Almost ruined a whole character arc because I forgot to save at a public library in Seattle

I was working on a short story at the downtown library on 4th Ave using their free computers. Wrote for like 2 hours straight, building this big emotional scene where the main character finally confronts her dad. Then I stood up to grab a book off the shelf and some kid hit the power strip with his backpack. Everything gone. No autosave. No cloud backup. Now I write everything in Google Docs first, even if I'm just jotting notes. Has anyone else lost work at a public computer and changed how they write?

3 comments

3 Comments

brianl5320d ago

Lost a whole chapter like that at a community college library once. Kid just yanked the power cord while reaching for his backpack and poof. Two hours of dialogue gone. That was the day I learned to save every 5 minutes and use Google Docs for everything. Now I even type grocery lists in Docs just out of habit. The autosave feature is a lifesaver, no joke. I also started bringing a flash drive as backup, just in case the internet goes down. But honestly, cloud stuff is the way to go now, especially if you write in public spaces a lot.

johnson.paul19d ago

And now I even type grocery lists in Docs just out of habit" - is that really a good thing though, or are we just addicted to the safety net?

fiona_murphy20d ago

Is it just me or does every single thing in life have that one moment where you learn the hard way? Like with power cords, or backing up files, or even just locking your car door. It's funny how we build these little habits from getting burned once. I swear I've got more backup systems for my writing than I do for my actual survival. Cloud docs, local saves, printouts sometimes. It's like we're all just walking around with these invisible scars from past mistakes. And yet somehow I still forget to plug my phone in at night. Go figure.