Hey there Pasture view,
It sounds like you cannot see the screen on your phone, and would like to ensure the data is backed up. If your device is recognized in iTunes then you can use this article get it backed up to iTunes.
iOS: How to back up and restore your content
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
If it is not recognized in iTunes, you can use this article to troubleshoot that, then use the above article to get your data backedup.
iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Windows
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1538
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Sterling