Convopage
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I was just told apparently it’s weird to have a “dump document” open where you copy and paste the things you’ve decided to cut from your written draft (right now, a motion) *just in case you need it later.* I save it in the file b/c I can’t let go.
Anyone else do this?
8,942 replies and sub-replies collected so far...
Yes! Especially in grad school
I do this with basically everything I write. I even have "master" dump docs with sentences/citations/authority on specific topics.
💯 alllll the time
Oh yeah for sure you need a dump doc
I start almost every article with a “notes” document, which serves the same purpose. But when editing I often make a “leftovers” doc in case something that seemed expendable on first read makes more sense later.
I also call mine ‘Notes’
Same here
Of course.
I think it's a GREAT idea!!!
I do this!
There was an #appellatetwitter thread on this a few years back. Soooo many of us do this. I call mine “debris”
Mine is "outtakes."
Mine is “scratchpad”
“graveyard”
does anyone not do this
The “War Chest”!
I do that all the time.
Squibs!
Yup- I do "notes" or "outtakes." A former colleague used "junkyard."
Detritus here.
Oh good one!
Other candidates:
flotsam
jetsam
driftwood
offal
entrails
flotsam AND jetsam
(Possibly sensitive)
Bloopers?
“Cutting room floor” in these parts.
“Scrap”
It works so much better than having to have 21 versions of a brief.
To be clear, though, you can have both. :)
Outtakes makes it sound fun!
Mine is "extra." "Extra Smith" or "Extra Company Y," etc.
This is good because sometimes I want to call a company “extra.”
Mine is "scrap." And I almost always read back over the "scrap" at the end of the drafting/editing to make sure there's nothing there that should go back in the actual draft.
I call mine different things but often "blech" as in, the disgusted noise I make reading my own prose.
Mine too. Or even, “cutting room floor.”
As Judge Dyk used to say, it’s where you have to leave your babies.
Mine is "cuts."
Mine is “darlings.” Because I murdered them. But sometimes I need to bring them back to life. ;)
I do this with video clips as well and name it outtakes. Great content later on. I lip sync music to warm myself up. I put this together from outtakes.
Remains
"junk," usually with date. i don't think I've ever actually gone back to use anything in them, but they presumably will be of use to my biographers
Yeah I only very very rarely use mine too, which is interesting to think about w/r/t writing process.
Mine's just "temp" but I have one for every brief.
Mine is called debris too!
Not weird at all
I absolutely do this
I've never heard of this.
I save edited versions depending on the state of completion. The first writing is version 1-1, updated to 1-2 and so on, and significant changes (ordering of arguments, new supporting evidence, tracked changes from others) move it to 2-1, etc.
I sometimes have a separate file of what I want to say but isn’t on point to the specific facts of the case. I have to write them to get them out of my head to let me focus on the actual case. If they are “really good,” I save them for future cases that may or may not come.
Georgia judges are, by and large, really good at murdering their darlings.
Am I the only one who does this for everything? In our profession, our written and spoken words are our currency. I’m not into just throwing away my hard earned currency.
Not weird. I’ve always done this too.
I do this with virtually everything I write.
same. I use OneNote for this purpose. I might want that case/argument for a reply and easy to find it that way.
I just keep saving: Text2, Text3, Tex...
No, but what a good idea. I think I’ll start.
I use one note to keep all my ideas and then copy to my documents. Then later I can search one note if I want to use something in another document I am drafting.
Do this with scientific grants all the time. Especially with background and feasibility.
Every appellate lawyer I know does this. Mine is labeled “outtakes.”
I like “outtakes.” It sounds fun.
Or tasty
No, that’s “take-outs”
Honestly, I call this document "Leftovers".
I call mine Misfit Data
I call mine “spare parts.” You never know, a reviewer might want to know more or the information can be used in another manuscript. Nothing is truly junk. I guess I’m a thought hoarder!
Bloopers
"scraps"
mine too!
An artist would call them sketches, often the basis of a new work.
Mine too!
Hilarious. Me three!!!
I was looking for the other lawyers in the replies. Nothing gets permanently deleted until after the case is resolved.
I am not a lawyer but I write official correspondence on behalf of my employer every day and have exactly this. Sometimes an argument or turn of phase doesn’t fit but might next time.
Not weird at all.
That's a great idea and I'm going to start doing it henceforth. Would have saved me a lot of frustration had I thought of it myself earlier!
I use a notepad app. Essential in my line of work
LOL -- I've got one open right now. I can't think of a single complex brief where I haven't generated one.
It’d be totally incoherent to most other people but to me it all makes sense (and reminds me of the late night research).
I keep a copy graveyard; it’s just part of the process.
I do it & keep it until I finalize the document. I usually call it "orphans."
Do you delete them after? Ah! The anxiety of that!
Yes—but I am a toss-it-out-so-I-don’t-lose-the-important-stuff-in-the-clutter girl
I could be better about that, for sure!
I even go so far as to start labeling the cuts. “Burning dinner”, “Arguing with Xander ”, “The chase”. 🙄 That’s when I know my brain has wondered too far into organization. Gotta get my ass back into telling the story. 🤣
I do not care for clutter, and this sort of clutter is a bona fide issue. The struggle!
You should publish these.
If or when I no longer care about the topic (rare), no longer have access to critical aspects of the research (although that’s a maybe), or technological advances force me to do so with some lower priority items.
Understatement: I’m not a fan of deleting.
Oh my god, no! Your mere words are making my heart race with anxiety.
Clutter makes mine race with anxiety.
I copy them in to a single larger doc - with a reminder section header if required.
That's smart.
me too! I have an “orphaned sentences.docx” for each writing project, and never delete the file after submission. why would I? 🙃
I call them "abortions". 🤷♀️ Weird how the child angle comes up for others...
This is brilliant.
Sure. You never know when you'll find something you overlooked in the slag heap.
Since college. You’re not alone.
“Scraps”
I almost always do this. It has come in handy for replies, hearing prep, and even appeals.
I always do this, and am always surprised by how little of the document I ever look at again.
Literally do this with everything I write.
I always ctrl-X ctrl-V my cut text into an email message addressed to myself. When I reach the end of that round of revisions, I hit send on the email. Preserves the cut text with a time stamp. For the next round of revisions, you can just reply to the email.
Nice idea. May try this. Thx!
Yes I do exactly this. It is NOT WEIRD.
I always call it "Scraps" and I have one almost every time I have an appellate brief or complicated motion
Mine are always titled “[some abbreviation of the opposing party’s name] Scrap”
Cruft.doc
I call it Scraps!
I do this too!!!
When I practiced law, I also did it
Not weird. I stick that stuff at the bottom until I’m sure.
I do this routinely. Most of what goes in there never gets used, but I use it often enough to justify it.
Absolutely. Mine often end up in the reply brief or a brief in a future case if they never make it back into the final draft.
That’s usually what I’m thinking. Or at least it’ll help me retrace the research rabbit hole I went down should I ever need to.
Yep. My office has started saving these in a general research folder named by topic instead of client. That way everyone benefits from the others' rabbit hole results.
Haha I am not sure mine would always be coherent to someone who isn’t me but that’s a great idea!
Not weird at all, that’s like throwing Michelin star leftovers in the bin rather than putting them in the fridge.
I almost always do that when I am working on a complex motion. How else do people do it? It helps to organize your thoughts and make sure you don't forget relevant cites too.
yup, doc is usually called scraps.
Yes. A document with scraps. Have one open right now.
Yes! I call it a Scratch file. Sometimes I have it at the end of the draft I’m working on, or a separate doc if it’s longer
That's what I call mine too :-) Two docs titled 'Scratch,' one for work and one for myself, in Google Docs & Quip so I can reach them anywhere. Been doing it for at least 20 years, it used to just be a text file.
ps @GoodEnergyColl looks cool!
It is cool! Although we're just getting rolling
I call it ‘sandbox’ and have structure notes etc in there as well. If it’s a short document I often just have it as a draft email open in outlook
This ^^^
I do this too. And anyone who doesn’t is a fool!
All the time. I save them as “notes” for further briefs and/or argument.
Not weird! I have an irrational fear that a partner might suggest adding the substance of what I’ve cut. What am I going to do then, rewrite it?! No, it’s safely tucked away. (This has never happened.)
I have that too! Always concerned that I’m going to have to try to research again and not find the case because I found it via a 2am rabbit hole search one time.
I'm just sitting here in awe, wondering what life is like for people who have the audacity to *not* have a dump document? Just... living recklessly, all that confidence. Typing with actual swagger. So ballsy.
It's definitely happened to me on multiple occasions!
That happened to me once in the pre-computer days. Not pretty. “You wrote it just the way I told you to, but now that I see it on paper I think I like the way you wrote it the first time better. Hope you saved your draft.”
This actually happens
I’m sure it does. That’s why I, too, keep the deleted work. Just waiting in case that shoe ever drops
I do this as well - didn’t know anyone else did.
Oddly enough, I do it, but thought everyone else *did*
I’m learning a lot of people just... delete stuff. 😳
Usually, I just put what I discard at the bottom of my draft.
So many others do this!
I start that way, but eventually move it to a new document since I often need to pay attention to word counts for pleadings.
Notice not one document is even the actual draft. This is going to make a lot of people cringe.
Some drafts, this is me. Especially when I’m trying to learn some kind of complicated law that I don’t normally practice.
Yeah, that’s my situation. Our topic for the Moot Court Competition is IP, so there’s a lot of synthesizing and organization to be done.
True if I’m learning something new I will have different documents for each issue ... i.e., recently it was “Standing,” “APA-Excess of Authority,” etc.
Wow. And I thought I was anal. 😂😂😂
It’s all going to make sense when I look back and read it.
...
...right?
Yes. It’s the organization - presenting it in a logical order that makes sense - that I find the most time consuming (after the research of course - I tend to get sucked into rabbit holes.)
The hardest part is finding the actual issues. When you don’t know the law, you can’t spot the issues. So it just takes a lot of reading and briefing. 75 cases too in our “closed world.” Takes up a lot of time.
True. That’s part of the research, but you get better at it with experience
And it’s part of the fun! 😀
I've thought of doing this but what holds me back is that I fear that unless it's well organized and maintained it won't be any use later anyway, and I'm not putting in that kind of work organizing literal refuse.
Sounds like a lot of people keep it pretty organized. I can, depending on the length of the memo, but most of the time I don’t. To anyone else it’s a page of random cases and excerpts, but to me it’s a security blanket.
I often start a research process with a scratch document I use for research notes, and I'll usually save those at until argument. Not everything in there will wind up in the brief and it will usually just be an outline of points with some key case citations, nothing like a draft.
Or use Evernote or Mac notes app and then you can easily search all your notes at once
Yes. I use OneNote the same way.
I note where it's from (chapter, or key event) and the date it was removed, and separate each chunk with a space, most recent first. Not otherwise organized, other than specific to the WIP. Pretty simple.
Search feature should retrieve your “outtakes“.
yep, mine go after project, shit, sooooo many options
Organizing can be overrated. If you ever need to recover a paragraph or sentence, all you need to do is remember one word or phrase to search by.
I call mine ‘Research’ which is very generous.
Mine is “scraps”. Have one for each project
I love that!
My documents like this have always been called 'overspill'!
Yup, count me in for "scrap."
I call it reply fodder. 😂
I’m a “scraps” person too
Mine is “oddbins” - much bigger than any piece I’ve actually finished
I’m on the “scraps” bandwagon too.
I use “scrapbook” so not far off
I have "Scraps" for every document, too.
Mine is Castoffs. And I go back to it for at least one item on every assignment.
Love that!
That’s what I call mine too!
This is exactly what I do
Ha that’s how I feel about a lot of what I save. I think to myself, “this isn’t super relevant but what if I reconsider my argument and it becomes relevant again? Do I want to find this/type this out again?”
Someday someone will inevitably ask me about this topic....
so I email myself interesting research, cites, removed language from briefs, etc.
It HAS happened before.
Yup and it's called 'cuts'. Most useful document that I've written.
As a novelist, yes, I do this all the time. Even when the book has been released I save scenes I cut. Why would you NOT do this?
Your 22nd century biographer thanks you.
I don’t, but it’s a great idea actually.
I absolutely do this. Call it a Discard
I do it! lol
I'm not a writer, but I often keep a scratch file of just bits and pieces of whatever I'm working on.
I do this with every brief. Even if the cut material never makes it back in. (It usually doesn’t.) A purgatory page (my name for it) saves me the agony of killing my darlings all at once.
I love the name purgatory page!
Always.
I do this all the time for everything
I absolutely do this! You never know if the argument might come up later. Or you might need another fact again
Right! Rarely do I ever need something on here but it happens enough that I’ve decided “I’m not going all the way down that rabbit hole again.”
Exactly this - hate rethinking good work. It’s like the agony of redeveloping text after a computer crash.
I will Ctrl + Enter and store anything at the bottom of the document
It's a good thing to do and One other works really well for stuff like this, especially of it's a big project and you have several categories of dumped things and background materials
OneNote, I meant!!!
I have a whole tab in OneNote (it saves automatically, which is profound blessing) for this.
I keep a OneNote tab open for this exact purpose. Never know when it will come in handy.
I've always done this!
Yes. Every brief or major position letter.
I do this and feel better that it's somewhere ;)
I’m the same way!
I have a whole Note on My Yahoo! Notepad titled "Resources" and consisting mostly of things I want to have handy, or links to them, for use in online discussion. For graphics, I have a corresponding folder in my mail account.
This sounds like a really smart idea and I wish I'd come up with it first
I create a new document before making a significant cut for this very purpose.
Absolutely. I've heard it called "sandbox," which I like.
Awww I like the “sandbox.”
I do this with an email draft. I also have a file where I keep Contract language that I like and use all the time. Don’t need to reinvent the wheel everytime.
Ah! That’s so good!
Your words are like your children. Brilliant.
Absolutely. I almost never ever go back to the dump document, but it helps overcome any psychological barriers to just wholesale deleting things
Sure do. Mine are “deleted scenes.”
Oh this makes it sound so much more interesting!
File > Save as - just save a new version v2 and the prior version with the old material will be there.
I absolutely do this.
wait....there are people who don’t do this??
Apparently!!! I don’t understand. How can you calm the anxiety that you won’t be able to find the cite you had before? Re-typing it all? Gahhh!
Omg I wasn’t even considering citations. Absolutely not.
Dump document 4Ever.
I generally just save new versions with a new name when I make big changes, putting the new date on what I save. That way I don't lose anything. But the dump document makes sense.
Not only is your "dump document" not weird, it is essential for anyone who spends a lot of time writing. I cannot write anything without one.
every single day!!!!
Of course. I often email it to myself in case we need it later
With everything. Also safer than my occasional method of typing a bunch of returns and putting it later in the document (ask me how I know)
Absolutely, and if I have a little spare time I’ll try to organize/label it in case it’s useful for other docs in the future
Call mine “outtakes”. Have 1 for each writing project.
This is one of the best tips that was passed on to me over 10 years ago. Especially because these cut bits can help you with a reply!
Which is better, a dump document or saving the whole document under a dated name before each major change?
My word program does that for me, luckily, so I guess I have both. When I’m really anxious about it, I email drafts to myself just so I know I can recover it in a meltdown.
Been there done that too
I do all of these things.
I do that too. It’s just good lawyering.
Me too ( email ). But I also save each session as a different version. I once lost a whole chunk of something and am terrified of it happening again .... so - belt and braces .....
I do this too. I can’t help it.
Yes; me too 👍
I have three documents for every story. One for dump/notes/research, one for the current chapter I'm working on, and one for all of the already finished chapters (so I dont catch myself rereading and editing old chapters when the newest one needs my attention first).
You are my soul sister.
I prefer the dump doc, so I know what the hell it is, and don’t have to go through older drafts.
I prefer the latter. I can generally trust myself to remember which version it’s in.
Different purposes. I save cut material that I might revive for another piece in a separate place from drafts of the piece I cut it from.
Definitely the first, for me, otherwise will I will have 10000000000 documents and no idea how they differ from each other.
I do both...
Eeek I do both!
I do that one! 😂🤣😂
Oh kill me
I’m doing both 👀
I do both!
I do both. I keep paragraphs I like under “extra”
For safety, best to do both. And track changes.
Dump document separates out the bits you removed, so it’s easier to find. I’d say do both.
I prefer Dump Docs because then all removed info is sorted in one location and I don't have to hunt it down by scouring through 20 renditions of the same paper.
I do this also
Mine’s called “The Boneyard”
The imagery on this one!
You never know what you might find in there!
yea, why not? digital memory is cheap, Time is expensive
Totally a mental health thing. Part is f me knows I will probably never look at it again. It may be the emotional equivalent of hoarding
Same here. Fortunately pixels don’t take up physical room, or I’d be in a world of hurt.
My cut-content files are usually called something like “extrastuff.” Not particularly creative but it does the job, ha.
All the time! Didn’t know it had a name. I love dump document. Gonna steal it.
Mine is usually titled “a bunch of shit” but yes I do this too. I cannot just delete stuff from a doc. Who are those people
Our IT folks would get a kick out of that one 😂
Yes. It’s legal writing hoarding. I must preserve my precious.
No reason to do it over!
Depends on how big the cut is. Often, yes.
All the time!!
I do this, sometimes in a document and sometimes in an email to myself that I save to the file. I don’t have a fancy name for mine, but I’m tempted to steal @AppellateGuru’s “cutting room floor” title.
The “cutting room floor” file is clutch. I’ve also called it the “bone yard” because it’s where some undeveloped arguments go to rest (but may possibly be resurrected again, such as on reply). IMO having these discard files makes total sense.
Unless, of course, one has a photographic memory. Then I guess it is weird and abnormal. But for the rest of us, the “cutting room floor” file is important.
Always
You got the coveted Twitter name!!!
All the time, for any kind of writing project. Notes for [project]. I advise my students to do this too when they're revising.
I’m more of an editor now but yes, I definitely do this and approve. It hurts less than summary execution of those words you fussed over.
yes definitely!! and/or every time i sit down to work in whatever it is i “save as” and retitle it with the date, so i end up with no less than like nine versions of it in various stages that Anxiety Brain refuses to let me delete “because i might need it later!”
same or I’ll be like “JohnSmithDepoOutline_Final” “JohnSmithDepoOutline_Final2” “JohnSmithDepoOutline_Final3” “JohnSmithDepoOutline_Final THIS ONE” “JohnSmithDepoOutline_Final SRSLY FINAL DOC”
😂 exactly. I know I'm near the end when I start cursing in the file name. "OmfgsrslyTHISistheone"
and/or message for my self “DocTitleASH_PICK_THIS_ONE_FFS”
Oh I was afraid I was the only one without a dedicated file, but instead have
V1
V2
V3-submitted
V3-comments
V3.1, V3.2, V3.3
V4
V5
V6-submitted
ad nauseam.
OH adding submitted is smart. I gotta do that 😂
Lol! That was me with my PhD thesis many years ago! My supervisor thought it was hilarious!!
I'm a professional grantwriter and I'll have a list of the file names like that, but you know it's getting serious when I start doing a timestamp as well, like 953p
Also, somewhere in my phone I have a photo of someone who actually got a tattoo with the Microsoft image for a Word doc and final final final
Incredible 😂😂😂😂
Exactly this.
Absolutely, especially if it's a heavy revision.
I do this with art, but I usually leave it on another layer in Photoshop. Sometimes my layers build up because of this lol
All The Time
Of course I do. Why would people just delete potentially useful writing?
Of course!
And I often use the junk document!
I call them notes. If it’s longer than a day project I absolutely save it
I am an engineer. I do this with designs, code, and a lot more. I think anyone who doesn't do this is weird...
I do. Mine is called "Disjecta membra".
I sometimes do it. Not often. Also I'm pretty sure I've never gone back to it... Ever. Bahahaha.
I do it more often but also so far have never made a trek back to the use the discards :-😂
I have a line in the document. Everything above the line is edited into readability. Everything below is a snippet that isn't yet or was cut earlier. As I write, the snippets slowly congeal into new edited paragraphs, or stay in purgatory.
I always do it, and I have been very glad I do a few times...
I thought everybody did that...
This isn’t weird at all. It’s smart.
It’s not weird at all. You might need it for the reply.
This is when I usually just create a new version of the brief for the shortened version (thankfully I’ve always worked places with doc management software so I don’t have to have new file names for all the versions).
This better not be weird because it me. 😂
Yeah I do it
Mine is the kitchen sink.
Yup! 🙋🏻♀️ I call it “outtakes”
I do this all the time. For me it's called "scratch"
Yep. I spent good time writing that trash - can’t bear to see it deleted 😂
I do this before and after. I keep all the quotes from cases I really want to use in one document. Then I moved all the cut sentences over there and keep them all just in case.
I do this, *as well as* keeping a history of my changes in git!
So if it's weird then I guess I'm doubly weird...
That’s what a form library is for, in the transactional world. Start from the standard and conform to fit. Avoids sweeping in past one-off mistakes or concessions
Oh I totally do that
There’s nothing weird about this at all. I often do this.
If you work in Latex you can just comment it out.
Most of my documents are 9/10 commented out stuff and when I think about it I start to hate my life..... but at least it's not git!
Everyone does this.
Not quite.
I’ve always created a “net draft” to house all possible materials, links, quotes, devil’s advocate ramblings, etc. When I’m ready to sculpt/whittle down, I use a *copy of that broad net thrown* that’s a composite of my own research & thought processes. Very useful later. Save it.
I often do this too.
I do it and I save it for just about every substantive document I work on. Super helpful, especially for piecing together trends in case law/making use of quotes that pop out but it isn’t instantly obvious where it would fit. Freaks out people in Sharepoint documents
Yup every time
Yup, every time too
Brilliant!!
Sounds like a great idea to me
Absolutely!
Yes. Sometime I remember a bit of info but not what source I got it from. For that reason, I keep interesting tidbits with sources and links, knowing I can find them later in a search. An advantage of electronic documents.
Not weird at all. Only weirdos don’t have a dump document
I was like “wait you just... cut things and then they’re just... gone?” 😱
I do but I never actually end up using any of it. Guess I cut it for a reason.
This is a GREAT idea.
I ALWAYS do this
This is standard operating procedure for me. Always.
Yes. I call it either the midden or the graveyard
No, but it's common.
All the time! For every single paper.
yep. just in case....
