Tuesday Tips: Technology

This tip is more than a strong recommendation to back up you work.

#1 Back it up!

Stop what you are doing and back up all your work. Not just the current projects, ALL of them. Copy them to the cloud, a thumbdrive, email them to yourself and make DVDs. Use automated backups, turn on autosave. Don't forget offsite backups. I have heard horror stories of house fires.

Use technology to secure your files.

#2 Information Resources!

Technology is more than just Google. Google is awesome and I use it to find references and tools. I Bookmark and organize websites that I find useful. I create catagories. Create a writing resource library of your own. It will save you a ton of time, provide inspiration, and answer all your questions. From anywhere you are writing! The beach, your office, a library or any coffeeshop.

#3 Hardware

There are lots of devices I have discovered that are important. I might as well just make a list:

• Desktop computers with multiple monitors
• Laptops, Tablets and Advances Phones
• A good Printer/Scanner/Copier
• A fax machine. (yes and actual FAX)
• External hard drives for backups
• Thumb drives
• Mobile hot spot
• Computer camera and mic for teleconferencing
• A white board (low tech, but so useful)
• A writers room with excellent lighting, desk, and chair.
• Quality digital camera (for location scouting)
• A great stereo
• An excellent coffee maker!

Several of these can be rolled up into a quality cell phone. Once again, be careful about too many eggs in one basket.

#4 Software

This category will be discussed in greater detail. Here is a list of software tools I use often:

• Scrivener, my absolute favorite
• MS Word
• Grammarly
• GIMP
• MS Excel

--Email me things I should add!