Years ago, when I worked as a transportation planner, I would create backup copies of my computer files frequently as I did my work. I was always afraid that if a made a mistake, that I would have to redo all the work. That happened to me before I developed the habit.
When I began to write and make films, I kept this same habit. For example, I have over a hundred different versions of The Doorman’s Sacrifice. My reasons were slightly different though.
Note: I have removed this script from the Amazon website.
I always worry that the changes I make will make my project worse. This fear often paralyzed me when I looked at changes to my work. I started to make frequent backups to give me the freedom to step back to my old version if the new one didn’t work out.
Just recently I realized that I don’t remember that I ever did go back to an older version of a project. Now my memory is not always perfect, but I’m confident that the vast majority of the time, the “improvements” I made did make my projects better.
I’ll never quit my habit of frequent backups, just out of habit. However, now that I know that I’m unlikely to ever want to go back to an earlier version, I feel I can let myself take more chances with my projects.