Screenwriting : Back Up Your Work by Maurice Vaughan

Oh yeah!

To second Maurice, check your software for options. I have Writerduet save to their cloud and my Google Drive simultaneously. Then on Wednesday when I grab video files, I grab my backup folder from Google and copy it to my laptop.

Great tip, Craig D Griffiths!

I put mine on a flash drive and on a portable storage unit.

Those are great ideas, James Arterburn. I transport my work from my laptop to my phone with a USB cord.

Everything I work on is automatically backed up to my Dropbox cloud. But as an extra precaution, whenever I'm working on a text, I send myself an email with the latest version. Just in case.

Evelyn - I keep my work on Dropbox too. Have done so for years. I archive previous versions. Every so often I copy everything to a USB drive because I'm paranoid. Your email trick is neat. I'll add that to my kit.

That's smart, Evelyne Gauthier. The Dropbox and email. I didn't think about Dropbox.

I will!

I started writing on a typewriter (minus the smoke) and even then I had two papers and an indigo blue in between...automatically copying everything I wrote...

...Jesus, just got a beep it's 2022 and telling this is such an awkward...

I think it's pretty cool, Kiril. Did it take a long time making a backup on a typewriter? What's indigo blue?

I gmail to myself every draft. I used to do it with only PDF files. However, reformatting a PDF back into FD allows for...another draft! Google so far is very forgiving on storage space via email. And Maurice, so good to see you on here!

"...reformatting a PDF back into FD allows for...another draft!" That can be a pain, Frank. Good to see you also! What are you working on (if you're ready to share it)?

As someone who had computer issues the last two days. I 5th that statement. Back up your work!!!!!

Thanks, Tyneckia. Sorry that you had computer issues. Hope they get resolved.

Maurice Vaughan I second, third, and fourth that.

Thanks, MB. You never know when a program will crash or something else might happen.

You're welcome Maurice Vaughan Safe than sorry wins the race.

Yup, MB. How's your projects going?

How's everyone's projects going?

I learned the hard way to have backups. Through a cascade of terrible events I lost several completed science fiction novels including the final two books of a trilogy. These days I use Dropbox as well as Google drive and even keep scripts on my phone. Losing years of work is devastating and spirit breaking.

I'm so sorry that happened, Pat. That's why I wrote this post. So writers and other creatives won't lose their work.

Maurice Vaughan So far so good. Working on my web series that I'm hoping to have done by mid-month. I'm enjoying the process. How's your project going?

Cool, MB. What's the name of your web series? I'm rewriting a short script with a writer/director, pitching scripts, and waiting to start some jobs.

My computer crashed and I lost everything. I had to rewrite everything that was lost. I can even begin to explain that feeling. So, yea, I agree: back up everything.

That's terrible, Vikki. Sorry that happened.

Maurice Vaughan The working title for one is PHONEY SHINOBI and the other series is called VC333. Good luck with your short script, pitching, and job starts. If you need a fresh pair of eyes let me know.

I lost a big part of a novel I wrote several years ago. I swore to myself it would never happen again! That's why I'm very careful and have several backups. I also have an external drive. Which reminds me, I haven't transferred anything to my drive in a while!

I like the titles, MB, especially "Phoney Shinobi"!

Thanks. And thanks for the offer. Maybe we can exchange scripts in the near future.

Maurice Vaughan Sure. Inbox me when you're ready. I always need a fresh pair of eyes. Onward and upward.