I call it “cutting room” or “snippets”
I just save old drafts. But yeah, you never know when that obscure point will suddenly tie everything together (not). Also, I think this is a habit of people who write slowly--fluid writers know they can just rewrite.
Oh, I absolutely do this. It makes it so much easy to cut things if I know I can access them later should I change my mind. I rarely do, but still. And sometimes a darling or two makes its home in another piece of writing.
Yes! I’m very picky about the order I present information in and the general flow of writing so I tend to move things around a lot. Plus, I feel like I put in WORK writing that content and while it didn’t work in a certain spot, it might come in handy elsewhere!
Yes. And I end up never using most of it, but it’s nice to have anyway.
I do, normally in the same document at the bottom though.
I should start doing this 😳
I do this.
It's a GREAT idea - much easier to cut stuff if you're not destroying it forever - and believe me I've found places for my "darlings" later.
Never throw anything away. A big chunk of my 2018 AJPS article with Dan Carpenter and Ben Schneer was an abandoned dissertation prospectus from 2009.
If you craft text in Google docs, all edits are saved in a version history, which is less frustrating than having to move between documents and remember where cut text was initially. Trust me, I've been there.
I don’t write but that sounds really quite smart to me
I save new versions when I want to cut or make big changes. So, sometimes, lots of versions.
Always! Mine is called “outtakes”.
(Possibly sensitive)
Totally.
Of course! I do this with contracts I’m drafting.
I call it detritus. Because I'm pretentious.
I also save all my earlier drafts in case something doesn't make it
And when I say save, I mean I have physically printed out copies.
I print out my drafts so I can write all over them.
That’s next level. I definitely don’t do that.
Not weird. Smart.
I don't see a problem with that,
Never heard of it, but it's a great idea.
of course.
🙋♂️ every time.
Same. Not every time, but often
Absolutely. Mine is called “darlings.” (As in “kill your...”)
Then call me weird! 💁🏻♀️
Definitely! And I have a "possible document" for ideas and clips of things I want to consider but I'm afraid I'll forget!
Not weird at all. I call the files [client name] helper.docx
HELL YES. I call mine the scratchpad.
Not weird at all.
...there’s people who don’t do this? That’s weird.
Yesssss
I literally did this while working on a brief *today.* Who doesn’t do this?
I do it. I never know if I’ll want to use it for another version of the same article or post.
i absolutely do this, in case i change my mind later.
I routinely do this. It makes it so much easier to cut.
Once I cut an section X to reach arbitrary word count, put it in dump file, expecting referees to want this for R&R. Referees said, "author should do X," so I did!
Sent to editor, "sorry about word count." MS accepted.
If that helps you mentally to get past deleting it, then do it! There is a saying amongst writers that you need to be prepared to “kill your darlings.” We often get attached to things we write, but also need to be prepared to “kill” them if it makes the work better/more effective
I think for me it’s a mental game 😅
Absolutely
I just end up with v1, v2, ... cuz at those moments you describe inks it “ave as” and keep going...
I do, and once I sent it to my editor by mistake! 😩
Always. Nothing weird about this. I take it to court, too.
I do this. All the aggregated scraps sometimes make interesting standalone compositions.
I absolutely do this.
I do this as well.
I also have a "dump" timeline when I video edit.
I do it and I’m not a professional writer. :)
I do that. Just in case.
All the time
I do this
Its not weird this is critical. Unironically. Whoever said not to do this can be dismissed out of hand.
I do this and nobody ever taught me, I just started doing it, perhaps b/c I always tend to overwrite a lot and I am therefore forced to cut huge sections and it doesn't make any sense to completely junk writing that has citations that can represent hours of work.
At the end of the document.
Absolutely. One day i might just publish my dump document as a kind of Ulysses like stream of conciousness novel.
Of course! I call it the bone yard, and I retrieve stuff from it All. The. Time.
I call it the “boneyard”
"Save for Reply"
Some would say to use it as an idea box. It’s worked for me on numerous occasions.
This doesn't strike me as weird at all. Sometimes it's called the goody bag or the candy bag.
Yes, I sometimes just use the very bottom of a document until it gets too long and unweildly and then I move to a new doc
Yeah I totally do that.
Having a dump doc is smart. Have done it for years.
All the time. I'm sentimental (attachmental) like that.
I do this. I call it "story name__fodder."
Yes! I do this.
All the time!
Hearing others have this is cathartic. I alway thought it was a weird thing to do. By the way—I rarely if ever use any of it.
I absolutely do this. It’s my outtakes document. I know a lot of #AppellateTwitter people do too
Bloopers! Ha!
You're not alone
It’s not weird! It helps me cut things I might otherwise be loath to delete because I know that they’re not gone for good. And I have def used content from the dump document before!
I even save these for word’s full text search later because I’m lazy and I will 100% be pasting those two pages into another brief at some point in the future!
I do this!
100000000%
That’s not weird at all. Why waste good writing?
Just because it doesn’t seem to fit in that spot, doesn’t mean it can’t fit elsewhere
This is the smartest thing I've ever heard and I'm going to start doing it immediately.
Yes, obviously.
I do this at the bottom of the document!
I do this.
I totally do this and I know at least two other people who do as well. I mostly write in Scrivener and it makes this really easy, and it's a big help.
Came here to say this is basically built into scrivener
I’ve learned to delete nothing until my writing is complete. Instead I just dump it to the bottom of the document I’m writing. A dump file isn’t a bad idea though.
Yes, mine starts as bits and pieces at the end of the document under the heading “cut(s)”, then, when the writing it ready for the next step (usually review of some kind), it gets moved to a new document called “[original file] cuts”.
No, it’s not weird at all. I do the same when writing.
OMG I DO THIS!! And I even call it “[name of file I’m working on] dump”! I thought I was the only weirdo who does stuff like this. Clearly, my reluctance to delete anything extends even to word documents.
I do this with every brief or motion.
Yes! For a long time now, even before grad schooling. It's come in useful a few times.
I use a note on my Mac, but yes, absolutely have one of these
I do it for every project—even reviews—and I call it my “trash file”
Not weird.
Not weird. I do that with everything I write. (hoarding tendencies, but for words?)
I do this all the time - I call it my Scrap document. It lets me be a tougher editor on myself, because I know I can always put it back.
There are people who DON’T do this???
(No comment)
I call it “leftovers” 😂 and like so many other leftovers that didn’t quite fit with the meal... I don’t often go back to them 😅
Absolutely - was an important tool in doing revisions of my recently completed 200+ page PhD dissertation.
Totally normal and a good idea! I hate deleting ideas or sentences I have.
I do this. I think it's smart.
People don’t do this?
Mine is called “the trail”
yes and sometimes it has saved the day
Yes, I name it the same as the document but add “scratch” to the beginning. And I never delete it
I always do this.
Always
Not weird! And I have occasionally used those scraps again thankyouverymuch.
I have too!
I invented this sometime circa 2005, when our document-management practices were just a touch above "save to desktop." Proud that it's still a (negative) productivity tool today! #MyNewMotto: Inventing new ways to #entomb wasted words in #carbonite, since 2005.
Yes, absolutely
Yep. Scraps! It’s like cutting the excess dough off your pie crust — might need it to patch up the holes later!!
Maybe. or I just eat it, when it’s pie crust...
Yes. But I put them at the end of the first draft under the heading “notes not to be produced” and often end up using them later, either in that project or in others.
I do this! I never really thought about whether others do but now I know I am not alone.
Yeah, I call it ‘cuts’ because they then sometimes get pasted back in or become other parts of the paper
I started doing it. It made it a lot easier to delete things from my writing that needed to go.
I handle appeals and do this when I draft an argument but decide to drop it for one reason or another.
100% do this
(Possibly sensitive)
Yup. I call the file “outtakes.”
I use the dated format a lot of other people have noted but I’ll start creating a dump doc now. I’m finding it difficult to find stuff back in time cos I don’t know in exactly which day/date what I need is in. This way, I know what I need it’s in that one doc.
All the time
Is there another possibility?
I name the files "Detritus". My computers are now filled with Detritus.doc & Detritus.docx files.
When I get to the point of cutting something I may want later, I save, the save again, but as new version, then make the big edit... knowing I can go back and find my earlier prose in a prior version. A modern doc mgt system of course makes this easier ...
I do the opposite: have a draft from which I copy/paste into a new doc if I want it to make to the final draft.
I just put it after \endinput
Notoriously!! Gotta save every ounce of that hard work
weird? hell no, I use that one for the next motion or brief. THere's honestly only so many things I put in writing and only so many ways to say em
Nothing weird about this.
Totally do this. I do not have a hoarder tendency at all. Except this is one because I never actually use it.
I do this a lot.
I call it “notes” and usually end up spending way too much time digging through it for the one cut sentence that I (wrongly) recall to be brilliant.
it's weird not to. Been doing this for ages, although I go back and forth between a separate document and keeping it in the same document at the end after a couple page breaks.
Lol. I do this constantly. I’ve got a 20-year-old doc with most of my best stuff in it.
Yes. I call mine “scraps” and start a new one each day for each project.
Always. I usually call it the "parking lot"
Always!
Yes. Always.
Yes. It's wise. But it is also like saving leftovers that you know you will probably never eat.
I have a 200-page google doc called RUNOFF
Dump *document*? I keep a dump gutter
All the time lol
1000 percent
I don’t write without one.
The person who told you this is not your friend.
always.
All the time!
For 25 years, yes.
Who’s calling this weird? I want to have words with them. Dump docs full of words with them.
Yes. I call that document "Document name_Lost Children."
Yeah... call it the bike rack.
Hard yes
i do this when i'm browsing the intwerwebs
data:text/html,%20<html%20contenteditable>
turns your browser tab into a blank notepad. It comes in handy.
All the time. Though I never actually “need them later”
ALL THE TIME. I did it today and saved it as “cutting room floor”
Of course!
Actually two, one with nothing special text, likely junk for ever, and one for good stuff that I may well use elsewhere.....
Always.
The “person” who said it was weird is an alien. Run away before the probe comes out.
Bullpen
Mine is called “Cuts”
Mine is called "random excerpts"
I save it as a “scraps” 🤓 justtttt in case.
I do it all the time. Good prose should be kept. If you can file it effectively it can really come in handy later.
Hell, yes.
Yes. Why would someone suggest that’s weird. In the before times, we used to write ideas on index cards keep them for later. Cut and paste is literally built on that idea. How is time passing this fast?!
Absolutely!
I do this.
This sounds like like “extreme hoarders electronic edition”
Yes! Not weird at all. And I keep the dump document for future edits or other articles.
I do. I name the file “outtakes” like I’m a band cutting an album
Totally
I have these for everything, dating back to the 90s.
I’m sorry, everyone doesn’t do this? I thought the “dump doc” was part of “intro to legal writing.” If not, it should be.
I do, I call it “bits and pieces,” and it makes it much easier for me to edit without feeling like all that work is just junked.
I do. I always name the file “parking lot” for some reason. Can’t remember where I got the name from
My morgue file. I will raise it from the dead if I need to.
Mine is called “scratch” and it goes both ways - place to dump research on the front end and place to collect scraps on the back end.
I do now
Heck yeah. Totally necessary
That’s not weird what’s weird is telling ppl their perfectly valid writing processes are weird do you
Do it every time.Mine is called “outtakes” or sometimes “notes.”
Totally! Very useful!
Oh I do it if it’s something I put any degree of soul into
I have never done this in 17 years of practice. I have used track changes, which literally tracks every change, included deleted text (as strike through) and allows you to reinsert deleted text. I’ve also just saved versions of documents (“factumv1” vs “factumv2”)
While this works in some circumstances, you can only grep the current view. You can persuade software engineer tools (such as git) to give you running deltas, but it's a pain.
Dump docs can be easily searched and bulk indexed.
I do now!
Hmmmm i will nooow
Yes! I do exactly this! Just because something I've written doesn't fit in this particular document, doesn't mean it won't slide in nicely somewhere else 🙂 I've used stuff that I wrote years prior.
I have one for when I write
YES!!
Me. All the time. Just in case.
Always. My advisor constantly emphasizes this
Omg I do this all the time, I now have a massive document with notes and notes of copy pasted thoughts
Absolutely. Every time I draft. I call the document “takeouts”
I used to "save as" with the date or time so that I could go back to earlier versions, now I use track changes or save as a new version on our document management system.
Doesn’t everyone do this?
Always. I call the doc “Outakes.”
All the time, every piece I write. I call it “extras.doc”
Been practicing for 28 years. Always done it, always will. I call it the Stuff file.
I do. Might need it again later in another rewrite.
I use Latex, so I just put a % next to it and it doesn’t show up in the compiled pdf. This is the main reason I use Latex. I couldn’t bear to actually get rid of material; what if I change my mind?!
I do all the time.
🙋🏼♀️I definitely do this.
I do it often.
I do this. I used to put this at the end of the doc but then got paranoid the cuts at the end would end up filed one day (never happened) so now I use a separate doc.
I do this and I’ve used stuff later!
I not only have this, I have middling documents where I flesh out ideas before I put them into the main content.
Heck yes I do that. Pfft. I even do that for well-crafted emails.
I have a VERY long document titled “not using in dissertation”
Writing my dissertation for my doctorate and always have a “dump” document. But that’s new to me. Younger me thought every idea and concept I conceived was indispensable. 🤦♀️
Who doesn’t do this!?
Wait. People don't do that?
Absolutely do it for any major project, and always save those files—sometimes, the kernel for the next project got dumped from an earlier one...
Absolutely. Everything I write has a companion “garbage file”
You need better document version control, you are stuck in the cesspool of Microsoft
This exactly. I call mine 'cutting board' and reuse bits in later papers and reviews. Very useful mentally to not see those ideas just be deleted.
Yes! I call it “outtakes.” Can’t write without an outtakes file, even though I almost never retrieve anything from it.
It’s weird if someone doesn’t do that.
If it’s a solo project they go at the end of the draft. Not sure I could keep track of them very well otherwise.
100% yes. Very wise.
Always do this.
Always.
Yep! I call mine 'Notes and Cuts.' I rarely go back and use any of it, but I always think "what if?"
Absolutely. Writing is hard work, and I’m not wasting it! I have such “extra” files for all big reports.
I always have that. And I often use that extra text later to get started with a related manuscript. So no, I don't think it's weird at all :) super useful rather
Oh yeah, call mine “discarded scraps.” Keep on for every project, and for longer projects, divide by chapter (though these typically evolve as project does).
Doesn't everyone do this?
Of course. I usually call it "text,"and outtakes from outtakes go into a file names "bits."
it's called notes.txt
Absolutely necessary due to the 180 and 360 degree digressions, and characters dropped and scene cuts, not to mention the extra depth demanded during the editorial process and 897 other changes endured during the seven to twelve years of finishing a book!
Sounds super impt!
Not weird at all. Good practice, good discipline.
I do that. When I’m using LaTeX, I don’t even cut it. I comment it out of the document so it is still in the same context. Helps for proposal writing.
Same here.
I usually just dump it further down the page where I have to scroll to it but yes!
Thinking more when I’m writing a document, I don’t do it for emails...
Omg what kind of monster would just DELETE the cut things?!
Haha, that being said, I never go back to the holding pen document. It’s just a security blanket.
I do this with every longish / complex draft. I even have a standard name for the “dump document”. Had no idea that anybody else did it, so your tweet is quite reassuring :-)
Me too! Mine is called ‘off cuts’, what’s yours?
Mine is embarrassingly boring: “text removed”. Maybe I’ll change it to something more fun like “Here Be Dragons” or suchlike :-)
Yes absolutely
Constantly, I don’t know how to write without one.
I call it the “clipboard” and I have one for each writing project. I usually end up returning to it multiple times to move things around and cut and paste, and sometimes I pull from them for new pieces.
Not weird at all. Most people I know have one, as do I. I don’t have a good name for it though, need to work on that.
I guess that makes me weird. I’ll just add it to the list. (Opens dump doc)
I do! Love the term “dump doc” too.
I don't have a "dump document" but I go crazy with version controls. Whenever I think I have an updated version of a document, I save it as a new file and then run redlines against the previous. I keep both "clean" and "redline" copies :P
Yes and I call it my X file
With written docs and also have similar process for things cut out of timeline in film editing. Don’t find that I frequently go searching for cut material but indispensable tool when needed!
No but I keep previous drafts so I can always go back to those to get what I deleted.
Always.
Yep. I call mine “notes.”
I call mine Notes
Absolutely! For each piece I’m writing I have a file in Scrivener called ‘Cut but interesting.’ The things in there often end up in other places.
Of course I keep a discard file! So I don’t have to think up good thoughts twice. I’ve always advised writing students & clients to do it too. It helps writers let go of their darlings.
I have always kept the cut-outs. And they often return. For me the cut-outs are at least compost, and may be seed corn for new stories.
Yes I do this.
I call it my ‘notes’ file or sometimes a ‘misc’ file.
I always keep my cut text too. Manuscraps!
I do this....Deleted stuff
Always. It is like having a storage locker for things you don't need but just can't get rid of.
For me, it’s called THE SLUSHPILE and it lurks at the end of the document
I do this. It works for me. And it's useful for me.
Absolutely! How is this weird?
I thought I was the only one
Yes all the time - my ‘offcuts’
of COURSE i do this. alway saved as "dump doc"
Yep! The file is called ‘dumped prose’. I’ve never gone back but still do it.
By “weird,” did they mean “good practice”? I think that’s what they meant.
I`m sure neither of you are alone.
I don`t do this exactly, but I tend to keep stuff
I do it. Sometimes it is useful for the reply.
Why would it be weird? I do it, too.
Isn't everyone?
Yes, it's called 'cut bits'. I always have one and encourage PhD students to do this too as it helps you to let go of things that don't belong in the main argument but that you love with all your heart.
All the time
Yes. It’s by no means weird
seconded. I have *a lot* of these, and have frequently been vindicated by discovering a new purpose for culled bits.
Emacs has something called a scratch buffer built in. You're implementing venerable features of the long legacy of gnu software.
You might be interested in extending that idea with zettelkasten', or 'note-box'.
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Ah, who remembers "scratch" tapes and scratch disks for intermediate results that you overwrote regularly.
I have a few! Just like my junk drawers around the house.
yes, absolutely
I do this too.. my document is called the graveyard of sentences and paragraphs to be used later 😆
Yesss all the time ... i use them sometimes to prepare power point or related material ... but very often I forgot about them
Doesn't everyone?
i call mine the "Splash page"!
Literally everyone does this?
Yes OF COURSE!!
Sounds normal to me!
I have exactly this and it has always been called 'the dump'.
I've got a trimmings folder :)
Really? I always have that. I even colour code sections. Into / methodology always blue, discussion always red 😊
Always!
Have one for everything I write. It usually ends up longer than the finished piece.
I'd say it's more weird not to have one.
Yes, I call it my scratch pad.
Working on one as we speak!
Not weird at all. My MA tutus calls it ‘keeping the edits from the cutting room floor’. Makes it easier to cut things out (and put them back if you change your mind) and comes in handy for other writing too.
Of course! I think of it as writing “starter dough”.
I call it “outtakes” and couldn’t do without it
I'm convinced the only writers who don't do this are sociopaths who compose most of their documents in blood or letters cut out from magazines.
Why’d this make me laugh so hard?
I think I just fell in love with you. Don’t tell my husband. 😉
Followed. 😂
Or an adherent of the Jack Kerouac school of writing 😂
Redundant much?
*wins the self referential meta tweet award*
Or maybe they are really coders at heart....
Well, some coders have text editors with dozens of tabs containing snippets of deleted code ‘just in case’ 😅
But would they do that word’s? Coders used to say to me back in 1998– the web does not need writers.... tell me that’s changed!
I like to think so, but I suspect not as much as you’d hope. The rise of ‘UX’ as a discipline has certainly helped.
That’s perfectly understandable.
You don’t have an unlimited supply of blood and you have to pay for magazines.
me too!
I love “flotsam.” Mine is called “Outtakes,” but I may need to change that now.
"cold cuts" (in Finnish though: leikkeleet, which is closer to "filet" tbh) is the name for mine. And darlings (in my head it's closer to "goldies" in Finnish: kultaset)
Mine is "outtakes," too! I can't cut without it.
Yes this is what I call it too!
That’s what I call mine too.
definitly - and on one occasion dumped eventually the main draft and made a paper from the snips
I have never thought of doing this but I think it is brilliant and will now do it forever!
I’ve got a dump folder of sources too like book chapters or academic papers
I do it all the time.
I make a second paper out of it. Doesn't always work, but the thoughts are worth keeping.
I do this everytime I write a paper
I do this! I tell my students to do it. The emotional burden of throwing away hard work & relevant research is heavy, and when time is short this is a great hack! Do you ever use it again? I rarely do.
That's so clever!!!
I love my dump documents.
Sometimes a dump document, sometimes previous versions with some info in the file name.
Naming convention is something like:
[document name] - DRAFT [version#] - [optional comment on this version]
When the document is finished, I'll delete most drafts but sometimes keep a few with important sections that were not used and/or clean up (or even create) a new dump doc with clear internal labeling.
Yes! Invaluable just for making progress
Totally! You never know when you might need it. Also a good starting point for things like social media posts on the same topic.
Love the Dump Document. Have loads!
Certainly and still have use of it
I like the idea. I had a discussion graveyard once, at the end of a draft, of all the ideas I had cut from the discussion from previous versions. Useful to get input from co-authors on whether an idea should have been cut or not. And yes, easier to let go that way.
Me! I do it. It makes it easier to cut words you Spent so many hours writing when you can put them on ice rather than bury them for good. And what doesn’t belong in one project might work in another.
I do this! And they often come in very handy too. Got loads of them saved.
I do this too!
I like all the different names people have for this doc. Mine is “offcuts,” which is weird but too late to change now.
At the end of every draft document, I have a "graveyard".
I do this. You never know when an old gem will become useful. I hoard my cuts like treasures... :)
Yep, every single thing I write has a separate 'cuts' file in the same folder. It only has to save your arse once to be worth it
Not weird!
I’m just a 2L, but I do this. We are working on our moot court appeal briefs. I have ~ 10 windows open. My “dump” doc, my outline, my drafts, my cases,etc. ... I feel a little better knowing others do it too
Totes not weird ... I usually have an “Sandbox.doc” for this!
Yes, got one
Yep. It's usually named "JustInCase."
I call it “notes”
Although I use a lot less now - don’t know if I am better (more practised) at writing close to what I want first time or worry less about cutting hard earned words.... prob a bit of both
Definitely!
