Fic recs + general state of me + hilarious dictation

[luzula]

I am getting health problems from coronavirus isolation, but not actual coronavirus: I have aches and pains in my hands from too much computer work, and also, all the running I did to avoid those aches has given me what Wikipedia tells me are called shin splints in English? I mean, they're not terribly bad, because I stopped running as soon as I felt them, but I have a hard time judging when I can go back to running, or not. Advice welcome.

I'm also trying dictation software, but it's hard, because apparently my thought process when writing is dependent on typing. /o\ I'm also recording sound files sometimes instead of writing emails. I do want to share with you the hilarious result of using the dictation software, and then my mom calling me, and the software picking up the Swedish instead:

NT dog manusha doing is 50 this country since if there is Mr. Boston I'm so sorry I didn't see you madames meant cheesecake man yeah

Cheesecake, man! Yeah.

In other news, I have 16,000 words so far on my new fic, which is chock-full of UST and promises to be as long as the one I already posted. But! I am glad to say that other authors have also been busy writing Flight of the Heron fic:

When the Fighting is Over (4750 words) by Garonne is a post-canon fix-it story which begins with Ewen in France and is full of beautifully written longing.

At Ruthven Barracks (3299 words) by regshoe is a missing scene early in the book where Ewen begins to realize the cost of war.

In the beginning of December last year, there were 8 works posted in the fandom. Now there are 21. : D

Comments

[seascribble]

Isolation is so. hard. I have the same problem with my hands and also my neck/back from not having my riser for my computer that I use at work. I should just give up on the dining room table and put my setup there with books for the riser.

My phone sporadically switches into French at its own whim, and so sometimes I get the same thing, when it tries to record an English line of chatfic into French, hahaha.

[hurry_sundown]

*giggles at your text to speech nonsense*

Look at you, boosting a micro-fandom! I haven't read FofH, but I'm thinking I should add it to my list.

[luzula]

Yeah, we isolate to avoid one bad thing, and get other bad things as side effects. *sigh*

[luzula]

You totally should! Here is the free ebook. : )

But yeah, I am so happy that there are other people writing in the fandom, too. And I love feeling creative again.

[hurry_sundown]

Cool, thanks!

[isis]

I love the text-to-speech whimsy. Even without translation it can be entertaining - B pretty much only sends me texts through text-to-speech, and usually doesn't bother correcting anything that is mis-transcribed if it's still understandable.

Shin splints is a symptom of TMTS ("too much too soon") and so usually you just need to take a few days off and then restart at lower intensity - run more slowly, don't run as much distance, run less frequently, and increase all these slowly. The general guideline I follow is to run at easy pace (so that you can carry on a conversation with an imaginary friend - and I test this by talking out loud, so maybe people think I'm crazy!) and when I start running after a break to run no more than every other day at no more than 40 minutes at a time, and to increase my weekly total distance only every three weeks. Good luck! Running's what's keeping me sane now, too.

[regshoe]

Thanks for the rec :D

In the beginning of December last year, there were 8 works posted in the fandom. Now there are 21. : D

I remember when all this was fields... I do think reading that book when I did is one of the best things I've ever done in fandom. May it continue to flourish!

I had not heard of shin splints, but they sound nasty—wishing you a speedy recovery!

[jesse_the_k]

Shin splints are awful -- but I have no knowledge on fixing them (I used to get them from just walking. Now I can't walk far enough to get them, so! problem solved!)

HOORAY for your fandom gardening!

Another lovely English idiom is "word salad," which is an official term found in the definition of schizophrenia. Supposedly it's synonymous with "incoherence," but the visual of torn bits of idea lettuce and notional radishes and such is more effective.

Which is to say: speech recognition is productive of word salad. I can watch my Apple devices attempting to improve individual items by parsing the surrounding words into a sentence. Sometimes wrong, never in doubt!

[luzula]

Thanks for the tips on how to deal with it, that's very helpful! : )

[luzula]

I do think reading that book when I did is one of the best things I've ever done in fandom.

So I know you were the reason I read it, but...where did you get the idea to read it? *curious*

[luzula]

Fandom gardening, that's a lovely term. So is word salad! : )

[tinypinkmouse]

Ah, shin splints sound like the thing I get when I get a bit too excited about walking long distances (I didn't know the word in English either, but it sounds right). Like someone said, usually rest and then taking things a bit slower are the way to go. Though last time it happened to me I had to rest for weeks, not days, but I managed to get them in bad enough shape that I was crying when I tried to walk. So personally I recommend waiting until there's no pain before trying again. There are also stretches you can do to help prevent it from happening again, those have helped me at least.

[hyarrowen]

I do think reading that book when I did is one of the best things I've ever done in fandom

I have to say I appreciate it very much because I get to read stories I didn't have to write myself! Yay!!!

[luzula]

Thanks! Yeah, mine are not bad at all, just a twinge. I figure I will start with walking and then progress to running later...

What stretches have you been doing?

[regshoe]

:D

[tinypinkmouse]

Well, these ones specifically. The videos are very short and in Finnish, but they very helpfully actually show you what to do, so maybe they'll be of some use. :D

https://youtu.be/hWqmEsk4KNc
https://youtu.be/B-3BtOJ4ugs
https://youtu.be/U-YTs1nTCMk
https://youtu.be/KfFfWrqVMXY
https://youtu.be/Vm2Rf15SfhE

[luzula]

Thank you! : )

[glitteryv]

I'm not a runner, but I'd say that resting for a few days + taking it slow when you get back might help with the shin splints. BTW, I did have to set alarms on my phone every 40 or so mins as reminders to stop typing, scrolling, what-have-you. Then I stand up, go thru abt a min. of stretches, have water, etc.

LOL at diction software fail. It's even worse than Autocorrect (which is already pretty helish).

Congrats for chugging along in your fandom and for helping in the uptick of new works!!

[luzula]

Thanks for the advice! I already have a program on my laptop that reminds me to take breaks often.

Congrats for chugging along in your fandom and for helping in the uptick of new works!!

Thanks! My new fandom obsession is awfully well timed to coincide with the coronavirus outbreak and distract me from being worried, so that's good. : )

[glitteryv]

LOL, ditto on the NEW FANDOM OBSESSION working as a great distraction for the pandemic goings-on. I'm on a similar journey and I'm infinitely grateful that I can keep myself from having an anxiety spiral. <3

[chestnut_pod]

Oh, big empathy regarding hand troubles. I hope that's improving? I have been rubber-banding my thumb to my hand to keep myself from using spacebar, which seems to be a major joint-stressor for me.

Cheesecake!

[luzula]

Thank you! It's not getting worse, at least, and became better when the weather turned cooler (hot weather always makes it worse for me).