: Re: What's a good way to backup your writing? One of the most important things for writers to do is to back up their work so that in the event of a computer failure, their work isn't lost.

@Phylliss352

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I am in the computer field, and slightly paranoid about backups of everything. For my writing, I actually keep 3 copies minimum of everything. There are a few things I've done that work well for me, and I understand that for others these might not work, but there are similar services.

I use Live Mesh and Dropbox to keep two computers in sync. I haven't completely decided which one I like better, so I have some things with Live Mesh and some with Drop Box. In both cases, they keep a copy in the "cloud" so that if I lost both machines I could still get it, but this at least gets me partially protected and keeps notes, text, Word, etc. in sync. If I change a document on the road, or upstairs, by the time I hit my desktop 5 minutes later, it's usually in synch.
Windows Home Server - It's not the most reliable piece of software, but I have a Windows Home server that backs up the PCs in the house (and the iMac). It's a turnkey solution from HP if you want one and it keeps versions of files as well. I don't give it high recommendations, but if you get one, get 2-3 extra drives (min 4) so that you have multiple copies of stuff.
Evernote - I like to work in text, and make lots of notes for writing, so I use Evernote on my phone. It syncs with the Evernote service, and I can also access it from my computer. I have started to drop text documents there (like speeches/talks) as well as ideas for writing when I'm on the computer.
Burn DVDs - I know this isn't great, but for short term, 1-2 years, I think it's fine. What I might recommend is that you burn two Cds weekly of your work. Why two? Media can fail, and while you might not like losing a week's worth of work, you will hate losing two. Today's burners are quick, and I usually go one speed slower than they're rated and just make two copies periodically. I do this less with #1 and #2 above, but it still gives me another backup. Plus these are easy to take offsite.
Thumb drives - They aren't reliable, but if you keep two separate, you ought to be OK in the short term.

If you want to use something like Google Docs but are concerned about their using your work, or licensing, get a small encryption program. Not a password protection, but a real encryption program like FolderLock (http://www.newsoftwares.net/folderlock/). Encrypt your work, then put it in the "cloud".

Note I would also recommend that you password protect all your devices (PC/Mac, Phone, etc). Just for casual security to prevent your kids, friends, etc. from messing with your computer and accidently wrecking your work.

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