How your writing is saved

You never need to press save. Onwarder keeps what you type on the device you are using, a moment after you type it, whether or not you are online.

Read the save line

At the foot of the page (on a phone, at the top), Onwarder tells you where your latest words are.

You see	What it means
Saved on this device 14:02	Everything up to 14:02 is saved on this computer, browser or phone.
Could not save on this device. Copy your text before closing	Something stopped Onwarder saving. See below.

On a phone the line is shortened to one word: Saved, Typing, Saving, Offline or Not saved.

If it says it could not save

This is rare, and Onwarder never hides it. Your words are still on the screen.

1. Select the text of the scene and copy it (Cmd+C or Ctrl+C), then paste it somewhere safe such as an email to yourself.
2. Do not close the window yet.
3. Look at Troubleshooting for the usual causes, such as a full disk or a browser that has run out of space.

Writing offline

Your library is on your device, so you can write with no connection at all: on a train, on a plane, in a cabin. Nothing waits for the internet.

Go back to an earlier version of a scene

Onwarder keeps earlier versions of each scene as you work.

1. Open the scene.
2. In the scene list, open Writing tools and choose Scene history. On a phone, it is on the Book tab.
3. Choose a version from the list. It appears beside your current writing so you can compare them.
4. To bring it back, choose Restore as a new version.

Restoring never throws anything away. The writing you replaced becomes another version in the list. You can also choose Export this version to save a single version as a file. Back to writing returns you to the page.

Keep a named copy of the whole book

Before a big rewrite, it helps to mark the moment.

1. In Writing tools, choose Milestones.
2. Type a name in Milestone name, for example First draft finished.
3. Choose Keep milestone.

A milestone is a saved copy of the whole book as it was. You can read it later, export it, or choose it in Export to make a file from that version.

Try something without touching your draft

If you want to try a scene or a chapter a different way, make an alternative draft:

1. Above the page, select the draft name (Your draft). This opens Drafts.
2. Choose + New alternative, give it a name, and press Enter.

You are now writing in the alternative. Your draft is untouched. Switch back at any time with Return to your draft, compare the two with Compare drafts, or, if you prefer the alternative, choose Make this your draft.

Keep a copy of your own

Saving on your device is not the same as a backup. A file you keep somewhere else is the copy that survives a lost laptop or a cleared browser. See Backups and restoring.