DSB: Real Life Bits 12/04

Heeeeeeeeey you lot! It’s me again. And I have lots I want to share with you today. I’ll try to keep things brief(ish) so it’s not a big wedge of text, but try to keep up, huh? Buckle in. 😉

Write Fit

You know I’m part of the Joined Up Writing Podcast crew, right? Well . . . in Thursday’s episode (get it here if you haven’t found it yet) I might have put my foot in it a little. Okay, a lot, but can I just say, people say funny things under pressure! say what meme The episode was about keeping fit while while writing and this, believe it or not, is a big deal for me. I’m sooooo poorly most of the time, it has a lot to do with my fitness and weight and eating habits and blah, blah, blah, blah.

I suppose I can talk more about those specifics another time, but while recording, I jokingly told Wayne that I would do a new little bit of exercise every day and report back on progress in the following episode. -_- Well the episode is out there now. Live. And that bit has not been edited out. *sigh*

So much like when Ileandra and Raven do their goal posts, I’m now accountable.

Yeah right! But give it time. You never know…

Obviously none of you are going to drag me over your knee and spank my legs if I don’t do it – I hope! – but I’d feel bad about saying something and then not doing it. So . . . I have been doing it. I borrowed a set of headphones (decent ones) from a friend and downloaded an app to help me log the things I eat. That, hand in hand, with different exercises I can do indoors or outdoors, long or short, I have been logging my process every day.

It hasn’t been a week yet, so it’s hard to say, but I did get an odd moment of fatigue about about 4pm while sitting in the car this afternoon. That sort of abrupt and crippling crash isn’t unusual for me, I’m sad to say, but I can say that the episode passed sooner than usual. So that’s a plus, right?

Also, with this app, logging each and every food I eat is making me think carefully about what I consume. And the calories. Plenty of slip-ups (come on, half a week!) but I think I’m getting into my stride. Hell, I’m even writing this with a bottle of water beside me rather than a Bubble Tea or rum laced with cranberry juice. *shoves the remnants of Easter egg foil under the table*

Meh. It’s all about baby steps, right?

Caladria

If you don’t know what this is yet, then for the love of all things tasty and delicious, please, please, please check out this site.

Caladria is the name of a world created for the purpose of housing the tales of a new fantasy magazine called Fab Fables. I’ve been Chief Editor over there since the project went live and we are actively seeking new authors to write for us. All the time. If you’re curious, or want to write for us, then follow this link for details.

But that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about the competition we’re running! *fanfare, confetti and big smiles all around*

Yes, we’re running a short story competition offering publication in the magazine plus a £25 Amazon voucher as first prize. Not only that, but the winner also receives a cut from all profits linked to the issue of the magazine their story appears in. Not only do you get a chance to be published in an up and coming magazine, but there’s money in it for you too!

We’re looking for complete stories of 1,500 to 2,000 words written to one of three briefs. The competition closes on May 31 and there will be one winner as well as two runners up who will see their stories published in later issues.

Rather than reproduce everything here, full details can be found on the Caladria Blog. All that aside, I really do urge you to enter. It’s a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an exciting new venture (we’re the first indie fiction syndicate!) and experience awesome features like the interactive map and time sensitive wiki pages that respond to dates.

Hell, even if you don’t fancy the competition, join us on the main site and become a fan. Or visit our store and get your hands on the free copies of the ‘Guide to Caladria’ which tells you what it’s all about.

Thank You!

I also thought it would be nice to take a moment to thank you all for reading and sticking with me and liking and commenting. It really does make my day when you talk back to me and I love knowing that you enjoy the time you spend reading my brain vomit.

Thank you note! openlcipart

It also struck me that I don’t talk much about myself here, so I thought I’d ask if there was anything you wanted to know specifically. You know . . . what moves and grooves the lady behind Ileandra Young and Raven ShadowHawk.

Let me know, eh? ^_^

DSB Sig

About Da Shared Brain

I am the mind behind Ileandra Young and Raven ShadowHawk. They call me da shared brain (DSB) and I quite like it, so I thought I'd make my presence here known. You won't hear from me much, but enough to remind you that I'm here.

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5 Responses to DSB: Real Life Bits 12/04

Wayne says:

April 12, 2015 at 21:12

Well done for diving in with the fitness thing, Leah. Stick with it and you WILL feel the benefits.

I’ll keep spreading the word about the Caladria comp too.

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- Da Shared Brain says:
  
  April 16, 2015 at 10:18
  
  Thanks m’dear.
  I will admit, I feel slightly less tired these days and I’m starting to look forward to the walk. It takes me ages to get out the house for it, but once I’m out I don’t want to stop!
  
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Maria Smith (@mariaAsmith) says:

April 12, 2015 at 21:26

Great blog post!
Don’t talk to me about getting fit, and slimmer, I’ve been battling it for years! I’ve got a whizzy little app, My Fitness Pal, which is brilliant! It logs all the calories in your food etc. Last year, I even treated myself to having two personal training sessions with a very fit young man, who advised I’d have to pump a lot of iron, and put a lot less in my mouth too!

It is so hard. But so worth it. We are what we eat. Simple as… I salute you, go, go, go… You’ll feel a bit crap for the first few weeks, but once you get into the flow you’ll start feeling and seeing results.
Give yourself a goal. My best tips are make small changes, move more, and eat smaller portions.

The writing competition looks good – I’ll take a look, and circulate it for you.

Oh, and what do I want to know about you? Okay, I’d like to ask, how do you fit writing into your busy day?

Good luck with your week!

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- Da Shared Brain says:
  
  April 16, 2015 at 10:20
  
  Aaaah, yes, My Fitness Pal. That’s what I’m using. So far I’m horrified at how calarific my favourite foods are and how much I eat in the evenings. But now I can see it, I can take steps to go a better job of controlling what I eat. The exercise isn’t such a bad thing either! 😉
  
  Thanks for the competition support too. We’re really hoping to see some of the amazing talent out there and it’s exciting to be involved with the project in any form.
  
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