computers I use regularly, so I tend not to use it if I've access to LJ or DW.
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:39 pm (UTC)I had to giggle about the flash-drive and your kids, but that is another great use for it! :-P
(On a side note, I just realized we wont get a trailer to 2.22 until the crossover is over because tonight's trailer will probably be for part two...*pouts*)
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Date: 2012-04-23 03:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 03:56 pm (UTC)I don't work with multiple drafts, so I rarely have versions, unless I abandoned a draft or scene, in which case it does go into a separate document and get numbered (deleted scene 1, etc.)
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Date: 2012-04-24 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-24 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 05:01 pm (UTC)I realize that I have gotten a bit lax lately though. Most of my stuff is backed up on my external but I haven't been emailing or uploading to gdocs as much as I should be.
*runs off to back up*
In related news, I should better label things because my WIP and abandoned scenes that sometimes get mined for new fic are impossible to identify after a few weeks.
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Date: 2012-04-24 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-24 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 05:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-24 12:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-23 06:24 pm (UTC)what is actually hilarious is that I hit control-s pretty much continuously as I write. But now, even if reading a hardback book, I will actually, wiggle my fingers in control-s movement ever now and again, and then completely throw myself out of whatever I'm reading -- because it doesn't work with paper!
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Date: 2012-04-24 12:40 am (UTC)Did you see my Steve needs a hug pic I posted on your LJ over the weekend?
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Date: 2012-04-23 09:47 pm (UTC)The times my old computers crashed it was always so slo-mo that I had plenty of time to save my data so I've been getting careless.
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Date: 2012-04-24 12:41 am (UTC)