Yes! It was a tip that @ciara_hackett gave me while doing my PhD and it's the best idea ever. It makes revisions etc so much easier and work is sitting there for shorter media pieces (if I ever get around to that). Also helpful for a book proposal.
I haven't done that, but it sounds like an excellent idea
Absolute madness to not have one... My ‘Scratch Docs’ are in constant use and have saved me countless times!
Yep. Bucket file is what I call it.
Yes! Not “weird”, eminently sensible 🙂
"Overspill." Couldn't write without it.
No, a dump doc is a MUST!
My dump file is always called "Bits" and I oftem retrieve stuff from it or use it for other projects. Somehow I accidentally deleted a large section from my last one and lost some vital reference material that I'll never be able to find again. Still bummed out about that.
I delete them and add them to the bottom of the document just in case.
Yes! I have a file for each dissertation chapter labelled "scraps" for exactly this purpose. You're not alone!
not weird; very smart in my book
I haz dump folder.
I do that!
Isn't this normal?
I sometimes do this, though not with a dedicated document; I know more than one person who does it that way, though.
I don’t, but I think I’ll start!
I’ve always done that. I can’t throw anything away.
Most of it is shocking though.
Very normal!
OF COURSE
Do it too, as a PhD student I often reused some parts, even in my final manuscript. I'll keep doing it, it takes away the frustration of deleting. something. for. ever. and allows you to write freely without the urge to do it right the 1st time. Great self brainstorming.
absolutely ! Did that during my masters, do that for any presentations and trainings
All the time!
I used to. Now I just let go.
There was a long thread a couple of years ago on what writers named their file of saved bits cut from the main document. It was fascinating.
Definitely. Have used it on occasion.
My dump file usually ends up being about 2-3 times bigger than the document I’m trying to write 😂
Yes and I’ve often been glad I did.
Not at all weird
all the time.
I dump it to the bottom of the document until I’m done, then I delete that stuff for good
Yes! It’s a great idea, keep doing it.
Definitely a good idea! Also, I always save a complete back-up before I start cutting and pasting, in case I cock it up completely. That way I can always start again from square 1.
yes!! i do this
Mine is called 'Outtakes' and it usually ends up at least as long as the paper.
An absolute essential!
I've always done it.
Yup, I have one.
I never let anything go to waste. Most of the time they end up in a “recycle document”, but only occasionally recycled to be honest.
Same!
I have it too
It seems weird *not* to do that. I do that and have mine saved as "[File name] Removed" for ease of reference. Sometimes I even go back and reuse the text for the same or other documents.
Yes, always.
All the time.
Oh yes, all the time. It makes it easier to excise them if you know you’re storing them just in case.
Sometimes, yes. Definitely not weird.
Well I will now. What a good idea!
I do this sometimes, I call them "DOCUMENT TITLE cut bits"
They are weird. The ones telling you this.
Mine are called “To Reopen” with the date and can cover more than one project.
They also include URLs to material I didn’t use but that might be useful in the future.
How carefully the items are labeled is a good indicator of how stressed and how rushed I am.
Always do that - sometimes call it a ‘rushes’ document.
I always do that!
Where else should you put these? Mines are called always ”outtakes“...
Not weird! I even save it as “ProjectName Dump”
We call it graveyard document @ChukkerV
I assumed everyone did this!
Yup. And keep them for ref in the same folder as the used item.
Often beside a copy-post with drops of online refs and such notes.
Not weird at all. Something i advise all my research students to do. I've quite often come back to these excised sections for related projects where they fit better.
Yes it is called manuscraps
I didn't invent it, but once I heard it all manuscripts of mine got a manuscraps partner
As a medical writer I LOVE this! May I steal it? #manuscraps
Of course, I heard it somewhere once so it is not mine
Of course. Every time.
Not weird. Save it. You’ll use it for blog posts, marketing, and future books.
I definitely do this! Maybe I will compile the many dump documents and see if it creates the paper I've always been longing to write!
I used to save a new version of the document every time I made major changes. Ended up with a bazillion versions at least ten of which had "final" in the file name.
Let me introduce you to 'Track Changes'
Absolutely do this. Call it the Parking Lot and it helps me be more ruthless in my cutting knowing I can our ir somewhere until I may need it (hardly ever).
Mine is “cuts”
When I write in LaTex and this happens, I tend to just comment out the removed text. That way I can bring back select bits of it if needed. Seems common sense to me.
I always do that
Yes, I do.
I thought everyone did this?
Always and it has helped me more than once!
What’s weird is people trying to tell you what works for your is weird 🙄
I do this. It's invaluable when you decide to do last minute rewrites.
Offcuts! Can't always kill my darlings but I can let them have a rest elsewhere
I call it "cut outs"
I keep versions of files and go back to find things if needed. Letting it go is hard, but rereading sometimes proves that some things must go...
I do this all the time. I save it as the “master” - my info source
Yes, all the time. It’s called “scratch” doc.
Always. It makes it so much easier for me to cut and dump when I somehow feel like the language over which I slaved is saved somewhere.
I absolutely do this.
No, but it makes much more sense than making a copy everytime I edit something. I'll be doing this from today!
Yes, of course. There's always a time when content might be useful in something else. Why lose good writing just because it doesn't fit in that one draft?
Absolutely.
I dont and then im pissed when I can't remember what the thing i wanted to put back in was exactly and the try to recreate it isnt as good. I should do a dump doc but I know I won't anyways. :(
I call it ‘bits and pieces’ and I have one for everything I write
Many books have been written/edited from “dump” documents, folders & boxes, particularly after an author dies. I have a couple of articles put together from materials that were not a good fit for the original article, but were perfectly fine on their own.
Its not weird. Very practical
It’s weird not to do this IMO 😂 Makes it much easier to dump stuff that’s not working because you’ve got it somewhere. 95% of the time I don’t go back but occasionally there’s a thread of an idea I’m glad to have!
Totally. Always.
I do and my document is named 'cut bits'!
I’ve got a ton of email drafts that I’ve even titled for this very purpose.
This dumping ground has come in very handy over the years! I’ve been able to pull documents re any number of subjects together very quickly based on the cast-offs from previous ones.
I totally do that. And I do sometimes need some of it later.
I do it too... Just calling it extra stuff and keeping it in my laptop forever
All the time
Not only do I do it, I advise my students to do it, too.
It doesn’t matter if you never go back to the bits; it’s about convincing your brain that it’s ok to cut from your paper bc that idea or sentence isn’t disappearing forever; it just doesn’t belong in THIS paper!
Same. Or I reverse the concept and move the parts I’m keeping to a new document.
Same here. For every working paper I create a 'dump doc' for bits not being used but which I don't want to lose. Advise students to do the same.
Oh, I like this!!! I do what the OP says but I think I will try THIS out.
I’ve heard the strategy called “reverse outlining” too.
Reverse outlining is when you summarize the main point of esch para in the margin to see what you’ve actually said/argued. Really helps w reorganization, also good for cutting redundancy!
That's really good.
Everything Lindsay said! Plus sometimes it belongs later in the same paper, just not where you originally put it.
I use Google docs because I know I can always go back and get stuff. I don't even own Microsoft office.
Actually that’s brilliant. I wish I had thought of that.
Yep! Every time! I might find a place for it in a later draft
I do this, call it detritus
Instead of "killing your darlings," think of it like sending them to a farm upstate.
I call mine “deleteria” :)
Yep, usually a txt file. It makes killing darlings waaay easier
For almost every document I work on, I’ve got one.
I do it for every book I write. Not weird at all.
“Manuscraps”...I keep them at the end of the paper until ready to submit
Yes! Im grad school, mine was always in the same document at the bottom. When I finished my writing, I would save a final version without the parts I cut.
I used to do it all the time. I still do it with music scores.
Yes, I do--it is *most* sensible.
There was a long thread on just this issue a while back I recall. The best bit was what people called it.
its weird not to do this
Not quite. I duplicate my documents each time I do an edit, so that I have a series of comparable edits in their original context.
It’s a tad excessive of me, but 🤷♂️
ALL the time.
Totally do this all the time!
I call these ‘orphaned bits’ and put them in a document for possible use later, or in the current doc.
Perfectly sensible.
Of course - I have loads of text files on the go in notepad++ which I use for snippets of thought, drafted paragraphs, a to-do list, things to investigate later on the web, ideas for quiz questions and all sorts of other junk...!
I have a big file of HTML that I've removed from pages I manage but I'm too stupid to easily recreate, which I keep in case I need it again. So sort of.
I do this. I only need them about half a percent of the time, but it makes it easier to cut boldly.
this is also why the trash can on desktops is a brilliant concept
+1
Functionality to archive scenes was actually one of the features implemented as a result of direct user requests in my story planning saas
PlotDash - Plan your story!
Drag-and-drop script board for screenwriters to arrange the scenes and beats of each act.
plotdash.com
Git would also cover that case
For you and I, sure. For most people, not really. This is one reason Google Docs is so successful; it increases access to versioning and document "history" for people who otherwise would have none.
Git/job it does, would catalyze humanity. Just imagine impact in academia or law.
I use git but I do also have a scratch file, for those bits that you know fit in somewhere and you might just need to put back. It’s different because it sits open for me to see. Editing is non-linear.
I do this a bunch when I am making presentations, too. Alot of things that are *good* ideas for a slide, but just don't fit exactly what I am trying to do. Will get 75% done, realize that this isn't the right frame for the audience. Save the slide, dump it to a WiP
I have so many invisible slides in any lecture I've given more than once.
I keep a writing calendar out 4-6 weeks at any given time so the similar but in my case I’ll be putting excerpts into those. 🤔
We need git-style branches and forks in our word processors
I do to but never gave my process a name. "Dump document" - Love it.
I also do it while drafting email msgs. The "dump" email msg's subject line becomes "Next xxxxx"
And @paulg is right. It "makes it easier [for me] to cut boldly."
too, not to
With Alfred you have clipboard history. Super useful
I do this when I design. Copy artboards to make bigger experiments. Frequently becomes the subsequent version or "trunk" in good old SVN speak.
Evernote is perfect for this.
Haha, well put! “Oh I can cut this whole bit of lovely prose, because it’s not GOING AWAY.” Leveraging denial.
Manny attach their identity to their work, so they can't see it just disappear. Musicians do this too.
Me: Let's compromise. We'll put it in the "Extra Writing" document, then we'll come back and reevaluate later.
My perfectionism: Okay. But promise we'll actually do that.
Me: I swear it.
(I have never ever added something back into final writing from the Extra Writing doc. 🤫)
tweeted about this the other day. I almost never retrieve anything from the document, but it's a valuable psychological security blanket.
Great point.
I call it the "Attic", which seems like a useful metaphor (or "Basement", I guess, depending on how and where one lives).
I call it KEEP, and add a .gitignore rule to ignore the directory of repo specific historical artifacts.
I call it "scratch"
Why? It's very much part of my git repo!
Typically it's just fragments of code mid-flight. Something that I think is important in the moment, but most often it's never needed again.
I do this all the time and pains me when I lose one of them. I actually end up creating multiple versions of the dump doc 😂😂🤷🏿♀️
Yes! It’s the most helpful tool recommended by one of my mentors!
I do! You never know if you might need it again. Although I never do.
You mean my "excess verbiage" file? Lots of subsequent papers have found their roots in that mound of silage.
I do it in an email draft so that I can quickly come back to it in 1-2 days and clear it. Inbox zero means drafts zero as well.
NOT remotely weird at all. HOLD ON to those gems. all the pros do it.
Duh yes obviously every time
Unless accounting spreadsheet practice has moved on, I used to do it clearing reconciled items from from accounts reconciliations. Provides an audit trail of what amounts were ticked off to what. Good practice.
My notes pad is basically a series of these. No regrets! 🤷♂️
It’s reassuring to reread these pieces later. Nothing more satisfying than when you can say, ‘Ah I was right.’
I definitely do this. You are not alone.
Agreed, I use OneNote for this very purpose.
ALWAYS!! Don't know if I've ever gone back to any of the dumped work but still always do it
I find it really useful -a sort of bank of ideas.
And some of those files are coming up to their 21st year. Mind you, I only recently got rid of the peat samples from my PhD - finished in 2003 and moved 4 times across the UK🙃
I call it the slushpile. I have one for the book I have written. The one I use currently is for a book ms. For shorter documents, I mostly rely on Docs versioning to go back to previous deletions.
Not weird at all. Those dump documents develop into their own grown-up articles sometimes.
Yes. It's the only way to write.
I do this all the time! Makes it easier to ‘let go’ because I know I have a backup of my previous ideas...just in case :)
I call mine graveyard file and have one for each paper ever written.
Ignore this, it's not weird it's massively helpful 😃
The salesman equivalent is a PowerPoint deck filled with interesting slides, stolen graphs and factoids. Mine is called “interesting slides.”
Not weird at all. It's a good idea. I call mine "The Attic."
All.the.time. It is not weird lol
Yes, I do this. When I code, I mostly use WebStorm and PyCharm. These have a built-in scratch folder where I can keep snippets of code I write that I may only use later on. So, no, it's not weird. Even us programmers do it! 😀
Us codes call it "scratch buffers". It's a thing.
I call mine “b-s-ing,” which can stand for either brainstorming or bullshitting. The double meaning entertains me privately, at least.
Why would anyone try to make you uncomfortable about such an obviously sensible writing method?
I have several for everything I write (my "Dumping Files" generally end up longer than the final draft of the thing itself). Why would it be weird?
To be honest, my Dump File is now my next book.
I used to do this, but there are clipboard caching tools that make this so much faster and easier now.
I couldn't live on Windows withing CLCL (nakka.com/soft/clcl/inde…), havent found one I like on Linux yet but there's a few options: tecmint.com/best-clipboard…
CLCL
CLCL is clipboard caching utility.
nakka.com
Yep. I very rarely revisit and retrieve things from it.
Yup...call is Xtra
Not weird
It's a somewhat common practice in software projects to have an "attic" folder for such purposes.
I save all drafts just in case I said something better or had an idea I had to put on hold, but I have never actually gone back to these early drafts! So perhaps I need this “dump document”!!!
Totally. Sometimes, they find a second life somewhere else.
yep! allows me to edit more freely
I call mine "shit I might use later" 🙆🏻♀️🙆🏻♀️🙆🏻♀️
Literally have a ~~~DUMPFILE~~~.docx
Telling anyone that something about their writing process is weird seems... unhelpful, at best. And yes, I do it too.
All the time
Totally. There’s a whole cottage industry of clipboard managers that’s been built around this. A plaintext file is just the archetype. And often all one needs.
Yep, text file it is.
I do and date... you can always go back for ideas
Yes. I keep a dump document for copied text that I want to use later. I find it very useful for large documents. It saves me from scrolling a lot or trying to remember what page to fill in for Cont+G
I do this and I teach my legal writing students to do it too.
Yes. Why would it be weird?
🙋 Makes editing easier.
Yes. Totally. I call it The Leftovers and much like food leftovers, sometimes they sit in the fridge, never to be consumed. And sometimes you dig into them again.
Uh yea, its longer than the document its dumped from heheh
Google Docs! Save all your changes. You can go look at them any time.
I do this. Why is that weird.
I do that too, BUT if you use something like Google Docs where there is built-in document versioning... the history of all past edits remains available still. So it can make it easier to clean up a document knowing you can go back if needed.
No but this is a great idea! Snatching this from you.
Hoards of cuts. Think of how brutal it would be to just throw them away. And if you save them, then the document you cut them out of gets a lot tighter and smoother, because you do not try to fit all that extraneous treasure (i.e., distractions) into it.
I absolutely do this, but only for major pieces of writing.
I do a lot of research-oriented writing, so I always want to save those golden data discoveries even if they don’t fit the topic or tone of the current piece.
Absolutely. And even though my thesis is done and dusted, I still have that document.
I'm starting writing an new article right now and I just created my dump file. Experience has taught me too many times that if I cut something out, I later realize it should fit my argument, and I can spends hours searching for the relevant quote again...
Use a version control system. Git is free.
Totally my thing too. I call it The Outtakes.
Yup, there have been cases where things I've cut in this way have found their way back in, in an altered form.
Doesn’t everyone?!
I have one (or more) for each book I write.
Some are well over half the word count of the book.
I’ve never deleted any of those files.
Don’t think I ever will.
😎
You mean some people *don’t*?!
Apparently 🤷🏻♀️
Psst I never use them though 🤫
Psst in which case if you ever delete, you are bound to need it the next day. At least that’s what happened when I quietly ‘lost’ some of the 25+ years of accumulated ‘just in case’ DIY bits & pieces...
Who are those people?! Disapproving look...
Is this shame because you do not have a file of sentences you are storing for future use/just in case?
If so, it’s never too late. You can start now. You will never regret it. 🤣
I have a whole folder of abandoned manuscripts, does that count?
It absolutely counts #oneofus #solidarity
Anyone who can tweet about whale’s eyeballs can never live in a box of shame.
Indeed! But then I learnt this from you @AngharadBeckett , so I would say that 😆
I taught you never to throw away spare sentences, in case they came in handy again? #teachergoal4 ✅
👍👊
Makes little difference but for every paper or book I’ve written there’s a ‘stuff’ folder - the discarded text & papers for it. Just ensure comments on old text don’t get into final docs.
I don't, but mostly because I use source control versioning so I always can go back or branch out
Very good idea
Yes, I do this. It makes editing less scary for me.
Yes, absolutely. Mine is an ‘extra’ file that has both the stuff that didn’t make it into the document or that was edited out later.
I have an 'extra' file for every 'final' file.
yes! the best feeling is when you're ready to call it 'done' and get to erase all the extras.
This is a good idea
I do this for fiction, because my characters keep getting minds of their own and refusing to go where I want them to. Might as well save the half-written scenes and hope they'll obey me eventually. Never thought of doing it for academic stuff though...
I do this 100% of the time when I’m writing or editing. AND I have re-used some of that cut out content in other works later, completely justifying the practice. It also makes it less daunting to cut out entire sections when needed.
I do it constantly - I have multiple versions of the same document, and I recommend all my students do the same. It helps, psychologically, to get you past the block of knowing a section is good but still needs to be cut. You tell yourself that you'll use it some other time!
Absolutely...it’s the parking lot part of all my docs.
Completely normal to me!!
Absolutely
I call it a Scratch file
I always have an excel sheet open which works both as a dump as well as a calculator to quickly do any math i may need 😅
I do it. I always name it “cutting room floor.”
I call it "dead angels," after the advice I received years ago never to "kill your angels" (stuff you've written that you like but which doesn't fit the draft).
I call it my junk drawer because often things go in but never end up coming back out. But it's reassuring to know it's there just in case 😊
This would be my 'compost pile' where ideas might deconstruct to it's simplest concepts and nourish another idea in different conditions.
My best professional yields come from the compost.
Any other #gardeners out there?
I am happy to report that I moved recently and I made it an absolute law, not to have a junk drawer. It once cost me a warrant for my arrest, and a $650 fine, for a fix it ticket that I decided to fight, but failed to show up because the ticket got lost in the junk drawer 🤦🏻♀️😫
Sounds like your junk drawer had become something more than just a junk drawer ☺️ I hope everything worked out okay for you with the ticket!
Sounds like that should be a built-in feature: "Cut and Save." But I do the same sort of thing: when in doubt, I start a new version of the doc. My drive is littered with files like "Chapt 04.2a"
I have a folder of these.
You will find scribe file of every letter, notice, petition etc I draft in case folder.
Yes. I haven't moved it to a second document, although that is brilliant. I just move it all down below the rest of the document now.
Yes. Always.
When I read “dump document” I assumed it was a detailed record of all the dumps you’d recently taken
Yes absolutely!
I thought this was common practice.
I call my dump documents "junk files."
All the time. Also use it to find synonyms when working on a Google doc (hate google’s thesaurus- I make junk file a doc)
Mine is called ‘bits and bobs’. I know it’s there even if I don’t need it or ever use it.
Yes. Large file in each Scrivener project labeled Cutting Floor. Invaluable
Yup me too
I often have a file called “cuts”.
All the time 👍
Totally
Not weird at all. I do it too.
What yes absolutely I do this. Well usually I just scroll and keep it in the same doc so it's not adding to the myriad of tabs but yeah
Yes. I call it the Parking Lot.
Of course. What? There are people who DON’T?
I do this for everything!!! Especially essays and research papers!
Of course I do. You never throw the leftovers.
Yes, for most large projects.
I do this and I teach my students to do the same.
Mine is called "junkyard" when I'm deep in editing/slicing/dicing mode. I'm great with a quick paragraph, but not always certain the moment I write it where it really belongs, so there's a lot of moving around. Keeping a document like this is a win.
I do. I call the file “leftovers.”
I not only do this but advise my students to do this!
You are not alone. The post it app on osx is like a storage for thoughts. I have an idea, put it in ”storage” to be able to think about other things. Perhaps it’s more copy/paste for thoughts..? Well, something like that. :)
Yes, no, maybe, perhaps.
Totally normal. Have them all over my codebases for the same reason. Although I take flak for trying to check them into repositories by people who can apparently remember git hashes of their changes without any cognitive pain...
I have a “cuts” file for every paper I write. Sometimes when they get too full I have more than one. Definitely helps with cutting prose and sometimes I do retrieve entire paragraphs.
I almost never retrieve writing but it is the only way to cope with the need to cut. I teach students to do this too. For almost every piece of writing I have a “cut from _____” document
My desktop is littered with old versions of things until I'm finished...
I’ve never thought of doing this before, but this is brilliant. I usually just keep stuff I cut at the bottom of a doc, but that does mess up the word count and eventually I have to delete it. Your system is much better.
I do it, and Google Docs makes it even easier to do.
I have these, and I have used some of them as fodder for other publications. But mostly it makes killing a loved passage doable. "It's not dead, it will live on forever in my hard drive backup."
Always done this. It's weird??
100% yes! Not weird at all.
No it’s not do it all the time!
Yes, of course!
What's more, I often mine it later for other purposes.
Of course. I can’t understand why anyone would think this is weird.
Me, definitely.
Can't easily replay those sparks of creativity and storage is cheap.
All the time! I have “left over” files for every paper I write.
Oh wow. I do this, too, but for coding. I paste code snippets, output, log files, etc. It’s basically my “visual clipboard”
I do this but at the bottom of the document. Just put a horizontal line and and copy and paste below.
