(no subject)

[rm]

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

I accidentally just toasted by deulling paper.

There is no way to get it back.

Choices:

- badly ramble for 40 minutes and be humiliated
- withdraw paper that was promoted to entire conference while I'm still here and be humiliated
- withdraw paper and hide in hotel room for rest of conference so people think I left and have trip ruined

I think HP fandom and I just parted ways forcefully.

I am freaking out.

Comments

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, I'm so sorry. ):

You may have undelete options you don't know about -- I recommend spending a little Google time researching file recovery.

Failing that: write up an outline of the paper so you can at least hit your main talking points?

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

First thing is to become calm. Freaking isn't going to help.
Once you are in non panic mode, you will be amazed at how much of what you wrote will come back to you. Because you really know this shit, and you've worked really hard on it.
Remember, the audience doesn't know how good it would have been ,if you hadn't lost the file. Assuming that it is actually irretrievably lost.
Blessings and positive thoughts to you.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.

I say brazen it out. If you can't get it back by any means magical or scientific, make yourself an outline and talk from that. You don't have the paper, but having written it, you know it. You know it much better than anyone you'll be addressing.

People do this stuff all the time, and survive, and you will. Don't DARE hide in your room.

(awfully brave on behalf of others, I am)

[starkyld.livejournal.com]

Acknowledge at start of talk that an accident befell your paper, then wing it. I think you can pull it off so long as you indicate that this isn't how you planned to present it.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I agree with starklyd. Do you still have some notecards? There's probably a lot of your paper still in your head.

Call me if you need to.

[gement.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

Breathe.

Remember that you have incredible grace, poise, and charisma, and that you flippin' radiate confidence. (Alternately, remember that you are a hell of a conman and that your shiny white smile can blind entire civilizations. Whichever works better in your head at the time.)

Have an outline, and be upfront about the fact that the full paper got zapped.

Breathe.

If possible, wear your braces.

[placate-me.livejournal.com]

Can you use the time machine function if you have a MAC? If you have a PC, there is also a way to revert back to a specific time.

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

No document recovery upon system reboot?

If not I would go with the first option, sans the humiliation. If you're half as well-spoken and confidant in the real world as you are on lj, than I'm sure you can pull it off no problem.

Never surrender. Good luck.

[tdanaher.livejournal.com]

Many of the people who are going to listen to you are showing up to get information and perspective on the subject. You have those to give. Just...talk to the audience?

[laurel]

Yes, what they said. You can do this. Be upfront about what happened. You know this stuff. If you find yourself running out of words, ask for questions as I'm sure you can provide answers.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. This sounds like the best of a series of bad options. Also, given how little most fans of all sorts know about swords and dueling, even unresearched and unrehearsed such a talk is likely to be of significant interest to many.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. You'll remember more of it than you think, once you start talking. After all, you wrote the paper in the first place, so clearly you are capable of coming up with good stuff.

[amberite.livejournal.com]

File disasters happen to everyone. Whatever you decide to do, as long as you outwardly keep a cool head about it I don't think anyone will hold it against you.

[labellerose.livejournal.com]

Oh shit. I had this happen with a paper and, um no fun.
Take a deep breath. You are a sage and a warrior.
You can find your way.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

I must not freak.
Freaking is the mind-gibble.
Freaking is the little-defeat that brings abject surrender.
I will face my fail.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fail has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Awwww, baby. I wish you were here to be all scrubbing my hair. But it's okay. I'm cranking on an outline now.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

:)