I keep my writing notes on a usb drive that I take with me to work. It’s only been washed it in the washing machine once – so that’s good. Luckily, I back it up at home after I make any additions. Surprisingly the washing machine did absolutely nothing to the data. Weird.
I try to work on the story during my lunch breaks, but sometimes it can be a bit too noisy. Plus, when you’re at your desk, people think you’re working and come talk to you about work-related stuff (of all things)… or ask you if you’re having a case of the Mondays. I usually put on my headphones and crank them up. This would be a time where I listen to instrumental music, so that the singing doesn’t distract my thought process. I’ve been listening to movie and video game soundtracks a lot recently. If you’re into metal and industrial music, I have to recommend the Doom soundtrack by Mick Gordon (video below).
So far, it’s been easiest to fill in plot holes at work – since I’m just answering questions that I’ve written for myself. I’ve found it works for me to color-code my Word doc. By doing that, I can mix notes and stuff right in with the other copy. It’s also pretty handy if I only have a few minutes to jump into the Neon Cell mindset. I can scroll through my document and look for a question I’ve colored purple, then focus on solving that one problem. Some days everything I type ends up purple, and I feel like I’m basically creating more problems for myself. But I have to address any plot holes, even if I think the average reader may not pick up on them. A lot of the details are things that may never make it into the story, but I still need to be sure it won’t create a potential issue down the road.
Have I mentioned I’m not a writer? I’m sure you can tell by my punctuation.