In @ulyssesapp I drop cuts into a ‘orphan’ file and tag it with the topic for later use.. Never let a beautiful sentence go to waste.
Yeah. Ulysses is solid. Great markup capabilities.
I do this, and not just to placehold cut stuff. If I'm stuck on wording or trying to reorganize, I use the 'dump document' as a sort of clean space to do that. When I like it again, I move it back to the draft.
I’ve had a dump file for years
Yes, always!
I started a couple of years ago. It saves a lot of time.
The lawyers I work for re-save every draft change as “v.1, v.2” etc. so what they originally wrote is still available to copy and paste back in if they change their minds later.
I use the clipboard from @alfredapp
Sounds very sensible to me
I still do this
I do this! Mine's called Word Graveyard
Not weird at all. In fact it's pretty smart.
Absolutely! I have my draft document and a notes document open at the same time!
🙋🏽it lets me edit fearlessly, knowing it’s not gone if I delete it and need it again.
Totally
yes - I call it TRASH
Yes. Maybe I might just need that somewhere.
I have hundreds of these. I label them "O" for orphans and stick them where they're out of the way.
Yes, I call it the cut file.
Every file I create has a "notes and outtakes" section at the end.
I 100% do this.
You never k ow when you might need it!
Yes! It makes it so much easier to edit knowing that what you’re cutting isn’t really “gone”, a.k.a all that hard work wasn’t for nothing. I also end up pulling from it for other projects.
of course
I do this just at the bottom of my doc. Same idea.
I call it a “graveyard” because that’s what @ginasue called it when I learned it from her.
'Orphans' for me. I've got a ppt one too, for all the (smart and stunning, IMHO) slides that end up cut from the lecture/presentation.
All the time.
I absolutely do this as well. It's not weird, it's just being careful.
All the time.
Every time
PS I have also been helped by Google Docs automatically saving old versions
I do this, and recommend it to all of my students. In most cases, I never reuse the disposed fragments, but it helps developing a more coherent piece of work by reducing the mental pain of deleting text and ideas.
yes, I've named it the 'shadow realm' and it's in my docs
"Cut Out 1... N"
Yes. I have an entire “dump journal” organized by date with key words in bold, and I also write the tiniest comment to myself as to why I didn’t just delete it.
Definitely, and you know? I have used it many times.
Omg I have these for every draft. So valuable!!!
I call it my copy graveyard, but "dump document" is far better!
Absolutely.
Yes, always.
Yes. Absolutely. I rarely go back to it (it’s dumped for a reason) but it’s a comfort to have it there
I did this throughout university. Only deleted once I submitted final documents. It’s actually so much less stressful to have all the bits there in case you revise and want to pull something back in.
Yes, it makes me more decisive in editing.
All the time!
Yes, definitely!
Best practice - never waste copy
Of course. I think you may have been mansplainded.
I do this too :)
I do something like that with code sometimes
🙋♀️I call it my scrap file
I do this. Why wouldn’t you do it?
Yep, I call it a sandbox doc.
This is a "best practice" and anything other than "weird".
Txt files are small and easily searchable for later reference.
I use Notepad ++, as I do this for both written documents and program scripts.
I do this for every book. I often do end up using some of the dumped bits, too! #amwriting
Weird (and self-sabotaging) not to, I’d say.
(Possibly sensitive)
Ha mine is called "extra shit"
“Graveyard “
I too favour “outtakes”! Also “cuttings” like it’s a gardening project...
Mine’s called ‘offcuts’
Mine are called "scraps."
“Little bits, use?”
Keep that stuff. You’ll never be sorry, and someday you’ll be very happy.
Yes, anytime I write books and articles. I name the file “book scraps”.
Yup. I call mine “Bits”
All the time. I’ve gotten burned too many times where I didn’t do it and needed something at a later time (and subsequently didn’t have it).
Whether I’m writing or editing a piece, I always have an overmatter file open.
Cleanse, what you need to hold is programmed into you, unless it's research or evidence that comes under the ethos historical documentation dump it, I used to be like this but realised because my knowledge continually expanded looking at old data was like reading child's books🌸
I always have what I term an 'off-cuts' document. The bits I edit out tend to be those I've spent inordinate amounts working on and they often come in useful for future pieces.
Great idea
I move cut sections to the top of the document that I am working on and only when I think that I am finished with the document, do I delete the stuff at the top. I may start moving the stuff to a dedicated "dump document" instead of deleting from now.
I put it all in the same document beneath the -30- that marks the end of my actual text while I’m working, then save as a different file before I delete it (so I still have it just in case).
You do you! If that works for you; GRRRRRREAT! 🐯 I do something similar.
Always.
I call mine kitchen sink. And then forget which "project" it was ostensibly for.
I used to, on my desk top. :)
I have one. The lovely @jenloves2read introduced me to the concept, calling it "the boneyard" <3
"The boneyard" is great! My files like this are just called "outtakes."
I call mine "the darlings file," as in "kill your darlings."
I love that!
I totally do this. For each chapter in my dissertation there is a dump file. It has become very useful.
Absolutely. Always.
Yes, called "cuts"
Yes, I stand by my “graveyard”
I call it "outtakes"
this is not weird. Its smart and a lot of writers do it.
Absolutely. And I always name it « dump document. »
It's a good idea and I've literally just done it! You might want to expand the material you've cut from, turning article into chapter, or create a new article on a related topic using material that didn't quite fit. Or you might decide to restore it as it works better
Absolutely!
It's called GIT or Google Docs history for me.
Yes! Have always used one. And invariably return to it
Yes! I do a similar thing when coding. (Comment out things I'm cutting in case I should put it back in or if I could reuse it later.)
Yep “scraps” in a folder called “store”
Of course. Doesn’t everyone? 😳
Yes. It's like, "StuffIMightUseLater.doc"
I use sublime text as my notebook instead of those note taking apps. Save my changes on Google drive so they are synced. I end up using them all the time.
Not weird at all! Mine is called 'Extra words'. Makes it easier to really cut!
Literally do the exact same thing, with the exact same name for it 😂
I call mine "take outs"
Absolutely.
Every journalist since they switched us from Atex to PCs?
Love my dump file!
Never heard of this but I think it super cool.
It's much more efficient to use a version control system. There are online and offline options, less or more easy to use. Even MS Office has a built-in VCS in its newest releases.
I have this too but I like the cut and paste to visually see it as I’m going.
Sure, there are many solutions. But with a VCS you have all old and new pieces of text stored automatically in a timeline. You can even give informative names to key versions, so it's easy to find specific pieces. Then, you can copy and paste them between versions very easily.
Yes!!! I call it “outtakes” and save stuff for reply briefs that I regularly end up using.
Yes but in PowerPoint. So 100X more unacceptable.
Yes, and it contains all my research links as well. Anything I may need to go back to later.
Absolutely. Usually, it’s quotes from various cases.
It’s not weird. It’s the sign of a writer apparently - similar discussion in Facebook last week.
Now I’ve submitted my thesis I probably ought to delete the dump files though 😂
Definitely
I have this. It’s very useful
Not weird at all!
Not heard of this, will be using a dump file from now on.
Yes. Mine was called “Offcuts”
Do it, love it! I worked for those words!
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Sometimes this, sometimes a section at the bottom of the text cut off with
————————————————————-
Yes! Even if I pretty much know I’m not going back to the file it is a comfort to know it is there.
Wait people don't do this?
It's a good idea
I always have a deleted stuff folder. Always. Always.
These are my purgatory documents! I also don’t get rid of them . And there have been times that I passed the text on to others or used it for other things!
Just do one back up of your entire original notes file. You need to have a record of where you have been and where things came from, and also later something you thought was not needed might be.
I do this for every book - just in case I change my mind! And sometimes I do
I do this all the time, and obsessively save drafts/versions of drafts that have bits excised. All comes in useful somewhere.
Yep. It makes it easier to edit ruthlessly since you can always add back a cut.
Constantly
Always. Let nothing be wasted.
If I don't type in an editor where I can comment/hide lines, I usually keep all this dump at the end of the document. When I'm done I erase it, and usually I realize 2 days after that I needed something.
Absolutely I do this. I call it my ‘taken from’ paper
Not weird. Been doing this for years.
All the time. It’s not weird at all.
I do this too. I don't actually delete anything, but instead cut it out and paste it into a document of 'extra stuff'.
Hows that weird? I do that and actually assumed everyone who drafts digitally does that.
I do this all the time! If it’s weird - I’ll accept that I’m weird and proud to be!
🙋🏼♀️ *Research
Yes, and I tell all my writing students too. Lets you get over that anxiety of cutting something you really love that needs to be cut.
Did this for my PhD thesis. As far as I am concerned, it is good practices to have such a document.
Why is that weird. I always do this.
As a matter of routine
Yep! ‘Notes’
Yep. I do this. I call it Outtakes. I often take bits from it to put back in the main draft or into new books. It's a good idea so you don't lose anything you've written.
I've always done this since I started typing up my ideas in my late teens. I assumed it was the done thing
Always. But my adult children don't get it
That’s not weird. It’s an organizational tool to get yourself to start and continue writing.
I do this too for organization. Also a panic and save all my browser tabs with a topic and date bookmark file. 😅
Oh yeah! 😂 In the last year or so I’ve finally started actually utilizing the “Reading List” feature on my Apple devices, and that space has just become a hoard for my future self to sort through for the diss 😅
I have a 'spare text' document which I copy & paste unwanted words, in case I need them later. I save this in folder with actual written document I'm writing.
Me too. All the time.
I always do this. Why would you not? 🤔 Unless it is a super early draft, those words and thoughts are honed and polished and tightly written and might yet be useful elsewhere, surely?
I do that all the time.
Yes absolutely--“Cut bits.doc” has accompanied everything I’ve ever wrote. I regularly “rescue” cut bits.
Nope. %LaTeX is better
In LaTeX, \begin{comment}...\end{comment}, use it all the time.
No, it's a must. I do some copy writing and I keep copies. Fancy having to recompose stuff you change your mind about or worse still delete by accident.
Kinda. I use Git for pretty much everything these days so I either comment stuff out (I use markdown) or just cut it secure in the knowledge that I can go back and retrieve it from my version control system if I need to.
No but that's a bloody brilliant idea
I do this too! And am now happy to know that there are many like-minded folk. Also, a dump document is a far better name for it that '[title] reject' which has been my default name for these things!
Have been doing this for years
Every paper and grant I’ve ever written has a dump document. I call it my “SFD stuff to keep” (“SFD” is borrowed from @BreneBrown - shitty first draft)
Yes, especially with phrases when writing music. Ideas that help shape the track but ultimately hinder it get dumped to a mute channel in case there's interesting things in there that I might want to reincorporate later.
Yep. Various versions too.
I do this all the time!
You’re not alone. From what I read, great writers do this. There’s even an expression for it: “Kill your darlings”.
Always, when I was writing such documents
\begin{comment}
I feel this is semantically clearer
\end{comment}
Uh, yes, emphatically. How else do people keep track of the stray thoughts that don't quite fit, but are still worthy of consideration, that later grow up to be their own articles?
That's not word at all, that's just good planning
This sounds like a really good idea I should adopt!
I’ve sometimes just kept a full copy with content of a certain color marked for final deletion but only removed for the very final draft.
I call it "ongoing" same concept.
No, i do this as well.we are the smart ines! 😇
Yep. I had my ‘fragments’ doc during my PhD. It was 10,000 words ish long, and I’ve used bits of it since.
Always! I have an “extras” files for everything I write
Have done this for years and advise all my students to do the same. Sometimes these edits even find their way into a different paper, but regardless it makes editing so much easier
I do this too but I keep the dump at the end of the document. More like a dump section!
No, but it's a great idea. I mean it doesn't cost you anything to have it.
@paulg
I definitely did that when writing my thesis. I haven't really written anything since but I'd probably still do it
I call it "not using"
I absolutely do this! I’m not wasting time rewriting something I’ve already written. Ultimately I might not need it in this document but it could be relevant elsewhere. So provided there no sensitive info I’ll save it.
Yeah I’ve gotten into the habit of keeping versions. Especially for job applications. Having that version with long examples to dip into has been so useful 👏👏
100% and would never consider not doing it
Absolutely when studying!
Brilliant
Did it for every chapter of my dissertation. The dump files were all longer than the final chapters. And there were a few times when some material from those dump files migrated back into the chapters.
I do if I'm cutting a lot!
I call it “compost”
All the time. You never know what might come in useful. I find it helps me relax into the writing because I have kept words safe.
I have entire plays like this. I ransack them for gems at a later date. It’s the cottage pie school of playwriting - making good use of left overs.
I just save any version that edits previous work. Bytes are cheap. I can do archaeology if I need something later. So, when working in book021.doc, I may need to find something in book006.doc
This habit actually came in surprisingly useful when I introduced it to my group during a project. I call it the 'Plonking Document'!
Yes... Through my entire masters ❤️ worked for my thinking
Yes! I have a 20 page doc full of bits I like from the drafts of poems I’m writing that they don’t fit anymore and I trawl through the .doc when I need inspiration
I usually put it at the very end of my document starting on a new page and I call it the B-side
Though once I forgot to cut the page before I turned it in!
I would imagine any serious writer does this. You add in and take away as you go along. You'd never want to lose words permanently
definitely. I have a “discards” file for each book chapter, and the word count in there is roughly equal to the chapter itself!
Yep—always
Every story I’ve written has a “Deleted from” document that goes with it. Usually I just keep adding to it through drafts but I’ve pulled from it occasionally.
Always - I use Notes on Mac for this.
All the time!
Yep 🙋🏼♀️
Yes! I save everything
Absolutely. For pretty much everything.
Can't think of a reason not to.
I do! Little nuggets that I can’t say goodbye to go on a new doc, sometimes I weave them back in. I think I find it emotionally hard to delete my work 😂
I do the almost the same! Always feel like a reference/sentence will fit somewhere later on. Instead of the dump document I have a "master" document and then a trimmed down one
I don’t but what a brilliant idea! I sometimes have a hard time editing-it’s difficult to let go of something you feel is written rwell but may not be 100% necessary for that particular document. Have this sort of file would make me a better editor I think! #StealingIt
I've never had a name for this but I *always* do it.
I usually put my notes at the bottom of whatever I'm working on...and keep it saved as a draft googledoc...then when final save it as a final doc. That way...draft doc has all notes etc
Oooh, that's good! That keeps the notes sorted! So smart!
I absolutely do this! And very often I end up pulling stuff back out of there!
Yes I do.
Sometimes I just liked the way I have written my code (or add to search on the web) & know I will need it someday.
No, but I iterate the versions of my document, so that I can go back and pick things up again.
I always do this.
Yes, I do it frequently.
It’s not weird. It’s smart.
I have one of those. I’ve pulled stuff from it and repurposed it’s. It’s great.
introduces me to “graveyard text” where you put things you have written that we’re good points, but may not help the argument if the current paper you are writing
I definitely do this but will absolutely be adopting the term “graveyard text” going forward 😊 thank you for that!
Spoooooky icons must also be inserted! 👻💀☠️👽🕷🕸🔮⚰️
I call it the idea resource
I call it orphan sentences, and I usually have one per essay, but yeah totally.
I do it!
That's why I liked working with latex, because you can just toggle * the text you don't need on or off. Back in Word, I have a section after the references that is called 'old' where I dump the texts I might need later.
You mean there s another way ? 😳😀
Not weird at all. Mine is called Scrap and it came in handy so many times!
Not sure if it’s still going but @air_story is perfect for you. I do this too. Nothing more frustrating than not being able to remember ‘the line’ when it becomes relevant again. (Like Paul in Mad Men if you remember that scene!)
🙋🏼♀️ each project has its dedicated reject file
I do this all the time. Hate to waste material I've worked hard to write!
Always. ‘Slush’ - hardly ever look at it but makes cutting much less painful.
I call mine “Bits”. Twee, possibly, but there you have it.
Bits and bob here!
I think I must be the only writer on earth who finds cutting all too easy. Every time I read my stuff back there's more I want to get rid of. Have trouble making word counts because of it!!
Mine is called “sludge,” which is a malapropism for slush.
Yay! Another 'slush' writer! I don't recall why I started calling mine that.
There are lots of other clever names for it here, too! 🙂
And now that I've realised I am familiar with some of your work (sorry, name recognition is NOT one of my skills), I am always going to think we are the Fellowship of the Slush when I see any again, lol! 😂
Definitely do
The overflow? Use it all the time!
I do this too. Most recent paper is up to draft20.tex
Absolutely. Graveyard, parking lot, lots of names for it. I also give myself word cut goals—if I add 3k but words to that doc, I’ve achieved it, etc. And often, paragraphs move back into my text later.
All the time. It means you have access to stuff you deleted, and it’s great fodder for future work. That page you delete from article a is the seed of article b.
I do it all the time. Some of my best papers come from material "dumped' on this manner.
Yep! I have a "fragments" doc for everything I write, even cover letters
Me. Though I can’t recall ever using a dump again...maybe that’s because I never recall where I saved them 😂
All the time!
long live the notes graveyard!
I do this, and I use things from it often enough.
Never heard of an academic who doesn’t have one. If it’s a short bit within a chapter I also paste it to the end of the section so I can slide it back in more easily.
Oh yes! I call it the parking lot.
Yes. Absolutely. Never change.
All the time! My document is called ‘ejecta’. I’m not sure why it’s named after the debris from an impact crater...
Yep. I call it "Scratch Paper" or "Cutting Room Floor," and it is open about 90% of the time in Scrivener.
I'm just reading your bio. I definitely did this when I was writing briefs; I had to reuse things or rescue stuff I'd cut all the time. I only had to recreate something from scratch one time before I started keeping a Scratch Paper document.
It's weird *not* to have one of those files. That was the first piece of writing advice I got when I started my PhD. I still use the same system for ongoing projects.
Yup, i call them outtakes. And frequently use them somewhere else
Yep. Always done this.
I do!!!
Always. I keep documents of deleted scenes and old drafts in an “old stuff” folder. It’s not weird, it’s good filing
Yes. I do this because some ideas are important but not ready for prime time. By copying them I’m saving them for when their time is right.
Not weird. Plus my writing process is my writing process. If someone things it’s weird they shouldn’t do it. Embrace your success!
Yes. But I never, ever return to it
Absolutely!
Yep. Not weird at all.
Omg, who doesn’t?!?! I had a whole dump folder!
I totally do this!
A dump folder and a dump document, version number all my saves. Just in case. Learnt the hard way when my supervisor corrected his corrections in my thesis and went back to something almost identical to original. It's perfectly normal.
YES it's how I've always written
I always do this!
That's how some novels fall together
Yep! Deffo.
Yes! Not because I can't let it go, but some lines/jokes are great, just not great for the current script.
YES! You might decide later that with some tweaks it actually fits so why ditch it?!
Im going to start now....
I do it all the time. There have been many cases where I have decided to put back paragraphs or sentences I have cut. Or, they may be useful for another piece.
Yes, of course. I call it whatever the name of the paper is + scraps.
Yes I do
I’ve been pasting those bits into a specified part of my document
there are writers who DON'T do this??
Not weird at all! I call mine “PROJECT NAME jettisoned text.”
It seems to be weirder not to. What's the cost of keeping all those ideas, even if you never touch them again?
All 👏🏻the 👏🏻time. Thanks for helping me feel less guilty about this. ☺️
I used to that when I was an academic. Eventually I started to wonder if it was better than not cutting til a draft was done just saving all the old versions. Both seem not weird.
Something like that - I move them out of the way to the bottom of the chapter
Writing code I save old, unused or random stuff in a “Scraps” file. Not weird at all.
No but I will be doing from now on. What an excellent idea
Yes - I’ve used stuff cut from one ms in another!
I call it my “discards” file. Fun to revisit sometimes!
Its weird not to???
Oh yes.
Not weird, I do that.
100% my process for all of my academic writing. I do the same thing with quotes (and citations) by topic so I can easily pull references and build on past ideas.
I just save versions before and after large cuts. I’m usually at “draft5” before I send it off to my advisor for the first time
Definitely normal. You need to see ideas through before you know if it worked. So you have to revert to it. I have a dump folder full of that stuff that’s good, but not necessarily the most applicable to the piece I’m working.
Hell, yes! Storage is free on my laptop. And I have gone back in and used some of it. Cuts from all the stories all in one document.
All the time. It is not weird but precautionary.
Who doesn’t do this? This is literally one of the first things my advisor told me: never delete anything.
My advisor told me I absolutely should do this!
All the time.
I will now. This is genius.
Of course I do this! Are there seriously people who don't???
I don't use a separate document because word processors tend to get crashy if there are too many open. I use comment bubbles or an unaddressed email.
Wait I thought everyone who writes for a living does this???
It’s not weird at all. After all you might need it later... (this mentality may be why I have a bunch of stuff in my house I don’t actually need anymore... 🤔)
I definitely have this. God forbid I have to REthink or REwrite something I’ve already taken forever to produce.
Yup! If only I had the discipline to treat my files like my attic and clean them out once a year, so they don't become the digital equivalent of a Hoarders case.
I’ve got loads of them!
Frequently. Or I have an OM section at the bottom of the page
it's a real effective tool too cause if you ever decide that you do in fact want to bring back a certain phrase, whether it's to add onto one that already exists or change it completely, it's still there! true recycling lmao
Always. Also to pick up trains of thought and reminders.
amy finkelstein does something like this so it must be correct
I have done this forever, but I am much more confident, knowing this fact.
I've been working with her for a year or so now. Not only is she much smarter than me, she is also much nicer and much more organized. I can't seem to do anything to remedy any of these relative shortcomings, despite some abortive efforts...
Absolutely. And when I'm really working, every day's work is a separate file...
It's what one note is made for.
Yep! Even when composing a text message... 😬
I’ve always done this!! Those words and paragraphs come in handy sometimes or even in later work!
I definitely do this and this strategy was explicitly recommended by my professor
I do it with longer pieces. Had about another 3,000 words for my MA there
I have half of another book somewhere on my backup hard drive.
Yes! I do
Marc Raibert recommends this in "Good Writing." He puts his cut text in a PRIZE-WINNING-TEXT file. cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/Randy/…
I just shove it further down in the same document until I cut it, but yes, same idea.
All the time
That is why I have multi terabyte archive disks even though I'm retired.
Tell me about it. I have 19 terabytes of used hard drive space
“B-side”
That's the only way to really edit and cut things out... To keep them somewhere just in case....
