Pro tip: Keep a backup of your scene outline on paper not just your phone

I was at a coffee shop in Portland last Tuesday working on my fantasy novel outline. Had this whole intricate scene flow mapped out in my notes app. Phone died completely - wouldn't turn back on for hours. Stood there like an idiot with nothing but a cold latte. Had to rewrite everything from memory and I definitely lost some cool details. Now I always scribble a quick version on a napkin or notebook page before I leave home. Anyone else learned this the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyl499d ago

Right, because nothing says "I'm a serious writer" like frantically scribbling dialogue on a Starbucks napkin while your cold brew sweats all over it. Been there, did that, ended up with a scene that read like "Dragon meets coffee shop AU (but make it tragic)." I swear my phone knows when I'm in the zone and picks that exact moment to pull a dramatic exit. Modern problems, you know, but at least paper doesn't need a charger.

leo1075d ago

My buddy Jake lost a whole chapter outline for his sci-fi novel when his phone took a swim in the Willamette River last spring. He was taking photos of the waterfront for inspiration and it just slipped right out of his hand. He spent three days trying to remember the sequence of events and ended up changing like half the plot because he couldn't get it back. Now he keeps a folded piece of paper in his back pocket with bullet points for every scene.