edenfalling | writing woes

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edenfalling

I know exactly what I want to write for my NFE fic -- I have the characters, I have the subject of discussion, I have the ending (...ish), but I cannot for the life of me figure out where the story needs to start. Every single thing I've tried just fizzles out in a sputter of futility. And that's if it even stands up long enough to make it from my brain to the page!

...

...

...

In summary, BEARS.

Current Mood: frustrated
Current Location: ithaca, ny
Crossposts: http://edenfalling.livejournal.com/874809.html

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From:

transposable_element

This is the second time recently I've seen "BEARS," and I don't know what it means....

From:

edenfalling

It's a Yuletide meme: writing panic and approaching deadlines are personified as bears chasing the hapless writer. I am not sure where it came from (Fanlore does not document it, alas!), though my first guess would be that it's related to Shakespeare's famous 'exit, pursued by a bear' stage direction.

From:

transposable_element

Ah. That sort of bear.

From:

lady_songsmith

*nodnodnod* I have lots of stuff in my head but no actual plot. BEARS.

From:

edenfalling

I would like my idea soup to resolve into something writable, please!

(Maybe if we play dead the bears will lose interest...?)

From:

lady_songsmith

There may be something to this -- I was saying to someone that I thought I might have to default, and they were encouraging me to do so because stressing out makes for bad fic anyway, then the next day I woke up with IDEAS.

From:

transposable_element

About a week ago I gave up on my original story idea and started fresh with something new, and things have been going a lot better. So, yeah.

From:

edenfalling

Hmmm... *considers trying to write for a different prompt*

From:

rthstewart.livejournal.com

Cofax said the same thing yesterday. BEARS

From:

edenfalling

I think it is a common ailment as exchange deadlines approach, and I am grateful to Yuletide for giving us this useful terminology. *pained smile*

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Elizabeth Culmer

May 2025

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