Ditto ditto-cp.sourceforge.io is essential perfect tool for keeping all the history of thr clipboard and searching it
I couldn't survive without my dump document.
All the time!!!
Yes! I create one every time I draft something.
I do it in a slightly different way I start a new file with an updated number ie; 'title-3', but keep the old one.
And as I usually write the first draft in A5 sized notebooks meant for school kids, I keep those as well.
I never throw away my work if I can help it.
I do it. Absolutely. I was self employed before the PhD. When you’ve lost a day’s money because you deleted something you didn’t think you needed, your attitude really changes
Yes - and it’s helped on more than one occasion!
Imagine having the full history of every paragraph :)
@uprtcl achieves this
YES! Mine is called twiddlings. I have no idea why.
I don’t have a different document but basically send all of the potential cuts to the end of a section, so that I can look at it later and actually delete later if needed
Oh yes.
whoever told you it is weird is weird.
Of course! What kind of psycho doesn't!
Yes absolutely with everything I write
Sure do
I do this! I call the document the Cutting To Floor
All the time.
A dump document and reference to a motion had me on completely the wrong track. Understand now.
Of course!
It is not weird.
All the time. Can't say I go back to it often but I could and that's enough for me.
I do this code because I can't think with commented out code in the way.
You do you. Your writing process needs to be your own!
Of course.
I do that. Also, when I’m editing a video, I create a “dump sequence”. It’s saved my bacon many times!
I call this a “bone yard” 😊
I do this all the time and it comes in handy so often
Only one?
It usually winds up being twice as long as the finished draft of whatever I’m working on!
I don't know why that would be considered weird, I do the same with DnD ideas. If something doesn't end up fitting into the story of the adventure it is put to one side for another time.
I put it at the end of my working doc, not in a separate one, and same. I also save drafts by date so I can go back and grab something from a previous draft if I deleted it in haste
Absolutely, I do the same! 🙌😊
All the time, I have a doc and a spreadsheet constantly on the go.
Yes I do that when I write
People don’t do this? I don’t open a separate doc I just move it all to the end which is a wasteland of bits of ideas, research, and cut bits for anything important I write.
I do it too. Often times the dump document becones draft 3
I do the same thing with code that I either cut out of existing files or that I decide to implement a different way. Especially if it's something complex.
Probably even the person who told you it’s weird it does this
I didn’t but I will now!! 👌🏻
Yeah. Sure. Or else I save drafts periodically with a unique identifier. Also kept a minimized Word document with commonly-used citations and phrases.
I always have a word doc minimised on my laptop with random thoughts, stuff I realise in the middle of the night ( I dream whole sections of reports ) and yeh the ‘dumped but might still use’ bits.
All.The.Time.😊
More or less. I make a working doc with all the raw stuff and write first draft at the top, then c/p the draft into a new doc for editing.
Evernote is good for this. Also AirStory for citations
I write in Latex and leave those snippets in place as comments.
scratch.doc
The reject doc is larger than the doc of works in progress, that's for sure. Can be good stripping it for good lines without a home. And when I write features, and have to cut to word length, there's overmatter I'll keep to one side
Every time. On sub documents too. I call them leftovers.
All the time!!
I do this all the time. Any technique that makes it feel better to cut things is a good technique.
Always and forever. Aside from my OS and web browser, my plain text editor is the only program constantly running on my computer so that I can move text around from Word, PowerPoint, email, etc. Nearly 100 text files open and I cringe with every single reboot.
Sounds perfect. Other thing my mentor taught me is that for every interesting publication read make one slide for it to summarize it. Not necessarily to use for presentations but so you have the information at hand.
What monster told you this?! Half the time there is a whole second project (a "shadow project") in the bits you didn't include in the first one. I like to call my shadow docs "Being Extras"
Everything I write generates a dump file! I have been labelling these files "trash" for almost 20 years now. As you say, just in case. It makes me feel better about editing stuff out I have unreasonably grown attached to.
I absolutely do this! I would have some kind of panic attack if I just *deleted* sentences and paragraphs that weren’t working.
I have an Evernote document where I keep all my snippets😉 Calms my anxiety of deleting something good.
Um, I’m 100% with you. I have a “____ scraps” Google doc for every primary draft doc. How do people *not* do this?
Standard procedure. I often have 3 versions of hard paragraphs.
I do and it’s in red.
I think that's a really good idea!
I call it a “clip file.”
I call it the "Sidekick".
I just save versions of what I've written. No dumps but no permanent loss either. I figure I can re-use things for other purposes - especially sources and footnotes. Though whether I've done it more than once or twice?
i have like 25 of these open on any given day. i actually use them for future writings where i have more space, etc
I call mine “bits and pieces” and ona few rare occasions, I have actually gone back in and used them!
Every writer I know does this.
Absolutely. I call mine the “scratch section” from scratch tape which used to be a thing in radio back when tapes existed.
Can confirm, Mine's up to 95 pages 😄
Anyone who says that’s weird is an amateur.
I will now...
I just have 80 drafts saved.
I do this and I've heard this recommended by seasoned authors. Not weird.
I often do this, but also often make use of version control on our document management system to accomplish the same thing.
This is a brilliant idea
My thesis has one for each chapter.
I am not a writer, but when drafting documents, I have a scratch file that I use to put thoughts down and want to keep them while I flesh out details.
So, no. This is not a foreign concept.
Whoever said it was weird is weird. Most companies I work with usually have a section in their docs called the "graveyard" to hold cut content in case they decide to reincorporate it
Yep, I call it “cutting floor”
I do this ALL THE TiME. Not as a document but as a draft email/gmail with an appropriate subject that helps me with search!
My way around this is to add rather than cutting. That is, I write long messy drafts, and then when I know what I am doing, I write a very short version which I expand. This way I am mostly adding and not removing, and I still have the old long messy drafts.
When I'm working on something I typically keep an Out-takes (a term from film-making) section at the end of the document. I copy the final draft to another file. Occasionally I'll make use of the out-takes.
Why not keep this stuff around? Digital storage is cheap.
I think this is a great idea and I’m stealing it.
I put it way at the bottom of the current doc, but, of course, I need to remember it is there so a separate doc seems a good idea.
I do this and call it recycle as I might decide to reuse it.
Not weird. Always do this.
What an awesome idea!
Mine’s called “leftovers”
I label mine "the graveyard" 😅
I do this all the time!
Yeah, I do this.
Yes! I name my document “amputated.”
Always. I call mine ‘extra bits’.
i just use version history
I do this. File has its name, the cut stuff goes in “file name ex.” Then I go through and raid the ex files when I need ideas, phrasing.
All on Scrivener, I might add.
Not weird. That’s what LaTeX comments are for.
Definitely not weird
I was actually advised to do just that by a few learned colleagues when I started my PhD! We must be all weird so ;)
Add me to the list and several past students. I call it ‘out takes’. For the sake of organization, I kept 1 per chapter.
I do! Because sometimes I have to cut my favorite sentences that I know I’ll want to use later.
This is part of my writing process, but I call it a parking lot.
Yes. I do. For every book I have an "Offcuts" file.
I do. Always called “Stuff I cut.”
I'm even more obsessive. Every time I make a change I save as a new document with a different date or code so I can always get back to anything I've written. And everything autosaved to Dropbox, as well as manually saved to separate hard drive.
I make an autoback-up that's date-stamped every single time I close a document...
Mine is called “deleted bits”
Who doesn’t do this? Every paper I write has a “scraps” document to go with it!
mine is called The Leftovers
Yes. Do it!
I have since the beginning of my career. Have thousands of pages of "scrap".
Of course! Those snippets come in helpful for related talks, articles, blog posts, etc.
I do this.
Of course
I don’t do this, but I think it’s a great idea.
I don’t do that, but it’s a good idea, that I’ll start adopting!
Yes!! And I have a section at the end called ****graveyard****
Write in Markdown or LaTeX, which allow for commenting out sections of the text. An in situ graveyard!
Way too distracting for me
Agreed, unless you use text editors and syntax coloring that aids in visual focus. Like all else with writing, it clearly comes down to personal aesthetic preferences.
In the days of real cut and paste, I'd save a good photocopy of docs sent to Boss. Much would be changed,.. on second iteration, I'd have the 'right' words to insert and they would normally get thro' with no question. 40 yrs later try to give date and version no. to older drafts.
That is not weird at all. That has seemed like standard practice for me hearing about other writers and how they work
Yes! You’ve gotta have “the dumping ground”
I do this.....
I dont because I save things sequentially, so I can always go back to an early version to retrieve it. But I know heaps of ppl who do exactly this. Not weird at all!
Not weird. It is called "omit" and it is beautiful.
Me! Always! You never know what will become relevant later. I never permanently delete anything & may even save the dump document along with the final piece.
Sounds like an excellent idea and I will do this next time I edit something substantial!
I call it “the attic”
I still have like 3 dump documents for a thesis I already defended that I am hesitant to delete 🤣
I think it is BRILLIANT
Yep! I called the file Graveyard Words. I had to do a lot of reorganization of my writing and stuff that didn't fit in one place often fit somewhere else, or had to be cut entirely.
Not weird at all very necessary I think!
A manuscrap! I’ve definitely reused things I’ve put in this kind of document when revising.
I do this. And have gone back to it to retrieve stuff so I have no regrets.
Not weird! Nothing worse than having to rewrite something you've already written, deleted, and then realized was great.
Yes, I call mine off-cuts+filename for the same reason 👍
Yes because genius might be rewarded someday
I do! I call it a “Writer’s Morgue.”
Yep! I do it too!
Yes. I call it scraps.
I don’t know any writers who *don’t* do this.
I totally do this! You never know if you can use what you’ve written somewhere else one day!
It’s not weird. It’s smart. I do it frequently.
Yes!! I call it the graveyard. Every paper I write has “title of paper and date” in one doc and “title of paper/ graveyard” in another
I save all the unwanted words for later
For 31 years.
I do this, I also have a notions document for stuff I haven't written properly yet
I have the same for slide decks. I have a "Cravvie's sketchbook" deck, with a section at the end called "Outtakes from other decks".
This is a good practice. My methods are somewhat similar as well.
One of the benefits of LaTeX is that you can use the comment feature to preserve text in the source file without including it in the rendered document. This helps keep things a bit organized, because graveyard files can get unwieldy.
Absolutely yes. Sometimes there’s a real jewel I want to include somewhere, but it just doesn’t fit in that section, so I store it away for later. Would forget more than half of these if they weren’t written down somewhere (ADHD writer).
Absolutely. I have so many Notes and files called “Scraps from [document name].” In consulting, working in slides, we would move cut slides to a section at the end called the “Graveyard” - still do this.
Definitely makes it easier to cut fearlessly.
Yes, you never know.
I do this. I even recommend students do this to make editing less difficult. I hereby declare it A Thing.
Agreed!!! I’ve just never named it before..
Yeah, it's called my Thesis MS Parking Lot and it saves me a ton of time/anxiety.
I have a number..... what if what I wrote was awesome and just didn’t fit in the current paper lol
Not weird at all. I had one while writing my PhD and I *mined* that thing. It’s a great idea.
All the time
I totally do this!
Me too! Though I usually do it at the end of my documents
I don’t think it’s weird, but didn’t know it was so common, either! My dump doc is uniquely named “cut.” It definitely helps me cut ✂️ with abandon (kind of, my boss would snort if she were to read this). 😂
I do! I worked hard on those words!
All the time.
All the time.
I call it my "scraps file." I am loving this thread and learning what other writers call theirs! 🙂
Safety net
That might be my favorite so far!
Yep! Everything that's a significant body of writing that I do... there's a dump document.
manuscraps!
I do I do I do
I do this! It’s really helpful and I have put stuff back into a draft after more rounds of revision.
Absolutely. Yes.
Yes, I do the same. But I don’t think I’ve ever ‘rescued’ any of the cut-out text!
Yes! I just move it to the bottom of the document, then retrieve or delete when done.
I've never been able to cut full sentences without doing this.
Yes because I might need it later.
I have no other kind of document
Yes. And, inevitably, a week later I open the Word document with one stray paragraph and can't remember what it is or why I saved it.
Yep, almost always
I like that everyone has a different name for it. I call mine the “moon,” since the moon is made of stuff cataclysmically ejected from the earth
I teach my kids the very same technique. I find it odd that someone would think it weird.
All the time. And it become a set of ransoms that I go back to for inspiration, on occasion.
*randoms* damn the auto correct in this thing sucks.
I have it too!
I do this. I usually never use what I cut, but it’s easier to let it go when you know it’s not gone forever.
Yup. It's the cut offs file!
All The Time
I've done this, although if I think I can anticipate what the trims will become, I often set them up as shells or that side topic.
You might need to pluck something from that document in a later edit. Or it could become another novel. I keep every edit and a DOC for cuts.
Yes, in advertising we call it a graveyard section and we keep it in the same doc 🙃
Always. Usually at the end of my working draft. With footnotes and citations still attached.
Yes indeed!
I always do this too!
I do this all the time 😂😂 I didn’t know there was a name for it
💯 I do this for everything. It’s amazing how many times I go back to my cut pile and pull something out!
yep i dump as well tho i don't often go back and review it. but it has saved my a** several times
Not weird at all. A lot of us do this.
This is the least weird thing. I do this in legal brief, book writing, and even shorter form pieces.
I actually think it's wise.
I also think it's wise! I just listed my reasons for thinking so on another comment before I saw this one. :-)
Absolutely -- I have a "slush" file where I dump stuff. I always end up re-purposing it. Work is never wasted.
In both academic and creative writing, it I cut something out of a draft, I make sure it is saved elsewhere. I often reuse chunks of things I've cut elsewhere.
Always - it might be a show review, a job application, a marriage proposal - I always save my mistakes instead they have to become the '1st choice' at a later date .....
Yeah, usually cut them to bottom of what I’m writing. I call them Mogwai. As in, not yet gremlins, but definitely need care not to feed them after midnight.
Yep me too
Sounds like a marvelous idea. May not fit today’s when and what, but may be miraculous in tomorrow’s.
I do this all the time.
I title it “Dribs and drabs”
I do this too!
Completely standard practice in software engineering.
We have tools like Sublime (think sophisticated notepad) where you can have as many tabs of different texts and these don't get deleted even if you close the tool/restart computer, no need to save files for "scratch space".
I do! I orphan lines a lot as I write but like to keep stuff that was “good but didn’t fit” in case I can rework it
I often do this with reports. Something doesn't fit where it is, but I may need it later when I realise "right idea, wrong place".
Nothing ever goes to waste. I use discarded bits off the PhD to write press pieces 15 years down the line.
Not weird, I do something diff with the same principle.
I save multiple drafts based on date. If I cut stuff I label it "shortened" so I can always go back to the original if needed.
Of course! Or alternatively I use the Notes pane in Scrivener and also, the snapshot feature for versioning
No but this is brilliant
I haven’t...but that’s a great idea and I definitely should.
Not weird at all — it’s never a dump file you never know when you may use it later!!
I thought that’s what everyone did.
I always have one. It can be handy in case I need to reuse anything or want to look back on it
Oh yeah I do this. And I save dated versions of it incase I cut things from it that I later decide to use!
Doesn’t everyone?
Unfortunately I mistakenly sent just such a dump doc to colleagues a couple of days ago. Swift apologies followed .... as soon as one responded with questions. Just grateful someone had bothered to read it to be honest!
I do this.
I will try this!
I do that all the time, too!
Me, too!
Not weird at all. Sometimes you need some of that stuff back in a different place.
Apparently on Mike Schur shows, they call this "The Candybag." I have adopted this myself and I love it.
There are people who DON’T do this?
💯 not weird at all - recommended by top neuroscientist Daniel Leviton. learningandthebrain.com/blog/the-organ…
Correct—I do that all the time. So do my favorite writers. Keep a "dump" document, a "notes to insert later document"—all ways of organizing the physical or virtual space of writing.
I just cut and paste it at the end of my current doc
Yes...
Absolutely. I thought this was the norm 🧐😊
Always. If you edit without it, you will lose text that you'll later recreate with the gnawing sense that the first version was better.
I do this all the time! Especially for presentations. Very helpful
Always! All words are so valuable
Totally
I can’t imagine writing any other way. Whoever told you it is weird - I question their writing skills, especially in terms of synthesizing and reorganizing information.
Best practice.
I call it my “meta” document (for “metacognition”). I have meta docs for nearly every major paper I’ve written. My dissertation lit review process consisted of several topic-based meta docs.
It’s a shelter for pithy sentences 🐰🐶 I too have one, but I call it a blog lol
I’ve always done this.
version control...
Always. Sometimes great language needs to be cut for various reasons, but that's not a good reason to allow a beautifully constructed sentence to disappear into the ether.
yup, I call the file "overflow"
Yes. Always. I always call it “scratch”.
The outtakes file. Always kept just in case.
Yes, I used to do that, no cause to now.
I thought that was pretty standard. It’s like the junk drawer: you never know when something will come in handy!
Wait, there are people who DON'T do this?
Yes! Learned it from a mentor. Except he originally put it at the bottom of the working doc and called it “compost”. I do the same, and when the doc is finished, I cut/paste the leftover stuff into a new doc for later. Definitely saves time. Thanks @drerichsu for that tip! 😊
Yes it’s perfect . I call it a cut file. I often go in and one time I found a whole story in there unrelated to what I was currently writing. SAVE everything except gibberish ! 😅
Yes! Called “in case I change my mind”
Can't imagine why that's "weird." Of course I do that. Who doesn't?
This is the first rule of writing: “No writing is wasted.” Just because it doesn’t fit what you’re currently working on doesn’t mean it can’t be useful/perfect someplace else... 🤷🏽♀️
I find it’s also generative to go back for inspiration when I’m in the weeds or to pick up where I lost my train of thought.
Me! And I once got an article out of some of the stuff I “dumped” because it just wasn’t working in the book!
I do this! I even name it "x project dump page"
I do and so does my partner. You never know 😁
Yes, 100%. It feels weird to delete ideas that you’ve poured yourself into!
That's not weird at all. If you like a scene that doesn't work in your current novel, it might work in a sequel or in another work. That's like throwing away your brown belt because it doesn't work with your current outfit.
I'll back this up too. We just went through four revisions on a collaborative case study. I handed off my copy, (1st draft), a week ago for others to work on so I could pivot. Yesterday I picked it back up, made a new copy, added my tweaks & saved off things for an alternative.
I write everything official in LaTeX, so I just comment out sentences if I decide not to ise them, but can still see them when I’m reading the raw tex.
for any others who do this before uploading to arxiv, make sure to delete the comments because the tex files are downloadable! I like using this feature to hide secret messages :)
Yes - a good thing to remember!
I do this!!
Not weird at all. I have several of those.
I usually just move extra bits to the end of the document until the piece is ready to submit, then I delete it all and hit save as.
Makes perfect sense
Manuscraps!
All the time.
I figured EVERYONE did this, I have done since my Apple SE. Thanks for calling this forth for people–essential computer use “hack”!
Have done this for years
Yep definitely do that- called “offcuts” and plenty of times some of the words are revisited and eventually needed in some form.
Yes all the time
Oh yes. Learned the hard way - cutting something that I wanted to restore and realising that that what I wrote the first time was better than the rewrite from memory. I call it my overmatter folder
Of course. Mad not to.
I put them in an appendix.
Yes, all the time. Gives me the courage to chop away at my draft.
I would be nothing without my dump doc
Especially PowerPoint presentations. We call it ‘graveyard’
For every paper I’m working on, I create a 2nd document with the same title + “removed parts”. I’ve only ever gone back to these documents once or twice, but it’s comforting insurance for my brain (and I feel gives respect to the work I put into the parts that got cut).
I have dump docs for my own writing, for when I'm editing, and I recommend them to my authors and friends.
Not weird at all. Mines TheCuttingRoomFloor
That's a good thing to call it. I will use that name, thanks.
Absolutely.
Similar. Retired now. CAD graphic design and structural drawings: every time I made a change I saved the previous files #’d so if the client wanted to go back after seeing changes, I had them. Called it “InProgress”.
Not weird at all; I have done that for years, and routinely, it’s proven to be a mine full of ideas just waiting to be used somewhere else.
Never delete! I just keep it at the bottom, after my 'actual' text
I do this!
I always do this, but never had a name for it until now!
Not weird at all. I did that all the time when I edited for other people.
(Meaning I saved the language for them, not for me.)
Absolutely! And I label them ‘dumpdoc’, too.
Yes. Especially if it’s half decent and I’m doing it to cut words!
Mine is called "salvaged".
“Desktop junk”
I copy mine at the bottom of the same document, in a section called "Extra Pieces". At least once, that section grew into its own paper
I just save on Google Drive so if I need old paragraphs I just go back to an old version and grab it....
🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️
I just use track changes and have several versions. The end result is the same right?
I do stash passages at the end or beginning of the doc in the drafting phase though.
Oh yes.
I do this, practically for each section of whatever I’m writing.
I call it the graveyard.
Then you can talk about resurrecting passages.
I also do this. What if you end up needing something you cut?
Of course! What is weird about that? Esp because I always write 30 pages for a journal that will only accept 20 — those excess 10 pages could turn into another paper.
Goodness, yes. I have several!
I just never delete anything... I am a virtual hoarder, meanwhile I like my physical space super organized. There must be a term for this.
I have a dumping of the dumped clips folder 😂
Absolutely. I call mine “extra text”. Have used it once in 20 years.
All hail the dump documents!
Always. If they don’t go back into the original document in some format, they often become something new.
One of my college professors called it “purgatory” and that name has stuck for me! I also tend to keep the things I cut in the comments right beside where it used to be until I decide that the new stuff is definitely better.
I do but I need to label them better XD
Absolutely!
Of course! Mine is called “holding pen.”
I do. Always.
It's not weird at all. I favor track changes and also use 'comment' as in doc repositories because sometimes the first thought is the best thought and I've deleted things in my youth and regretted it later ;)
Me, too.
I write or edit 2000 words a day and I always have a “scratch” document open where I do this, as well as capture ideas for future stories/materials
I did it yesterday :)
Nope, but I like it.
Yes! And reuse elsewhere.
I tend to increment the document version whenever I make a change I’m not 100% about (v1, v2, v3, etc)
Similar.. I colour code snippets of draft and move them to the bottom of the page until I’m satisfied with what I have. Probably not the recommended practice though...
Always. They say kill your darlings in fiction. I just put them in a time out.
