Keep two kinds of copies: a separate copy of your Cheese Paper project files for preservation and continued editing, and a Story Export when you need one portable manuscript. The exports are useful, but they are not a documented substitute for the complete project.
What to keep: project files and exports
Cheese Paper stores projects on your computer. Its developer describes the project as prose in Markdown, with scene summaries and notes stored as TOML metadata. The app can also detect and process files edited outside its editor, making the native files useful if you want to continue working in Cheese Paper or use a text editor. See the official Cheese Paper site for its description of local storage and file formats.
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| What you keep | What it contains | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Project files | Individual Markdown and TOML-based files, including the project’s editable structure and notes. | Preserving the project for continued work in Cheese Paper or a text editor. |
| Story Export | One Markdown file combining scenes that have not been excluded. | A portable manuscript for review or conversion. |
| Outline Export | A notes-focused file without story prose. | Sharing or keeping planning material separately from the manuscript. |
The official sources describe the exports as useful documents, but do not say either one preserves the complete editable project. Keep the project files if you want the project’s structure and notes, not just a manuscript.
How to back up your Cheese Paper project
- Locate the Cheese Paper project files on your computer.
- Make a separate copy using your computer’s file-copy or backup tools. A copy on a separate physical destination, such as an external SSD, can help keep it apart from the working files.
- Check that the copied files are present and readable. This is a practical check, not an official Cheese Paper restore test or procedure.
The developer does not document a dedicated backup command, an exact backup schedule, or a step-by-step restore path. The site mentions syncing services such as Syncthing, Nextcloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox for using local project files across computers. Syncing is not the same as an independent backup, and Cheese Paper does not document those services as a built-in backup feature. Its site says users who want to use projects on multiple computers must arrange syncing themselves.
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How to export a story or outline
Story Export
Use Story Export to create a single Markdown manuscript from scenes that have not been excluded. The sources confirm the feature, but do not provide a current menu path; consult the interface in your installed version for the control.
Outline Export
Use Outline Export when you want a notes-only document. It contains notes without the story prose, so it is suited to sharing planning material separately from the manuscript.
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Convert a Story Export to another format
The exported Markdown can be converted to EPUB, DOCX, HTML, or PDF with programs such as Pandoc, according to the Flathub listing. Cheese Paper’s FAQ identifies Pandoc as the developer’s preferred option for converting an exported .md file to EPUB. Review the converted document’s formatting before sharing or publishing it; the sources describe conversion options, not a tested result for a particular manuscript.
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The developer also says smart quotes are converted to normal quotes while editing and added back on export. This concerns export behavior; check the final converted file for presentation issues as well.
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- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Privacy and local storage
The developer describes Cheese Paper as an offline program with no telemetry and says it does not collect users’ writing. The official site says an update check at startup is the only network request when update checking is enabled. These are the developer’s published statements, and product behavior may change in later releases. The site also says Cheese Paper is open source under GPLv3 and users retain rights to work produced in the app.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
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