I use two drives for backing up my work. On comes on my travels with me. The other stays home, so even if there was a complete disaster I wouldn't lose everything I've ever written.
I have a 'time machine' feature (it's a Mac thing) which means that, as long as the drive is plugged in, automatic backups will be made, and I can go back to an earlier version if necessary.
How do you make sure you don't lose your work?
This tip came from Patsy Collins (me!) who writes short stories and cosy crime novels. You can buy all of her books, or read them through kindle unlimited, here.
7 comments:
I fear I'm the opposite. I've got so many different 'versions' of important stuff, and occasions where I have saved a paragraph or phrase I quite like even though I can't employ it there and then, that I overwhelm myself sometimes and can't find anything quickly!
This is a very welcome discussion I used to use USB keys but haven't of late & tbh I haven't a clue what is saved to the cloud & what isn't
Question: how can you 'label' USB sticks? There doesn't seem anything to... to... stick to? I am a bit like dgsjp, I have umpteen versions of something and don't have the wit to even label 'this is the one with the...' 🙄. This is a very timely post, Patsy - point is, however we do it, IT NEEDS TO BE BACKED UP! (sorry to shout).
I also have an external hard drive which I back up almost every day.
Now that I'm working on a longer piece, I've become much more disciplined, and at the end of each session I save what I've written to the cloud. I try hard to label everything in a helpful way (including those little paragraphs and phrases), but I admit that I don't always get it right!
Yes, always best to use a reliable external hard drive for back up. Another tip I learned years ago was to email manuscripts or important info to myself because you can access your email from elsewhere if your own computer crashes.
@ dgsjp – That's all too easy to do!
To help keep track of versions, I include the approx word count in the file name and if I've made a big change in tone or style I include that too, so I might have THESTORY10001st person and THESTORY20003rdpersonfor PF to show I've edited with a particular market in mind.
@ Sheelagh – I find the cloud confusing! I don't rely on that, because I quite often want to work where I can't get a wifi signal.
@ Marguerite – I gave up on USB sticks. I've written so much I'd need a box full and invested in the drives pictured. The smaller blue one holds every photo I've taken in the last ten years - that's A LOT. A single photo needs more space than a 2,000 word story, so I don't think I'll ever fill the ones I use for my writing.
@ Alex – that's what I find works best
@ Maisie -– for the odd little bits I might use sometime. I keep a file with the book name plus 'ideas'. When I've finished the book, if there are any left which I might use elsewhere, those go in an all purpose ideas folder.
@ Elizabeth – That's a great tip for people who are travelling, or changing computers in the middle of a project, or who might otherwise have a problem accessing their normal storage option.
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