Public Service Announcement: Back Up Your Work

How long has it been since you last backed up your work?

More importantly, how much have you written/ edited/ done since you last backed up your work?

How much would you cry if you lost it?

Yes, I lost something. So far, I've been pretty damn lucky in the lost-data department. Even though last year included two dead hard drives. Largely because I back up at least every semester and have multiple copies of works in progress.

But yesterday, the possessed computer at school got me. Again! This computer has been giving me technological fits for the past two and half weeks now. It started rather innocently-- don't all evil possessions start that way? The stupid thing wouldn't recognize my flash drive. Grr. But I had another flash drive that seemed to play well with this ill-intentioned computer.

Until yesterday. I got to school, the kiddies are working (I'm overseeing the independent study class). I plug in my flash drive. I double click on Bo Novel 2.

The first real sign of demon infestion was that Microsoft Word opened, but my file was taking really, really long to open. Hmm. It's Microsoft. There are rotting logs that are less bug infested. (But I've still been asimilated into the Microsoft Collective. Resistance in Futile.) Shut Word down, try again. Still nothing. Crap.

Rush home at the end of the day. Can't talk, Hubby, must check file! Once I got my computer up and running, the full extent of the problem becomes clear.

My file is corrupted. Maybe from the sex scenes. ;-)

I tried to repair the file. But my pretty words have been turned into a delightful collection of weird symbols in no discernable pattern.

The last back up version is a week old. Luckily, I've been sluggy on the novel and only lost about 2000 words. That's 2000 words eaten by this devil-spawned computer. No other file on my drive was harmed. Not the 5 paragraph essay model or the short story I haven't worked on for months. JUST my novel.

Of course.

I lost 2000 words and a huge chunk of motivation. How much would you lose if your computer got hunger and started munching on your files?

Don't make excuses-- just go back up your work.

• Novel #2 progress: 15k
• Currently Reading: Police Procedure and Investigation by Lee Lofland
• Current Song: Walking with the Ghost by Tegan and Sara