Every time. I have to, haunted by the thought I may need those very words/insights/references/quotes later...
Definitely I do this.
Every project has a “Dump” text file. I drop writing or code or even latex table layouts in there just in case.
I've got loads of them!
I do this but don't save it. Never knew it had a name 🤔
How can you not?
I used to do this, until I noticed I never ever went back to the doc.
I do! Hundreds of pages long for every book.
I do this too! ☺️
Same. I use scrivener and whenever I cut a big chunk I put it in the chapter notes window on the side.
Hundreds for every book? 😬 *gets out red pen again*
I do this. I would say it's weird not to.
I save mine at the end of the document
Why wouldn't you do this? You don't want to have to type it out again if you change your mind.
It’s 100% normal.
Yes, I do this all the time. I also have one for ideas, one for quotes, one for references etc. Totally normal!
Of course it’s useful to have it
-I’m not alone in my dump doc!! Haha @LoyolaEducation
I do this too!
I have both “working” and “cut material” documents (former for stuff I’m not sure about, latter for the same as your “dump” document)
Also like - I typed those words!! I worked hard for them! I’m going to save them (AND potentially they can be used for something else)
I normally put them at the end after references. Deleting them when I'm finished.
Yes. I call it off cuts. You never know....
There was another way?
Yep. Stolen from Emacs scratch files - it's a great idea!
I just put it all in Git.
Very smart thing to do
I call mine the Candy Bag!
The main document is the trash from my brain and some spills over into an OmniGraffle collection of graphical and textual detritus.
Yes. But I never, ever return to it
Mine is called “DO NOT USE.”
I have several of these. Because sometimes the thought or the wording isn’t what I need now...but it’s good and I might could use it later.
All. The. Time
Not weird, it's genius and using a similar approach has saved my ass several times. For example, I cut some lit review we didn't think we'd need, then a reviewer asks us to discuss the same lit. Without a dump documents or draft hoarding, I'd have to start over.
Definitely not weird and definitely genius. Sounds like person is not used to maximizing the technology. Bits are in abundance and expendable unlike paper and ink, so why not! Probably everyone else has said this already in this thread but here’s my butter to the bread..er thread
I also put the stuff before and after the part I cut so that later I'm not trying to figure out where the hell I wanna put it back in
Two of the nice things about collaborating on papers in a Google Doc is (1) we just throw any major text we cut into the bottom of that particular document into its own little personal dump and (2) we can always look at prior versions that GDocs autosaves if we forget to do that!
You can also make named versions in Google docs reflecting major changes so it's easy to find the version you want later!
I call this the bulbous bottom of my draft
I love it but also I hate it
Yeah. Alternately I think a good name for this place is the Basement. For the things you can’t throw away bc you might need them later.
Fat bottom docs, they make the writin’ world go rouuuuund
I totally have one of those for some of my articles!
<<the things you’ve decided to cut from your written draft>> I do, too. Who's to say you won't use them later or in another format? I keep a dump doc of ideas, tweets I want to re-use, and query letter paragraphs. Saves a lot of time and typing.
I absolutely do this. Did it on my book. And also do it on my screenplays. Amazing how many times I've had to go back and put back in some of that material.
I have a “sources” document that has the sources and rough draft
It's my 99 file. Numbered so that it's the last file in the documents, which are numbered 01 chapter, 02 chapter, etc.
If it's your process, it's not weird or strange, ever. It's necessary.
WHO DOES NOT DO THIS?!
Doing this is a crucial step to being able to chop the material out of the main text! It reduces the fear of “losing” some great insight.
Also, later you can realize you were insecure and full of too much caffeine and hadn't slept more than six hours over the last two days and of course you need to put that back in. I've been told by others.
🙋🏻♀️I do this!
I do this too OMGosh! Thought I was weird . . . Wait maybe we both are 🤔
I call it “Extra Text” but it serves the same purpose.
I write most things in @ScrivenerApp - it makes this so much easier to do. Easier to save the “scraps”, easier to find them and use them.
Yep it’s often a life saver
I do this x
I couldn’t cut if I didn’t have this system!
Sounds like an excellent strategy which I shall now copy whenever necessary.
I have a scratch pad excel doc that I put all sorts in while I'm working. I only delete stuff in it when I know I won't ever need it. When I used to write essays I'm sure I had a dump doc as well but I've always called it a scratch pad
Weird is not only underrated, it's a superpower. Cultivate it.
Yes - at the end of the document. I save that one and then make a new document with the final
For sure - I call it “supp’l arg pts”
I’ve added this system-wide on macOS.
In any app i can select text and hit a keyboard shortcut to save it to a text file in my archive directory.
(It makes it really easy to delete code rather than comment it out for all the developers out there.)
I’m not an author and I do this. Whether it’s for a report or an analysis or just an email, I dump stuff in to a word document all day long as I work on projects and refine my work before i send it to clients.
I have one for every project. I call it my genizah. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genizah
I do this but with SQL
Yes of course.
Yes, of course.
I had one all through graduate school. Also Google Keep
Nah. Not weird. Rather practical. Also, you can totally find more leads to other stories in your outtakes.
I’m a paralegal and I do this. I’ve never known anyone else who did, but I’ve also never asked, so I imagine it’s more common than not. It shouldn’t be weird. It’s a clever thing to do.
Golly yes. Good stuff there: quotes and sometimes decent prose of my own. 😉
I do this all the time. And sometimes they turn into valuable things.
Yes. Or I put it at the end of the document.
A creative writing podcast I listen to absolutely recommended this recently. Makes sense for any writing form IMO.
I keep all old drafts so everytime I work a new draft it's new number. Then I can go backwards if I don't like the way it's started to go.
I always do this! Each short story has its own dump doc. Makes sense, no?
Always. It's often stuff I wind up using in promo materials
I do the same thing as well!
I’ve found and use one note almost exclusively for this and it’s perfect. Also no need to save and it syncs across devices!
The title of your file is SO much better than mine! (Mine is "Deleted Text"). I...might need to steal yours...
That's wonderfully evocative! 🙂
I definitely do this.
always.
No, but that sounds really useful actually, I should start doing this
Everyone does this
Oh yes. I also save these for later and revisit to pop text that is useful into new things as a starter.
Yep! I call it “cut pieces.”
Of course! Every. Single. Time. I. Write. I’ve got files of them.
You have to do this.
You should but do more systematically. At some fast approaching point reusing text otherwise becomes more worksome than writing it anew.
If you don't do this, then you're acknowledging the stuff you wrote is useless. I'm sorry about their shitty writing.
Not weird, but these days I'd be surprised if the file didn't keep your edit history for you to go back through on its own.
I do this!! And I don’t care if it’s weird but I don’t think it is. I think it’s weird to think it’s weird.
Totally yes called ‘my cut outs’ 👍😂
Of course I do
I do this, but I move things to the bottom of the current document. Your way sounds more efficient
I do this. I also keep all editor cuts in there cause you never know when the next editor up the chain wants the cut thing
I do that too. In revising and sharpening a piece, you never know what you will want to restore. It's not weird at all.
All the time! I am not a fast/good typer, so I tell myself that’s why, and I do reuse them... sometimes.
Yes, definitely. I call it “cut from —-“ whatever document so I will know approximately what’s in it.
I do this, but it's contained within my "first draft." At the end of the document there will be piles and piles of scraps left over. My "second draft," saved as a new file, is literally nothing but deleting all of that so I can work with the main text.
Me too!!
I started doing it that way, but found I didn’t like all the scrolling back and forth. I just open a file called “scraps” I can access in another window. Saves much time.
I have
**************
BRAIN DUMP
**************
at the bottom of all 1st drafts.
Same here. I keep multiple versions of a project, just in case I need to go back and use something I cut earlier!
Yes! This is how I manage them. Sometimes I have to go fetch a paragraph from “draft7” to add it to “draft12,” but that’s better than losing something I spend an hour writing.
Same. I call it the parking lot.
All wise and wonderful people do this. It is the very purpose of Notepad.
I just cut stuff and save the amended draft as version 2.
V1 still exists if I need to go back and get the stuff I cut.
I’m usually done somewhere between v5 and v10.
Same! I wish I would have read this before I typed up my tweet!
That’s what I do too.
Feel like I do it less than I once did in uni, but definitely have a habit like this - either pasting cut bits way down at the bottom of the document, or saving a completely new version file even if I haven't sent to anyone else
The danger with saving the edited out bits at the bottom is the slight but significant risk you may forget to delete them before submission, esp if you're pressed to meet a deadline.
Swear I did exactly this with an essay once through my uni's automated submission system, but luckily realised in time and got away with replacing it with the clean one
Not weird at all. I call mine “deletions.”
No, but it's a brilliant idea.
Most definitely. I save it all until I’m absolutely sure I’m done and won’t need to use or even refer back to the old content.
I totes do this
Jay Dixit says in his video "Emacs for writers" that he has even written a small extension for his editor to do it with a keyboard shortcut...
Not a separate document though, just a "sandbox" chapter in the same file.
I do a lot of programming and I often cut/paste snippets of code and save them just in case. I don't think it's weird at all.
However, I have been told more than once that I am weird in general, so ... 🤔
Huh?
I think it’s weird that anyone would feel the need to cast a judgement at all.
They need to look to their own insecurities.
Yes. It's the Word Barn.
In computer programming, that's called 'stashing' changes and it is a formal part of every source code control system.
I have heard it referred to as the “graveyard file” so started using that at some point for mine
Absolutely
I have had one for years. In fact, I have a couple in different categories and one more for quotes.
Oh absolutely. I also don’t like the message it gives to completely erase material. It might not be keeper material, it might not be for this draft, but it is important and part of the process and should be kept for the fertilizer it was and what it might become.
I’ve never done this but I’ve also never heard of it. I think it’s absolutely genius????
Why not "save as" a new version? Then everything is still in context
I call it "discards" and I keep one for every single major project. People not doing this are FOOLS.
Same! One for every project. I've been able to pull from the "extra" doc when a reviewer asked for something we'd written but then cut. You never know how helpful it'll be later!
Uh every good writer at my firm I know of done this. We call it different things. Mine is “cutting floor”.
Absolutely. Nothing weird about this at all.
Absolutely
It’s what’s in the appendix of decks I write all the role time.
Work that’s already done, can answer a question, inspirer later thoughts.
Yes of course!!!
everyone does that as far as I know.
I learned this from @matt_huffman !
Hell no it’s not weird to do this - for nearly every assignment in grad school I had [title].doc and also [title] junk.doc
Oh yeah I call it my "parking lot."
I will now - thanks!
I have a file of paragraphs that get the job done with various types of nomenclature. It is a game to use them in places where I get stuck.
Of course. Who doesn’t?
I always do that. You never know what you might can recycle! And I really have recycled cut passages before, so that just proves it's a good idea!
That's a great idea. I'm going to do that.
I call it a Scraps file.
Yes, though I usually don’t save it.
This is always a good idea. Those ideas might be part of a different work in future, or when you edit the WIP, might become relevant again.
I used to do this, but stopped. My process changed.
For a novel, my junk doc was 200 pages. I went back and retrieved one paragraph. Totally worth it.
All the time
Not weird; smart.
Not weird at all. Sensible, I think.
Dump documents are a crucial part of my writing process.
It’s weird not to do it
I save all the earlier drafts of a document in case I need to go back to some of that info
You mean that lovely little introspective piece you wrote from the wrong person's POV? That sort of thing?
All the time!
All the time! It makes work faster and easier. Work smarter, not harder.
Genius! Gonna start doing this.
Yes! And I definitely recommend it to all of my students —it helps with the letting go in the revision process! #letsbeweirdtogether
I do this too. The file name is “darlings”
I do this. Knowing they’re still around if you need them makes it much easier to be ruthless about cutting.
Haha, I do this too! Sometimes I end up just needing a sentence or two from a cut passage or rewrite it to better fit somewhere else. Other times it’s good as is. Not weird at all!
I have to say after writing for so many years...I have never done this. I write drafts for each chapter and make notes for sentences and scenes...but not this.
Yes. Good practice. Carry on.
I do this.
I do this. And have been so grateful for it many times.
I do this when film editing – collect bits of scenes and whole scenes at the end of the edit, and regularly refer back and sift through them
I had to sack an editor once who refused to do it working with me bc I find it vital
I keep a “bone yard.”
I do it. I've heard Barry Longyear (SF writer) say he does it. He literally calls it, "The Dump." He says he rarely or never goes back and retrieves anything from it, though.
I think it's probably common.
I call mine “squibs” for some reason.
All the time!
This is the only way I can write. I call it my “extras” document.
I do the same thing!!
Absolutely! And my cuts.doc always ends up longer than the actual novel in the end!
what a great idea
Yes, totally. I also have dump slides in PowerPoints. Isn’t this normal?!
Yes. If there’s a chance of forgetting, save it.
I use LaTeX and I just comment things out rather than cutting them; the manuscript looks twice as long in the file as it does in the final PDF. I’m basically carrying the dump document along with the paper...
Do you ever browse the TeX sources on arxiv? I don't know if they still give access, but it was interesting to read what authors commented out of their manuscripts.
I always always ALWAYS remove all the comments before submitting :-) Gotta little sed script to scrub it all...
I use LaTeX with Git. I don’t see the value of copy pasting.
it is more agile. I use both --- for a significant chink, like a whole section, I put it in a separate file and manage it by git.
(No comment)
% I should do a better analysis but this p-hack will do for these suckers
TeX or markdown + git is my favorite. Just commit often with semantic messages.
be careful --- if you put it on arxiv, anyone can steal that idea that you commented out.
I have a document like this titled “darlings I killed”
Yes, totally!
100%. This is how I write. A constantly updating page of snippets or paragraphs (that might be leftover from another draft/document/story or be freshly written), from which the backbone of a new piece of work is selected. Why discard usable material? Why fret over blank pages? 🙂
I have a whole dump folder. I was taught writers never throw anything away
I do this! I call it a slush file... It's the junk drawer for writing. You never know when you might need it it!
Yes! I do this too.
My final product is oven version 19. I save every single version.
I do! And always keep it.
Yup. That file looks like a garage sale from a family with 8 kids who all played different sports.
I do this! I call the document Manuscraps!
Why weird?! I think it’s incredibly smart.
Obv I’ve done it. 😂
I save that shit in script note inserts on Final Draft. Got to.
I keep mine at the very bottom of whatever I’m writing and just eventually delete it when the document is complete.
Yes, yes, and yes again.
I always have a document for cuts. Always.
I have a parallel document called stuff in the same folder that serves this purpose.
That’s super smart
I definitely do this! You’re not weird, they’re weird 😂
Yes, because I may use it in a different article
All the time.
I def do this
I have a ".trash" file in every directory, where I dump snippets of text that I'm not 100% sure I want to get rid of. This removes a lot of pressure from making heavy-handed revisions.
Version control (git) helps too, but it requires much more *commitment* to everything I save.
I always have one. Sometimes I’ve gone back and used whole sections I cut in different pieces. I once started writing a new paper that was half done once I went through prev “excised from...” files from related but diff projects.
Definitely yes. Not weird.
I have this too, but instead of writing a paper, I just write down a bunch of garbage and save it. I call it my twitter account.
I do this! I have a scrap paper document that has loads of random brain dumps and sections of writing i didn’t end up using in it (and even some diagrams).
Yep. Parking lot.
The Boneyard
Absolutely
Yep! I call it The Garage.
I call mine the "Clippings Collection." It's there if a piece is there I do want/need later, and it's great to skim through if I'm stuck on a new project.
I sort of have it. I pretty much just highlight deleted segments and then export them. It's a bit easier for me to manage. Same principle tho.
I have a dump document per revision - I probably should have one condensed one
I do it. The main benefit is that it makes things easier to cut because you’re not worried that you’ll regret your decision.
Even if you rarely, if ever, end up using the stuff.
Thing is, writing is thinking, as inefficient as that is. My readers don't need or want to share the whole messy process.
I’d even go as far as to say that the larger your dump document, the better your work.
Yes! Labelled ‘Leftovers’ to pretend it’s all good stuff but there just wasn’t room
I do this! I call it chunks!
Yep, I do this.
Definitely do this. Sometimes find a better place for it. Rework it or discard. Wouldn’t do it any other way.
I do this for every paper I write. If I remove paragraphs or sentences from the paper I’m writing, they are pasted into a document titled, “Discarded”, just in case.
Who cares how you write, as long as your process yields a good piece?
I shove mine in the bottom of the same document but if it doesn't make the draft save it separately in 'notes', if it warrants keeping at all.
I've done this since forever. But TBH I think I have never reused the dumped text, just looked at it sometimes and nodded: yep, glad I dumped that.
Why is it weird? I have tons of those documents!
ALL THE TIME. And we preach it in our How to Write book. :)
Yes! Often.
I have always done this .... it’s handy and you never know if you might need to use that text ... you’re basically optimising work and time ! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I thought everyone does this?
It’s the only way!
Of course ! Not all the time, only when I migth need it. Sometimes I just keep earlier draft versions, other times I do exactly as you did
Writing is fluid.
Dump *document*? We have a dump *repository*, that holds removed text and partial proposals we’ve written. It’s often the source of a creative spark for a future proposal - “hey, remember that thing we wrote about using faulty plans to identify counter-plans?” (Yes, that’s meta.)
Yup. I just push it all to the end and call it ‘Appendix of Possibly Usable Stuff’
Yes. I also have a “dump slides” PPT for slides I spend time making and decide not to include. I frequently pull sides out of this document and plug them into other decks.
Of course! I use LaTeX and keep the old material in the same file, commented out. One such block ended up as the basis for an entire paper later. Why throw away ideas?
Sounds better than my habit of just pasting it down at the bottom of the document under a line of dashes. Did this for my dissertation as well as fiction.
I use Scrivener so it’s more a dump folder, but yes I definitely do this! Deleting the excerpts just seems... wrong.
What’s strange is that word processors / editors haven’t institutionalized this so it’s a feature. I put them at the end of the master document, any editor should automatically create a sidecar document and an alt cut command that puts things there.
All. The. Time.
I do this. @bogolsky taught me to call it a “Frankenstein document” and @ClaireKampDush taught me to call it a “parking lot.” I find it very helpful.
of course! That’s good stuff to be used somewhere else
I always just moved stuff to the end of the same file, but same thing really. Never delete anything.
Always. At the very least I copy it before I start editing. Or have three docs, "original," "working," and "final." But you don't permanently delete writing.
No, but similar.
Definitely do this!
All. The. Time.
Everyone doesn't do this? I call them leftovers, & eat them at a later date.
I read somewhere before that David Foster Wallace had like 500 pages removed from Infinite Jest by his editor (still a 1100 page novel, not including foot notes) and he had to force himself to erase it all because he kept fixating on it and sneaking it back in here and there.
Always (I almost never go back to it, but I can't not do it).
Have a document called “resume bits and pieces”. Now self employed but I keep it just in case.
Not weird at all
It’s like using notes in a slide deck document. I would totally do this!
Absolutely. I call them NOTES.
Yes!!
All the time.
Oh I absolutely have a graveyard document like this. Who told you this was weird?!
Yep my entire dissertation was done this way. It might fit or be needed elsewhere!
I always do this. The file name is "parking lot"
Definitely a thing. Never waste research! Will come in handy sometime later.
It's not only abt having a clipboard of phrases. It is also about idea development and restructuring your text so your main point will really shine
Sometimes, that means to cut a good point that is slightly sidetracked from your main idea. Save it for later!
Definitely - and I’ve had to salvage things from there before too
Mine is called ‘Extras’, and I actually taught the practice to my son just last night as he worked on his first high school assignment.
Jesus yes.
Who says it’s weird. Dump them.
I move them temporarily to the end but for large documents this makes perfect sense. Also saving old versions under a different name, just incase you seriously have to backtrack
Yes, of course! Doesn't everyone?
Have always done this! Sometimes I just paste it at the bottom of whatever I’m working on.
All the time. Evernote is excellent for this.
Yes. I label them Scraps.
Always. You may very well wind up returning that to the original document, or even using it in another one later. Editing doesn’t mean throwing things away!
That is a great idea!
I've done this at various times in txt files.
learned to do so from a friend and am amazed i didn’t do it early. lets me edit with much less agony
I have a section at the end of the doc called “orphaned text.” Sometimes I end up recovering some of it.
🙋🏾♀️ Sometimes, when revising after ‘the cut’ 👉🏾the writing 🎡 where including it ‘suddenly’ makes👌🏾 sense. Although, my “dump document” usually ends up suspiciously resembling a stack of Post-It 📝!🤷🏾♀️😉
Yes - then you can use it in a review!
All the time - I use the term “torso” for the chunks that get cut from legal briefs.
Why torso?
Part of the body
Yes and I label it “darlings”
I do this and advise my students to do the same.
Yes I do and I go back to it all the time.
me i do
all the time!
Yes definitely. Can’t work without that
Okay so I guess I’m weird. I still do this in my work life.
I’ve Always done that w/ research papers! Its not weird! Its smart!
Oh, yes. With long documents, I even save multiple copies of that orphaned copy so I can recall what I took out in which draft version.
That file is always titled “The Orphanarium.”
And sometimes The Rachel has to swing by to pick up another orphan to place elsewhere, doesn’t she?
I may have to rename my file now 🤣
I just do different drafts.
I do this by putting all those towards the end of the document,. separated by a solid line.
Oh yes. I find them super helpful. It also helps me cut things that I love but that aren’t working from papers or stories. I’m not “killing my darlings,” I’m just moving them to a new home.
I do this with motions too! I didn’t realize it wasn’t common.
I did this! 📚 👩💻
yep. Sometimes, I just add the "dumps" at the very end of the working document.
I absolutely do that!!! Who says it's weird? I think that's weird!!!
I call it "Snippets" and it is a large document!
Definitely- mine is called ‘stuff’
No, but an excellent idea.
I do it with historical research - I keep every newspaper article, map, government bulletin, even though I know that I can't use them. When it's bio research I often fall in love & can't let go of any details of their lives (it's a problem lol).
I called it the 'graveyard of paragraphs' in my PhD...
I have similar. Occasionally simply keeping the before and after on separate files, just in cases.
how else does one get complex writing done??
I do this! It’s called the “graveyard.”
No, indeed! Every project I write has a corresponding "CRF" (Cutting Room Floor) document.
All the time. I have decades-old notebooks. They're the weird one.
