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Writers Need a Disaster Plan by Kathryn Schleich
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:45:00 +0000
 After an EF 3 tornado slammed into Hugo, Minnesota over Memorial Day weekend, I started asking myself some serious questions. Hugo is 18 miles north (as the crow flies) of Woodbury, MN where my husband and I call home. That's the closest I've ever been to a tornado and certainly to the kind of devastation visited upon the suburb of St. Paul, and it was a wake-up call. The main question I pondered was this: As a writer (and homeowner, for that matter) did I have in place a plan to protect my writings in the event of a disaster?
The answer was a big, fat resounding no. Like most writer's I'd backed up my manuscripts and screenplays onto disks. However, instead of being kept in a secure place, too many of those CDs were on shelves and in desk drawers. Other works such as short stories remained on my computer. Should our house be destroyed in the kind of catastrophe Hugo had experienced, all of my writings would most likely disappear, literally, into thin air.
Whether writing is your livelihood, passion, hobby, or a combination, it is very much a part of who you are, perhaps even a piece of your legacy. After all that you've invested, why take the risk of losing it to a disaster - natural or otherwise? Every writer, I realized, should have in place a bona fide disaster plan just as most businesses do. Here's the plan I put into action:
Make at least one CD copy of everything you've written. In my case this included a novel manuscript, two screenplays, short stories, journals, and countless articles.
Store those CDs in a safe place; this could be onsite or offsite. Currently, CDs containing my writing are locked in two fire-proof safes in our home. A safety deposit box offsite at a bank is even better, copies of everything at home and in a safety deposit box better still.
Keep at least one paper copy of any published materials securely stored as well. For me this includes articles of special significance and books I've published.
Update your plan on a regular basis. As a writer, hopefully you're constantly expanding your body of work, so you'll want to protect every new piece you write. Schedule those updates so you don't forget - once a year at a minimum.
Keep up with technology. The first version of my master's thesis was saved on a floppy disk, the second on a 3 1/2" hard disk, and currently it's a CD. Technology changes so fast, it's important to store your writing where it can be easily accessed, even years later.
Looking at the larger picture, your writing probably isn't the only thing you want to protect. One of the most devastating aspects of the Hugo tornado (and many other disasters) is residents unable to find even the smallest personal item such as a photograph amid the rubble. What my husband and I have done is develop a list of items, some of which will stay in the basement during summer months. Your list might look like this:
A safe or fire-proof box containing important documents such as passports, birth certificates, social security cards, copies of credit cards, a list of computer and account passwords; CDs holding copies of special photos or information, and expensive jewelry.
One or two heirlooms you could take into a basement or storm cellar with you.
Medications.
Forms of identification.
Insurance cards.
Credit/Debit cards.
Cash.
Other items of value such as a lap top.
Using the list, when severe storm warnings are forecast my husband puts together a bag containing those items. I keep identification and insurance cards in my purse as do a lot of women, so when we head downstairs during a bad storm, I automatically grab that. I keep my purse in our bedroom in the same place so I always know where it is. The key to a good disaster plan is taking the time to organize and plan ahead. Most disasters catch us by surprise, whether they involve taking immediate shelter or getting out of the house. Such drastic action usually leaves little time to find the current manuscript you're revising or grabbing a family heirloom. Should disaster strike writers are most likely trying to accomplish two things: preserving our work and having access to the basic information used in every-day-life to survive and get back on our feet. Kathryn Schleich is a freelance writer with over 15 years experience. You may contact her via e-mail at: kathrynschlei777@yahoo.com
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