It’s not a matter of if we lose some of our writing but of when. Backing up our files is essential. In addition to using some of the file backup options listed below, each time I finish a writing session, I make copies of the document on my computer and another on a second computer. […]
I strongly recommend writers write every day, or at least most every day, according to a regular schedule. This is a great ideal, however, what happens when we don’t feel like writing? Here are some tips I use to keep me writing every day: Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of doing something […]
I’m a fanatic about backing up my writing. I never want to lose my work, and my backup compulsions prove that. I feel the same way about backing up my blogs and posts. First, it would be overwhelming to recreate an entire blog if something happened to it. Second, every post I write is with […]
When I write, I’m compulsive about saving my work at each lull in my typing and often in between: “alt,” “f,” and “s” at each pause and sometimes even typed midsentence. I don’t want to lose a thing. There’s a reason for this. Early in my career, and in the early days of PCs, I […]
When I delete something from a work in progress—be it a book, article, or post—I try to save it. Often it comes in handy later. Last week’s post, How Much Has Your Writing Progressed in the Past Year?was running long. I shortened it to make my point more succinctly. I deleted content that didn’t move […]
It’s disconcerting to admit, but I’ve been writing for 40 years. (Would you believe me if I said I started at birth? I didn’t think so.) Much of my early work has been forever lost. This includes school assignments, teenage angst-poetry, and short stories. While there would not be much of worth in that batch—and […]
Early in my career, I worked as a tech writer. I knew the importance of making copies of my work, so I would faithfully make a backup each Friday as I wrapped up the workweek. One Friday was particularly hectic and in a rush to begin my weekend, I postponed making my backup, planning to […]