Yes!! I call it my “outtakes” doc
Everything substantial I write has an associated "scraps" file. Same name as document, but _scraps.
I just stick it down the bottom of the doc under one of those horizontal line thingos
I do that. I call it ‘BITS’ and it’s really useful for moving points around or good things you want to keep.
Not strange at all! I have a file like that for everything I write.
I call it Parking Lot
Me too... parking lot. But dump file sounds pretty apt, too.
The “regression results dumpster” and the “figures dumpster” are the two pontoons that keep my every draft afloat.
Yes and think it’s great practice overall. It allows you to write more freely and edit thoughts from there.
Esp important for decks - the edited part typically goes in the verbal narrative and the condensed point stays on the slides.
I used to have a dump document. Now I have Zotero:)
I do this. I lovingly call my file “the orphanage” because Every once in a while I can go backgive them a nice home.
Gotta have Bits and Pieces.docx
Always do this! You never know what might need to come back in when you do heavy editing
I do this. It’s called “I still love you.doc”
This is the perfect name for these bits and pieces.
We call ours The Cutting Room Floor. Not weird at all.
I will adopt this name for it in future projects.
I call mine the 'boneyard files.' lol. Dead, but available for resurrection at any moment.
Nice! Stealing this - but I feel compelled to now call it Jetsam 😛
i’ll just name mine Grundo
love this! maybe mine will be F & J
I call mine 'slush'. And yes, there will be slush generated throughout the writing and editing process, for every single item. 🙂
Ha! I call mine “The Graveyard” — it’s where I bury the darlings I’ve killed.
“Ragbag” here
More like jetsam, another nautical term but rather the writings were intentionally thrown out of the main body of work versus unintentionally.
I have a doc called flotsam as well! And another called Bubbles from the compost heap.
Mine is called “Detritus.”
I do that too. I call them the babies. They might grow up to be something.
I love that 🥺
I call them orphans.
Oh my 😅
mine is called “good stuff that was cut” but I like yours better
I call mine “good stuff I’ve cut” too!! (And I also like hers better 😂)
right? aren’t we supposed to be CREATIVE? 😂
Soooo original 🙃
Mine is “Unused.” Very full.
Im now going through all my files and renaming them “I still love you”.
Some words, phrases, and sentences are simply too delicious to delete. Kudos to the”I still love you” file suggestion.
That's way kinder than mine, which I just call "rejects"!
“false starts”
Haha, great idea
I definitely do this. I call it “extras”
I call mine "snippets."
Ooof, mine is "kill your darlings.doc" but "I still love you.doc" is way better.
Oooh, mine is called "I'm not ready for this."
Which is a meta point about my whole adult life.
That’s amazing! I call my file “The Island of Misfit Toys.”
I call mine Every Everything.
Mine is “Usable Cuts” ❤️ It’s like a scrap bin.
That's a much better name! Mine's called the graveyard...from which I've resurrected many!
But even more apropo would be: it’s not you, it’s me.doc
i do too! all of my magical bits that dont fit. makes it easier gor me to be a harsh editor
Exactly! I feel ok cutting then and getting on with editing because I can safe then bits.
Darlings.Or.Maybe.Not.Only.Time.Will.Tell.docx
I draft and make notes in a fab app called @MilaNote which automatically saves my drafts etc. Then copy and paste into a word doc from there. Nothing lost!
I 💕 that name!
Borrowing this file name for my scrap < 3
Absolutely do this - but am stealing “I still love you.doc” Brilliant!
Oh I love this! I call mine “Bits I cant bear to part with”, but I really like yours!
So many great names!
I always do that. It’s also sometimes easier to format a case quotation in the dump document and then paste it into the brief. I dump cites in there before I decide which ones to use in the main doc.
Yeah definitely do this!!
I do that all the time - I call it my copy repository.
Anytime I'm doing more than minor copyedits, I save under a new revision number and file away the previous draft in case I want to go back and grab stuff out of it.
I do have that, especially if I'm having a big cull, because some parts might actually show up again in a different chapter etc I call it my Graveyard Document
Pretty much sums up my dissertations. Who knows what hidden treasures were lost to the world
Absolutely I do that same thing. I wrote professionally for 34 years. So what do I know.
Absolutely. I save mine and put the word “scrap” in front so I can got back to it.
All. The. Time.
I do that too!
I do this! I also make a folder for PDFs that I end up not using but I *may* need later on.
Not weird, totally normal.
Everyone I know does this.
I do this.
First, I put all of this at the end of the rolling draft document.
Then, I move them to a separate file. Often, there are great passages, analyses, or referenced material but it just doesn't quite fit with the rolling draft.
Never done this but going to now!!!
I’m exactly the same way
When I open a part finished doc to continue editing/adding content I rename it to that data date and so the previous version is always available to steal from
I have one
Only people who don’t want to lose things they may need later! Any writer who trusts memory is a chump.
I do! Thought I was the only one - lol!
I put my dump ideas into comments, then save as a draft of the finalized version
Not only do I have a ParagraphGraveyard.doc, but I encourage my students to do the same as part of their writing process.
I call it cut_txt and have it for everything I write. Sometimes it's useful for longer pieces or series of pieces where material may reappear. Sometimes, it's just encouraging to review, because I see that a final version did make progress over what I was originally drafting.
It is absolutely NOT weird. My dump files are labeled as “[doc]scraps,” leading to some interesting file names considering what I’ve been working on lately. Sometimes I use them for later writing, but sometimes it’s just helpful not to through out sentences I become attached to.
Of course we do. Do you know the line about editing: “kill your darlings? “Well this is a little more like putting them in an independent living facility to play canasta and hang out with their friends.
This is priceless! :)
I love this!
I call it my "writing graveyard" - you never know when a passage may come back to life.
Yes. Not weird at all.
I do this all the time. My file is called "Revisit for future use." Whoever told you that this practice is weird is the weird one.
Most definitely.
If it helps you, it’s not weird. It’s practical. I use a version of that when I’m writing articles and I keep a backup copy of my notes to work from.
Oh yes! Always. Just in case 😉
Yes but I delete it when the piece is done (usually).
I do this. I call it “manuscraps.” I didn’t come up with the term, though I can’t recall where I got it from.
I advise authors to do this! ("OK, so it didn't fit in the chapter, but you can repurpose it when you need to write some blog posts promoting the book.")
All the time. I even name it (novelname)cuts. Never know when it might come in useful.
I do this, but keep the scrap pile at the end of the work in progress until it’s close to final.
I do this.
I also do this. It’s my graveyard. I still visit them and wait for their resurrection day.
Ha! I’m not even a writer (I tried to write something once) and I have a document where I pasted all the stuff I loved and cut cause I couldn’t bare to part with it 😂
Always!
Yes. It's called my 'odds and sods' file.
Sometime you just can't let go of a sentence or phrase. So you tuck it up, nice and cosy, with the other misfits.
I started keeping one for every writing project several years ago. I'll never go back.
I once read an interview with Alexander Chee where he said that he did this for one of his novels and at one point realized, once it got to a certain size, that the dump document WAS the novel.
All the time!
Yes same. Always.
This is genius
I love mine. It’s my “just in case I need you” document.✨👌🏾
🙋♀️
Wait... people DON'T do this?! They just DELETE THINGS?!
Before I seen this tweet, yes I would just delete things! Then wish I could get them back 🤣
Did this on every major paper I wrote during school.
Yup. Feels awkward but haven’t found a better system.
Whoever told you it's weird is mis-informed.
I do this! It’s the only way I can let go and I don’t think I’ve gone back either 😅
I absolutely do this! I call it the Cutting Room Floor and I save absolutely everything. It allows me to cut without over-thinking, and get it back if I need it elsewhere later. Stuff I don't use can become the launching pad for an article or social media post...or another book!
Yes, I keep it ALL. I love Scrivener for that.
I call them opharned text docs
It's something I want to employ more often. I don't like killing my darlings because what if they fit well with another project?
That’s a great idea!
Yep! Sometimes those words are gold that you need to cash in later!
I do this too. It’s not weird to me
Out takes. I have hundreds of ‘out take’ files.
Not weird. I have several depending on topic. Some text is reusable in other context. Some isn’t, and that’s the graveyard.
In every appeal. A millions “cuts” documents on my desktop.
This is not weird. What's weird is *not* doing this. I keep many docs like these.
Sounds like a smart idea
My method is different, but absolutely -- at least, any time I cut something big, like a scene or a plotline.
It's probably already been said, but it gives you the freedom to cut more - which is almost always a good thing.
I do this, too. I call mine “manuscraps” 😉
I do it when I write motions and briefs, it’s typically called “pieces” and is always useful again at some point.
Yes. Not weird
When I write I nearly always have a dump document. Otherwise, some things you've written become unrecoverable of you cut them from your manuscript but later change your mind. I only rarely actually use anything in the dump doc. But . . . .
Yes!! I can’t imagine not doing this.
Absolutely, I call it my scrap doc.
I was told exactly the opposite - that it's a good idea, because you might want something you cut later, somewhere else in the document.
What a great idea.
I do this. Two monitor set up makes this preferred.
I don’t have one but I like the idea!
I do this all the time. Not just for writing but for work
I literally post it at the end of the document so I can still see it as I type, lol. Not weird at all. Tell that person to stop judging you.
I totally do this. I don’t like to kill my darlings, just put them in comas so I can harvest the useful bits later on.
I do this in my work as a technical writer. I deal with so much data and information - I’m often worried of losing crucial bits in an attempt to make my finished product lean. So I keep certain things in a separate doc for post-editing in case I need to add back in.
Same here!
Somebody doesn't? Never had a system crash I guess.
Absolutely. “NOTES”.
Just about everything I write has an adjacent junk document. Lots of bits that get banished there go back in in a different section.
Leftovers can make great meals. Who knows what you might do with that one day.
For every product I’m working on I have a secondary doc I call “the bench”. I usually save it permanently along side the final version so that I can go back and pull from my “bench” for future work.
No but it’s brilliant!
No but it's genius
Other people DON’T do this?
It’s not weird; it’s incredibly useful.
Absolutely! Those snippets may resurface in piece from which it was cut (maybe it was just mid-placed), or it could be the genesis of another piece, or it might even be a flash piece with some tweaking!
it's critical! what if you cut something that's pure gold and two years from now you want to make it its own novella?
Agreed but also; what if you trusted your writing so much that you know whatever you write next will be better? Although your pov at any given time is always unique to that moment so there's that too. Just arguing both sides "out loud" on here, carry on! 😅
yeah that's cool -- it's like a dance.
Absolutely!
I always do this!!! I think it’s weird that this other person doesn’t!!
That’s a great idea. Adopting it now.
Have absolutely done this.
All the time.
No, but thanks for the great tip!
I call it cryogenically freezing my darlings
This is a much more organized version of what I do, which is individually email myself everything I take out of a document with some cryptic subject line I mistakenly believe I’ll be able to identify it by later
I've always done that for my academic writing and have carried over the practice while working on my wip.
It's not at all weird! Those words and phrases came to you for a purpose and one day you might need them for inspiration or to round off a thought! And yes I have a dump file too.
I totally do this. Would not be able to cut anything if I did not.
I thought everyone did that. 🤷♀️
People don’t do this??? I do think so everything!
Of course! Always called ‘x dump’.
i always do this when i'm writing essays... i call it my 'out takes' file, like the film editing process. some of that stuff finds a great place later or inspires a new essay.
A great idea I never thought of.
I do it for every script I write. And I often put pieces back in I’ve cut.
I always have one.
I call mine “Extra Bits”
I do this, and occasionally go back and rummage through the word graveyard in case there’s anything in there still twitching.
Yeah I definitely do this.
I do. It just makes sense
Definitely
I definitely have several of these!
Yes, I do. I call it detritus!
Sound better than what I 🙄do, which has resulted in multiple slightly-tweaked manuscripts and attendant confusion.
i absolutely do this. or use scrivener’s snapshot. why is it weird?
Who told you that? It's a good idea to keep your bits and pieces as they will often come in handy somewhere else
Always. You never know which thing you cut from one place might end up being something you need somewhere else.
I write technical docs and definitely do this.
Frequently
"Errant Musings". I do this with music ideas as well.
All the time, although for computer programming. Nothing weird at all about it.
I do it while coding. Files with commands and results, saved for later.
Oh, I always always do this
Me too. Gives the confidence to cut.
Totally. You never know when you might want to use it for another project.
This is so smart. In my creative writing I have a version of this which is saving old drafts with notes about what i cut in the new drafts so I can find if needed
I do! It's not weird its WISE
I always have a draft with initial ideas and musings. Incredibly useful for future projects.
I do this too!
It's not weird at all, it's prudent and reassuring. I've found it useful in all writing but especially fiction. The contours of the plot become clearer as you rewrite, so often bits that were too long or didn't quite fit originally can find new, better places.
I have multiple scraps files, and sometimes I do in fact dig around for some paragraph or passage that hadn't found the right spot yet. How can that be weird??
Yes, it’s my, “I know this needs to be removed for clarity and brevity, but it’s funny/insightful/valuable and they really don’t deserve it if they can’t appreciate it. Who do they think they are?!” file. 😂
Not only do I do this, but on my last script I literally actually really used something I had put in the junk drawer several days/a week earlier. It saved me!
Oui oui!! And mine are labeled almost as badly as the infamous 'final.doc', 'final2.doc', 'actualfinal.doc', 'imeanitthistimefinal.doc', 'finalfinal.doc', 'finalprint.doc', 'finalprint2.doc', ad nauseam, as I do it for different drafts!
100% wise practice. I’ve been saved many a time by my ‘notes documents’ (and come back to them when writing related pieces)
Perfectly normal. I often recommend it to writers, depending on their other processes.
Absolutely do this on legal briefs. That case citation may be useful on the next brief.
Yup. I label the file "cuts". It enables me to edit more freely, letting go, knowing I can always reinstate later, if necessary.
Yes. I never reclaim the cut words, though. It’s a psychological comfort file for me. 🙂
I want to do it, but I don't. Deleting stuff forever is more important than anything else to me, or I lost clarity and meaning in what I'm doing. At least it's my impression.
🙋🏻♀️
Not yet. But I’m about to start.
You are not alone sis. I do this as well.
I save everything “just in case”. If only I had thought to create one single dump document.
All all the time. I call my document “leftovers”
No... but genius!
The only thing weird is that someone doesn’t think different people have different processes. The end result is what should be judged, not how you got there.
Yup :)
Not weird at all—super smart
Who said it’s weird? They’re weird.
All the time. If it's something I want to rephrase, or maybe put somewhere in my document but I haven't decided where yet, it goes in there.
Yes! It's my "parking lot"
Yep. It’s called my Cutting Room Floor.
Nope but that’s a damn good idea. I’m going to start doing that on my manuscripts.
Your therapists will be much more understanding of your pervasive inability to let go.
Definitely. You never know when you are going to need that perfectly crafted sentence that doesnt quite fit anywhere else. Also your descendents can publish it posthumously for the scholars to study.
I call it graveyard and have it as a separate section below the references 😬
Doesn’t everyone do this? Never thought to call it a “dump document,” but I like this.
I do! And I save it in Dropbox
Oh yes!
Having a dump/scraps document made editing my master thesis less painful. Now I always use one anytime I have to write something.
Besides, one projects’s trash is another project’s treasure
I always do this. Cut portions get their own section towards the bottom of my draft templates.
Yes!
I do this, too! I have a chaotic system where I just highlight bits in the script (I make comics) it and mark it as "useful for later" but maybe I should take it out and put it into another document...
Of course!
Yes, I do it, but not with everything I cut. Just with the really good stuff that doesn't belong in the current document.
Why waste work? It might be useful later. If not for this specific use, there will be others.
cut text goes under heading at the end labeled, “dead kitten pile”, for some reason lost to time... twitter.com/jeffbigham/sta…
I keep mine at the bottom, under the heading === Dead Kittens ===, took that from somewhere long since forgotten
All the time. I usually call it Scrap Heap. I am as incapable of deleting these files as I am of throwing out hard-copy first drafts.
That’s not weird. That’s smart.
Yes, I save things under different drafts as I go along. If I change it significantly I save under a new name. When I was at uni tho I learnt how to plan to word counts so rarely have much to remove.
I don’t... but I’d like to start.
Slightly the same, but I never save over, only save as. Each draft gets a number added to the name
Whoever told you that is weird is WRONG. Doing that was the best advice I got during my EdD!
I 100% do this
I totally do this! I just call it “edits”
I’ve written whole other papers from these bits and bobs.
Same “scraps”
I have one for every paper I write!!
Yes. I do this. It helps me to let go of things that really aren't working in my story.
Mine is called a Graveyard doc!
Sounds like a great idea
All the time! It's the equivalent of writing notes in the margin of a piece of paper you'd write on. For short correspondences I put them at the bottom where I can see them, use and edit them and DELETE before sending! Little more risky in same doc but definitely works for me
I absolutely do this. The words might be useful elsewhere.
I put that stuff at the bottom of documents I write and then either delete or move that writing to a drafts page. Have used that stuff on other writing after the fact.
Yeah.. the U.K. Government apparently! 😬
Always did this since college! Why is that weird?!
Snippets in other saved documents, plus half thought out ideas after a page break at the end of my main draft. I also save my main draft in successive versions so i might have 4 or 5 b4 I'm done. I don't delete them after whatever I'm writing is finalized; why take the time?
Indeed. SOP for every publishing project I've ever worked on--manual or digital production. There are numerous justifications to archive revisions, not least of which disagreement between (real and imaginary) editors.
Yes. Always. Just in case...
YES! This is not weird, it is productive and can save your writing bacon later if you end up needing to use that material, I call this smart!
Yes. Save everything, at least until you are done with the document you are writing...
Doesn’t seem weird to me
Look....
I have 1 real doc and like 1000000 and 1 dump docs🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was once told it was weird to peel a grapefruit and eat it like an orange. You never know what people will judge you for.
How else do people??? Eat grapefruits????
I cut mine in half, put it in a bowl, and eat it with a spoon. When I was younger I would sprinkle sugar on top.
That's valid. I just kind of... eat em like oranges. Maybe with some yogurt.
Apparently, you're supposed to cut it in half, put one half on a plate, unpeeled, sprinkle it with sugar, and then eat it with a spoon. The guy berating me had NEVER seen a grapefruit eaten any other way. I think we must have come from different social classes or something. 🤷♂️
That's the only way I've ever seen or done it too.
...Yes, and you cut around the edge with a sharp knife and along the straight edges of each segment so it comes out easily.
With a special curved serrated knife. Haven’t seen one of those in years!
Too labour intensive ... and that sugar coma.
That's exactly *my* thinking!
or maybe it was just a regional thing. For instance, until I was 25, I never thought of crawdads as being anything but bait for catching bass. Then I went to New Orleans where they were called 'crayfish', and people ate them by the pound!
I wouldnt dream of eating a grapefruit. However the only way I've ever seen them eaten is halved on a plate, covered in sugar and using a grapefruit spoon with serrated edges.
Sugar is optional, especially with pink grapefruit, which are naturally sweeter than white ones.
Cut it in half, slice along the fibrous sections and pop out the half-slices with a spoon. It’s much less bitter.
Yes, it has come to my attention over the years that this is really the default method. I must have grown up in a bubble. I thought it was just the sugar that mitigated the bitterness though. Anyway, I kind of like that bitter tang, so not an issue for me.
I just buy the grapefruit that’s already peeled. I don’t like spending the time it takes to cut and peel it.
just don't eat grapefruit.
BTW, what's the deal with so many medicines that forbid grapefruit? If it was all one family of medications that would be one thing, but I see the warning on all different kinds of medicines. You seem like the person to ask. 🤔
Thank you. 🙂
What she said. 👆🏼The compounds in grapefruit juice block the action of the enzymes that the body uses to break down drugs. Without the enzymes, you end up with toxic drug levels.
Thank you. 🙂
I have never seen anyone eat a grapefruit like that in my nearly half a century on this earth, lol.
I got my mind blown the other day when I watched a woman eat a kiwi with the skin on.
Always had it the slice in half and sprinkle with sugar method. Inevitably squirted in the eyes trying to liberate the sections with a spoon though.
Why are people so resistant to accepting our passion for eating grapefruit this way? I'm pretty sure this was how it was originally consumed. 🤨
It is. Deviant.
I create dump and back-up documents fairly regularly. I am told that is one of the advantages of cloud-based document management - every version is saved.
Not as weird as the spoons created to eat grapefruit with.
I’m sorry but spoons shouldn’t have serrated edges. It’s just wrong.
I’m Pro peel👍
Are there people who don't do this?
Not weird at all! Do it all the time when drafting appellate briefs.
I do this! I have a file called "Chaff". Any writing cut from any document goes in there. Sometimes, entirely new pieces spin off of stuff I cut from earlier work. Excellent practice.
I didn't but now i will
You really need to get to the fifth line because if you don't it's really weird.
Totally do this but put it in gmail drafts.
Not weird. Smart.
I do this. Very helpful. Also: it's instructive to go back later. There's rarely much I'd put back in. But it makes it easier in the moment.
Would have expected you to rely on git exclusively.
I like to use LaTeX and simply comment it out
Of course.
I paste it at the end of the document. It's the Bin.
Me - I call it the parking lot
I'm going to absolutely start doing this.
Do the same. Version and archive old notes and ideas. Story structure can change. It's inevitable during the editing process. Old ideas may be more viable down the line.
Yes, I do this all of the time.
Similar: I publish things to “only me” on FB almost everyday. It’s my Shadow’s social media.
I don’t think it’s dumb! I do it on the same doc, though - I just hit enter a few times to physically and mentally separate it from my new copy, but so it’s right there to grab bits and pieces as needed.
I wrote all my papers this way
I do this.
I do this - I call it “sandbox” and I use a lot of that rejected material for tweets, captions etc
I was a professional writer for 20 years and I did that all the time, as well as saving multiple versions of different drafts. You do you.
Project_Bu_Bu5_FinalDraft_Backup_BU3_Old__BU_Final.doc
Same. I call mine “junkyard.”
for me its not journalism or academic writing but for building presentations. I keep a stack of pages at the end of my document... there's a point beyond which you enter the GRAVEYARD of ideas 💀
Yes, frequently. When writing, especially creative writing, the worst of all worlds is to discard a section, then realise ten days later that it was actually rather better than what you decided to replace it with... A dump file is a great idea and can always be deleted later.
I don't, but now I will. Cool idea.
