How do you store your novel.

It's whatever works for you. I believe Word allows you to create a "master" doc with all the chapters nestled inside it.

I like having everything in one doc, myself, makes things easier for search/replace because I don't necessarily what happened in which chapter. Beats having to open each one and go, "No, that's not it. No, that isn't it either. No, dangit!"

I find it easier to work with one large document because then when I do search and highlighting of often used/misused words etc, I have only one document to process and go through. I'm lazy that way Of course, that's just the novel itself. I keep my notes for the novel in a separate Mind Manager document because it makes it easy for me to cross-reference things ...

Store

Separate chapters. That's what my publishers always demand.

I have a second draft of a nonfiction book that was saved chapter by chapter. Each chapter covers a different, clearly defined topic.

But now I'm working on a novel, and I keep it in one file. I just don't know where to put the chapter breaks yet. I'll figure that out later.

Hard copy

I try to keep a hard copy in a file folder. It's often not the most current but it is "something," just in case.

I started doing this after the Great Crash of '05 when all that survived was the hard copy of my WIP which I had loaned to a friend to read.

Just a thought ...
ann

I keep mine saved in two different ways on my computer (and backed up to a CD-RW) -- one long version and also separate files for each chapter. I'm not really sure why I keep the long one because it's easier for me to go into each chapter and work them as needed. However, on the long one, the page and word count is all right in one spot. It's a pain to make changes in both places, though and I'm considering changing this method.

I believe Word allows you to create a "master" doc with all the chapters nestled inside it.

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Just a quick note...NEVER use Word's Master document feature. EVER. Period.

I save mine as one big file and I'm compulsive about backing it up at least twice each and every time I do anything to it. I have 52 chapters in my current work and saving 52 separate files would be a major space and time waster and quite the headache when it comes to reading, editing, printing, etc. Frankly, I'm a bit baffled by those who save every chapter in its own file...it seems a very cumbersome way to handle things to me. If I sell the work to an editor who wants it submitted in separate files, I can create them. But until then...

Beth

I used to keep every chapter in a separate file, but then it got unwieldy. I also discovered Word’s document map (thanks to AW!) and I find that keeping all the chapters in one file and using that feature is a much easier way to manage my novel.

The only problem is that I got very used to the one-chapter-per-file thing and I keep pressing CTRL+End and finding myself at the very end of the novel instead of at the end of the chapter. Frustrating, but so my own fault.

I keep the novel in one big file and when I need to work on a chapter I use "find" to get to the chapter I want. Luckily, I have big chapters (like, 12-14 for a 95-105k word novel)

For me, it's easier to work with one big file. I can find anything with 'find'. When an editor or agent asks for chapter files, I'll just create them.

Anya Smith said:

For me, it's easier to work with one big file. I can find anything with 'find'. When an editor or agent asks for chapter files, I'll just create them.

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"Find" works just as well with separate chapter files. Yu can search every chapter file at the same time, even though they are separate files.

Jamesaritchie said:

"Find" works just as well with separate chapter files. Yu can search every chapter file at the same time, even though they are separate files.

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Really? Wow -- I'm learning a lot in this thread!!

I use both long file and short file.


First, I write one, big, long file. Then I go through it and adjust the chapters and events and move things around, and split it up into smaller files.

Then I combine them again.


Also, a useful trick for backup files: Free e-mail accounts are a great way to supplement your regular backup schemes. I keep backups across three computers -- one which has no internet access at all -- and across many hard disks. I find that the added sense of security gained by having my backups located in Hotmail and Yahoo, makes me feel better about things, since they work so hard to provide me secure e-mail.

I have a couple e-mail accounts on different free servers, and I attach the file and/or files to an e-mail and zip it along to the other address. Now, I have a copy saved in both the "Sent" box and the "Inbox".

You can then create a separate file to store e-mail, and pop your messages over to that file, so the account will automatically save the data even as the year rolls over.

I wouldn't do this as a primary backup, but it's just one more layer of the total backup scheme.

I tend to save what I'm writing, whether fiction or non-, in a long document for easy working with and by chapters. This does require some time at the end of the writing session to save -- sometimes I take notes re which chapters I've reworked so I don't have to resave all of them -- but it's better than losing stuff, or trying to remember what I've saved where. I also save the whole thing in a couple of different files, just in case.

When I think a chapter is finished, or know I can't work on it again for a while, or know it needs a lot more work, I print it out. That way I have a hard copy (I remember a Crash of '05, too ;-) and I can work on it away from the computer. Sometimes seeing it on paper lets me notice glitches I didn't see on screen, or gives me ideas that didn't occur to me on screen. Of course there are the CD backups as well. (I put dates in my save titles so I know which is the most current.)

Ashleen

I'm about ready to store all my writing in my septic tank.

caw.

I normally do mine in separate chapters, then combine all the chapters into one continuous file and make edits from that. I'm not overly concerned about how much space each one takes up.

I keep my stories backed up on a flash drive and on my ipod.

-Nick

(I LOVE Word Perfect!!!!!) So I type pet story into 'chapter' documents. I title the chapters so I know what I'm thinking about. ( So I wind up with chapters titled 'Bad Fights Reynod Dies But Sue Gets Icecream') There is a way to globally attach them into one document, but I find that too hard to handle, and the one Beta reader I have prefers to work with chapters.

I back up to floppies and I mail one to my friend. Dated so I know what version.
I've had the computer crash and destroy everything sooo...( I better back up again tonight.) Now I have a cd burner, I think I do that too. I also print out the whole thing occasionally because it makes me feel good to see what I've written, and paper will last longer than the electronic media.

I had considered engraving it on the side of a mountain, but you people are totally ignoring those stone tablets I sent down a few years back, Lord knows what you'd do to a mountain....( Actually, yes I do. There was a wonderful statue of buddha in Afghanistan and you people down there......)

Jaycinth said:

I also print out the whole thing occasionally because it makes me feel good to see what I've written, and paper will last longer than the electronic media.

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Incidentally, a hard drive — even if it's not attached to a computer — is estimated to hold data for a good forty years or so.



-Nick

awaitingthemuse said:

How do you store your novel? I have finished the first draft of my first novel. Each chapter was saved in a seperate word document. Is it easier in the long run to have one large document?

TIA

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I keep them under "My Documents" with a single file for the writing, and supporting VISIO UML documents for the plans and ideas.

I backup my documents to tape every evening (Incremental backups for a week; full backup on Friday). My main hard drive is RAID mirror as well - its 2 hard drives being written to at the same time, so if one fails, the other takes over and I don't lose anyting. I also do regular backups to a DVDR and keep a copy in my desk at work.

Someone here said they use floppies - bad thing to do. Floppies are terrible for backsup - very unreliable. Get a CD burner at least!

scribbler1382 said:

Just a quick note...NEVER use Word's Master document feature. EVER. Period.

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I agree 10%. It's an absolute recipe for disaster... I used it once for a thesis, and it did nothing but screw me up.

Wow...I do all these things but in ywriter:

Each chapter is in it's own file. yWriter keeps a list of them in a project file with notes for each one on the right. I can edit each of these files from within the program. Then I can use search & replace for all the files, check for word use (it will count instances of each word in all the files) and all that. I have the program installed to my thumb drive where the files are stored. Everything backs up to various harddrives but this way I can sit and write at any computer without having the software installed on that computer.

"Whatever I like to, gosh!"

-- Napoleon Dynamite