Yes, absolutely.
Yes absolutely!
Mine’s called “[paper title] took out”.
Scrivener is good for keeping parts of text and older versions. Unfortunately, most of my work is collaborative and we default to google docs which has a lot less functionalities
Not weird. I call it a scratchpad and it’s very helpful and comforting.
This sounds like the pasteboard for designers, and let me tell you ours always have 5,000 ideas and no one gives us shit. Writers need the same!
Scratchpad is what I call it too. It’s very helpful!
Me too.
Not weird at all! I encourage all of our authors to keep one. That’s good content, even if you can’t use it right now. It can turn into other things: articles, essays, lead gen (bonus chapters!), your next book. The path isn’t always clear, so leave yourself the breadcrumbs!
Literally doing this as we speak on my assignment
this is built-in to the Scrivener word processing program. It's talked about in part of the tutorial.
wtf this is very normal
“Cut words” file for every major project. I never delete words—I might want them later!
If your hard drive is too small to contain your cut words, get a bigger hard drive.
Yep, I do this
I do that, yes.
I don't, but only because git branching is my weapon of choice.
Most pro writers whose process I have read about do this...
I call it the buffer.
I call it the graveyard
I call it "OUTTAKES" - I've had one for everything longer than probably 2k words - have turned some into other pitches
I thought everyone did this
My string notebook
Yep. “Cutting room floor.doc”
I do this.
I remember seeing a clipboard you can copy to as many times as you like, and you can paste back from any previous copy! Or was I just dreaming?
YES, especially at work. Well be in the middle of some complex motion, draft no. 5, and boss will say, "Put the part back that has the quote from Enzius v. Texas" that we deleted three drafts ago. Gotta have a cut file. No reason not to use one in regular writing too.
This is how I function.
I thought I was the only one who did this!
I move it all to the bottom the document and the if in the final draft it’s unused I cathartically backspace through it all
🙋🏻♀️ every.single.time.
Me too although I call it “idea overflow”!
Yes. (I'm also something of a hoarder in real life as well.)
A client of mine has done this for her book. I do this for web design code so I can fix my mistakes if needed. 😜
I do it... but at the end of the current file so I don't have to open another...
No, but I will now!
Yep, you just never know how discarded paragraphs or partial thoughts can be re-incorporated into your work at a later time. Used to do it all the time when I was writing papers for school. A good writer has an obligation to themselves to preserve what they've written.
Just do it! Who cares what anyone thinks about YOUR process.
Yep all the time.
Absolutely. My google drive is has gb's of cut stuff that I might just need later. Or could be repurposed.
Yes, but it's called the 'paragraph graveyard' or 'slide graveyard' (for presentations), and i have needed to reanimate them sometimes, so very much worth it.
I use Notepad++ which gives you multiple tabs and removes formatting, so I can have 7 different paragraphs in 7 different tabs, slice and dice how I want and come back later. Saves all without “committing” too. Very useful.
Always!
My advisor told to make one. Best advice ever
Nope. I keep a file named “junk drawer”
I do, too! I will read through right before doc is finished
It’s a SMART thing to do.
Thats brilliant, google docs essentially does that for you with version history but what if you want to pulling from place A and then move it to place B later
Ha, yes!!!
Definitely. I always end up pulling stuff from it later.
I email myself things just in case, but in the same premise 😃
I do it as well! Takes away much of the stress or anxiety of writing.
I thought this was pretty common. I've always done this! Sometimes you like a scene and want to bring it back for something else too.
Oh definitely. For big projects, always!
All the time.
No, but this is a great idea.
I totally do this. Not dumb at all. Why do people insist on disparaging or criticizing others methods? Does it offend them?
I think it's definitely more weird to not do this. You might need those snippets again.
Windows has a super copy/paste clipboard to save things. Check your start menu.
I do. But mine is titled “Words without a home.” It makes me feel better about it, lol.
Mine's titled "My Darlings"
So many people are calling them their darlings lol
That's a different document! It contains things that literally don't belong anywhere, like the opening sentence "Emma was sitting at the breakfast table, feeding her cold" that badly needs a story to go with it but doesn't have one yet.
Mine is called, “Text that needs a home.” For phrases, sentences, whatever, that I can’t bear to trash and hope to use someday,
I do this
This actually sounds like a brilliant idea. There are times where something doesn’t fit. But later and in a different place? I find myself trying to recapture the way I worded something and I’m always kicking myself for deleting.
It also makes it so much easier to cut when you need to cut. Because if the cut is bad, you can put it back. (I almost never do put things back, but every now and then I do.)
Love this and will add to my life! Thanks
In the past I open a draft email and keep there. I need to elevate!
Yeah, I save all mine and end up working some of them back in at different points. It's a mistake not to save them honestly.
I call mine snippets and deleted scenes. Sometimes I pull phrases or entire conversations to paste back in and revise to fit the situation my characters must face.
Nope, but a great idea...and something to calm the horror of clicking cut/copy before you had ‘dumped’
Always, every book. Mine is called CUT BITS
I don’t do this exactly but I keep saved copies of all of my draft screenplays in case I want to go back to how things were. But I really like this idea and I might start!
Not yet, but I think it’s wise
Of course, you never know, and the excised sections may coagulate and form a new and exciting whole.
Yes, when I was a student.
I use noteplus++ and do this all the time. It's not weird.
You bet. Also know lots of folks who do that.
Perfectly normal.
I always do this. Takes the sting out of cutting material; you're not killing it, you're just removing it... probably forever but that's a separate topic, right?!
You should see my email drafts folder!
Of course. I call it “scratch” and I usually save them next to early drafts. I also have a separate scratch doc for cut darlings.
This is smart
I absolutely do this - shocked to hear everyone does not? Sounds like you have a classier name - I call mine the “graveyard”
Do it every quarter
Often. It is just that, a brain dump file.
that's a great idea....i love the concept
I do this! I call it “Notes.”
All the time.
I do it.
Yep i do this a lot
“THINGS CUT OUT OF X.docx” I always do it, just in case!
Yep. I call it my Spice Rack.
ALL THE TIME.
Yes. Totally. But I also use versions - so when I am going to take something major out - I save as a new version so I have the text of the old version - in case I need it.
It’s not dumb. But most software can track revisions.
i call it my murdered babies
I call it my "code graveyard"
turns out my friend Kate does it too.
My doc is 128 pages atm
All. The. Time.
I am a weirdo.
Done that before for sure. Sometimes it makes sense sometimes it's not necessary.
I do! Actually, in whatever application I’m using, I insert a line or page break at the end of the document and throw any unused text there. That section is always much larger than the finished product. And of course, I’ll never use any of it “some other time”
I put them in comments and keep them through a cycle of revisions.
sounds completely normal to me - i used to do it in notebooks before i had a computer, and i probably still have disks somewhere with all sorts of bits on...
You would hold on to scrap material if you were a quilter. Nothing weird about it.
I do that
I do this! I call it ‘edits’
Scrivener makes this so easy! I have folders for cut scenes in the extra section of my binder where I have all my research notes, ideas for future scenes, etc.
Yeah, but also because I tend to write very nonlinearly. So, sometimes I discover I've written something for later/earlier/between some scenes/for another story. I call it an "in progress" document, and occasionally purge those things that I read later and know won't work.
I call it transit folder.
I don’t, but I feel like I should. Seems like someone’s just jealous of your process.
I've done that for years.
All the time. All of my excel files have tabs of the previous data before I pare it down as well, then I just take the final iteration and put it in a fresh workbook lol
Totally! “Stuff to Use Later.doc”
Never not
Mine is called 'real brain'. I have one on all my devices.
Doesn't everyone have this?
I absolutely do this 🤜🤛
I iterate my draft so I do save the stuff I cut. Why wouldn't you?
I save each draft as a new document before I make changes so I can keep the stuff I might need later. But, a dump document sounds more accessible. Good idea!
Um, who doesn't do this?
Yes!!!!
No, but it's a brilliant idea. (I do sometimes park things at the bottom of the page, but it don't half muck up the word count 😢)
I also do this
The dump document is gold. I refuse to hear otherwise.
I have at least 5 unnamed dump documents that Notepad++ just keeps in memory because I refuse to name them! 😂
And then I have dump documents saved as Word files on Google Drive because they're more long-term "I might need this"
Absolutely! I do it all the time. Nothing worse than - "Oh hey, I think I already wrote this!" and losing that piece. Especially if you know the first version was better
I have so many of these...
Only on everything! I call it the parking lot.
Exactly! I park it at the end of the manuscript, for later of course...just in case...for a rainy day?
My pal Steve and I do it a lot when we're writing and recording music. We call it the scrapyard. Every so often something lovely emerges ! Unclwallyandunclesteve.bandcamp.com
A creative-writing instructor I had called her version of this file “excess,” inspiring me to start the practice.
Yes. I also use a clipboard manager so it remembers my last few (50) copy and paste
I think that’s brilliant.
I have always done that, through BA and MA programs in English and now in my professional life as a technical & proposal writer.
Yes lol
OBVIOUSLY YES. I do this for long emails. God help me.
Mine is called “detritus”. Those bits never go back in but I save them just in case.
I start a new draft anytime I think I'm going to do something major. It just gives me permission emotionally to discard work that doesn't do what it was supposed to.
Oh, I do that too. And yet I keep my little "detritus" file. It's not rational. I rarely even open it except to add things to it.
Yes! What kind of fool doesn't?
I do! I usually call the file junk or bloopers.
Absolutely! I've had it before where I was asked to make revisions/expansions to a submitted article, only to handily have just the relevant part within my "cut text" doc.
I do this !!!
Yes, it sits on my desktop and is called "scratch.docx"
I 100% always do this. Sometimes a solid phrase, sentence, or section just needs to rest a bit before it finds its rightful place in a draft.
I do this with legal briefs.
I do this using versions. If I want to reincorporate something I’ve cut, I go back to the version that had it. Don’t think it’s weird to do it your way. Whatever works
I call it dregs and have definitely pulled stuff from it.
Yes - I’ve very rarely used anything from them, but have them there just in case...
Yep I do this and often will cut and paste things back in later on. Often wipe once the article/book/chapter is finished
Yep, I do.
I do it all the time! It's hard when you find exactly the perfect quote or reference but it doesn't fit in what you're working on right then. So you park it and use it later.
Close: I have a little section at the end of each draft called "Notes and fragments" where I'll jot out thoughts for the direction of a work at the end of the day and hold on to pieces that were interesting or well-written but didn't work with the direction I ended up taking.
Mine is called ‘Thesis graveyard’
Yup! I typically do it on an extra page of the same document I'm drafting.
Yes! How is it weird? It’s efficient. It’s like reusing mason jars.
Yes, if by “dump” you mean you later use it as toilet paper...
Guilty. 😆
Yep. Perfectly normal behaviour.
I do. The one for the WIP has something like 111k words in it, and I've referred back to it later when I realized I just wanted to move something, not delete it.
Absolutely. I call it my “parking lot,” and I leave it at the end of the working document.
Yes! It helps me to move on when a section just doesn’t fit. It’s not gone forever! It lives on elsewhere!
I call it a compost file
yeah i do this
Of course
Seems to me like a better idea would be to cross out sections you don't want but leave them in the original file, then when you're happy. Save a copy of the file elsewhere, remove all the crossed out sections, doublecheck the paper then save as final version.
100% I do this. If I cared enough to use LaTeX, regularly, it would be much easier b/c could just his the code in place...and this is the only reason I’ve considered using LaTeX regularly.
I have a ...very large dump document. ☺️
Everything I write.
Me too, it’s like 70k words at this point
Same! I have "scrap piles" for most longer things I write. (Reduce, reuse, recycle)
Not only do I do this, but I actively encouraged my college comp and lit students to do this. It’s hard to let go of our darlings. Giving them a different place to live allows us to be more thorough in our revision.
Yes. Not weird.
I do this. I always have a "Scraps" folder/doc. Sometimes weeks later, I go to scraps and find just what I need!
Yes, 'Important outtakes'.
Writerduet has a feature for this called the graveyard and I love it, it really helps with the occasional dread of cuts
My life is a dump document
Always
Nono you’re smart
I totally do this with everything I write!
This is working smart, not weird.
Mine is called 'darlings' (as in 'murder your darlings'). I'll never use that text again, but the file makes it possible to move on with minimal angst.
Computer hoarding? Absolutely
Im not a writer but that sounds genius to me. Why would you want to lose all that just because it doesn’t fit *right now*?
Mine goes to the last page. Totally logical!
Makes sense to me. Sometimes a good thought doesn't fit in a given context but might somewhere else.
I have a dump document for every paper/manuscript/chapter! It’s so useful for picking back up on ideas later. AND it helps avoid forcing things into one paper because you don’t want to delete them.
I do something similar. I first dump all my ideas and then I try to assemble them into something more coherent. We've even built a whole note-taking tool around this :)
I do this!
Of course not weird. Doesn’t everyone do this?
Yes, a big part of my writing process! I also save each update of the document I work on as a separate file. I often go back and use content from the "dump" file or previous drafts.
Yep evertine I did an assignment. I called it 'ideas not yet used'
Of course!
Yes!! Any time I write something longer than a few pages. And it’s never not come in handy, so I totally stand by this as an integral component of the writing process.
🙋🏽♀️
Yes. I do the same also for reference material, collating it in subject tabs. This is also for problematic individuals so that I can track issues over time.
I think someone weird said that to you. Of course you keep a dump document.
Not weird, smart! And lots of us do it.
I call it depot
How can you delete paragraphs so boldly without this? They have to be there in case I change my mind, which I may never do but still, this file is a must.
Mine's labeled "Random Removed Bits."
I call mine "Randon Bits and Pieces." Are we sure whoever said this was weird is a writer?
Yes. I call the text file ‘effusum’ and it is destination for collecting and scrubbing text (to strip styling) prior to assemblage.
Absolutely! I never had a word for it, but will officially be calling it “dump doc” from now on.
All the time
I absolutely have this.
Is this doc just for that doc you're working on? Or do u have each doc have it's own dump file? I've literally written 10 pages of my book, but I KEEP EVERYTHING. I need a system.
I do this!
Yuuup. Lifesaver.
Absolutely. Sometimes it guts me to cut out a phrase I think sings, so I save it in that other doc in case I’m able to rework it or bring it back another time.
I have several. One just for random lines I think of that I don’t have homes for.
This is a fabulous idea.
It seems weird not to have such a thing.
What? Weird? I ALWAYS do that!! In case I need it or want it back.
I do this and I’m not even a writer per se.
Absolutely. Along with cites.
Of course. Those are the best bits!
Absolutely! It’s good to keep even for a later book—if you’re writing a series.
All the time. I do it in the file I’m cutting it from in a little notes document because you never know. NEVER.
I do this. I’ve used the things I’ve cut from time to time too!
Every time I sit down to write or make some substantial change, I make a copy of the chapter I'm working on, leaving me a long trail of old drafts and revisions.
Yes, often. It took a lot of work to come up with those words. Might need 'em later!
Always. Never waste words. They're like leftovers. Make a great meal the next day but just different
It's not weird. It's smart. I do the same thing & have used it many times. You have every right to your process that works for you & the opinions of these other people do not matter. You do you!❤
Make cuts to a new copy and leave an original that has everything. Easier to find what you want later
Ummm....yes. And then I find it two to three years later and usually wonder what the fuck I was thinking. Goes both ways, too, as in, "wtf was I thinking cutting this marvelous prose" and "wtf was I thinking when I saved this dreck."
This is what Notes is for in PowerPoint/Slides
Mine is usually called “(whatever document) scratch pad” and I also draft whatever I want to add there if I’m working on revisions to a document
Definitely.
Not weird at all; I thought everyone did this. I have a file called "grafs" in every story folder just for orphan paragraphs.
100%, I do this all the time
Yep- mine used to be graveyard.docx, but now zombies.docx signifying my fervent hope that they will live again.
Who doesn't? Sometimes I need to excise something, save it close by, sometimes it's just adding white space and seeing if it works better. I usually just do this at the bottom of my document tho
i create one every single time i start a project.
I do it all the time.
Mine is called “outtakes” 😁
ALL*THE*TIME... 😂
Mine is always called ‘scraps’
I do this and it’s also known as my ‘dump doc’ 😂 it’s full of things I’ve written that I can’t delete but need to get rid of to stay under my word count!
No, THEY are the weird ones.
Yes! I recently started doing this and it makes cutting things so much easier!
Yes. Absolutely.
People don’t do this???
I call it "scrap" and I've kept it ever since I heard Tim Robbins did the same thing (physically cut from typewritten pages!) on Dead Man Walking
I do this. The idea might not fit *there*, but it might fit *somewhere*, and I can’t just keep them all in my brain until I find their home.
I have so many of these files based off the genre of the story/what stage of my life it was in so the old cringe isn’t with the new cringe
(No comment)
Honestly that is the weirdest thing to call weird, lmao
I just throw everything down to the very end of the file
Not weird at all! I have a friend who calls hers "My Dead Darlings." I call mine "Deleted Scenes." I have rescued a thing or two and recycled it in other pieces, so totally useful -- and NOT WEIRD.
Totally do that
yes !! i call mine “the bog” people think it’s quirky but i love it
I do that all the time. Often, I just put it at the end of the document so I can look at it before I delete it. But it is smart, not weird.
Yup, I did this on my literary journalism prof’s recommendation. We call it “The Well”.
I thought everyone does this
I have years of unused song lyrics in a document like this.
Started doing it in college 20 years ago! First I dump the cut items at the end of the document. When I’m totally done I cut the rejects and paste them into a separate document. You never know when you’ll need it.
Sure. Didn’t know that’s term for it but always have a “misc” folder for links or text or reminders or sources might use in a book
Yup been doing this for years. Such a writer thing to do!
It's essential.
Though I use a personal wiki rather than a "document" because you can organize the fragments on different pages and easily link between them.
Just do proper version control - start with your original (V1.0), corrections saved as V1.x (you can even subdivide into V1.1.x as you go through chapters/headings) until you are ready to proof read.
Then you start V2.0 etc...🙄
Yes. I think it’s wise because you never know.
every creative writing teacher i’ve ever had has told me to do this
It would be weird not to
It would be BILLING FRAUD* not to
*kidding, but I might use that line anyway if someone gives me crap
Yes, but I put it at the bottom of the main document because I thrive on barely controlled chaos
Yes definitely, it's the only way I can cut pieces I like and can't bear to get rid of. I rarely re-use them but it's easier than deleting them forever 💚
I've written two articles out of notes from that folder. I find it weird to NOT have this kind of file/folder.
I do this, and call it the "boneyard." The parts I'm saving usually have good bones, just don't fit where I had them.
I save every cut scene as a separate file in a "cut scenes" folder and name it with what happens in the scene to find it quickly. Indo this also with good bits.
It could always be useful in another project. Save that shit!
I do now. It’s brilliant.
I absolutely do this. It’s come in handy more than once.
👆👆👆yes ...
I do this!! I call it my cuts document
I did early on, but I never went back to the file so ended up dropping it. Now I double outline (chapter and scene) so I’m less likely to write something unusable.
Not weird at all imho. I like to call mine things like "Probably won't need later dump", or "If you forget this, life is over dump".
It’s not weird! Lots of people do it (including me).
Personally, I find it helps me to press delete if I know I could put the words back or recycle them elsewhere
Me. Always, since 25 years.
ALL the time
Me! It’s especially useful if there’s a word count but you can’t bring yourself to let it go 😂
You mean there are ppl who DON'T do this? 😂. Ive actually titled mine "The Vault"
Yes! I call it the Cutting Room Floor.
That’s not weird. I have a “Shit” file. It’s where things go to, eh, fertilize into possibly being useful later.
Yep. I have a final doc and a "working" doc. Never know when you're going to need those darlings you have to kill.
Yes, I called it 'thesis offcuts.docx' 😁
The number of times that doc has saved my asssss 😬😬😬
YES. I do this for my syllabi, too.
A dump paragraph in my case, but the same idea, yes.
What that is NOT weird!
All the time! But I’m going to rename my dump file to some of the marvellous offerings on this feed.
That's an entire google docs ACCOUNT I have set up
Yes! With my work writing AND my personal writing!
Hell yes. Always. Mine is always named "<NAME OF SCRIPT> DARLINGS."
My creative writing teacher recommended having an “orphans” doc—basically exactly the same thing.
I have an outtakes doc. I bet most writers do this.
I call them either remnants or dregs, depending on my mood
I have dump slides - never delete a slide 😅
That’s weird? Huh 🤔
It's weird AF NOT to do this.
not weird at all wtf
Define weird. I always did. Just in case. First trial of law is CYA
Yes. Have done so for ages. I usually call it ‘Crap’ or the name of the original file with Crap before or after.
Why not just save the complete version, then rename the file as v2 or edited or trimmed and just cut away what you need?
absolutely! the question sometimes is, have i put something in the dump file that actually shouldn't be there?
Oh big time. It’s so helpful.
this is actually pretty smart
I call them outtakes
100% do this
I do this! #drafts
With every single article ever.
I do this too if I've gone wayyy over a word count. And also if it's an editor I've never worked with I save the original draft in case they fuck up my flow.
We do this with code all the time.
I do the same. It exists at the end of my documents and I call it the Graveyard. And then I "resurrect" things from the graveyard if I find I can use them. I rarely need this act of divine reincarnation but it makes it easier to let dead sentences or paragraphs rest in peace.
I do this. I even have a few in several places 😅
Ohhhh! I like this idea. Thank you for sharing it. 🌺
yes, yes, 1000x you are not alone in this
Always!!
Genius
I totally do this 🤷♀️
It’s not weird, it’s insurance.
Yes of course! I call it “bits.”
🙋♀️ right with you. I always have a "spare bits" document saved for every essay 🙌 Couldn't write without it 😊
Not weird at all.
This is actually a built in function in @ScrivenerApp called snapshots which is one of the main selling points of the software
I move that stuff to the end of my draft. When is time to send the piece to my editor I remove it to a new document. The same thing, I guess.
I'm a programmer, not a writer, but I definitely do this with snippets of code.
I like this idea and am stealing it now.
Not weird at all. I do this exact thing.
One of my friends keeps a vast detritus of cut material at the end of every draft.
Is there any other way to do it??!
Yes. Did that especially through my masters! Quotes never lost. It was really useful to have a google dump document where you could dump and save automatically and helped massively during my dissertation to remind me of working on other assignments etc!
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