Matters Thousand Diaries: I became a serious creator in Matters

Today is my 999th day with Matters. The 1000 day milestone is reached tomorrow.

I wrote 145 articles according to my mood and time as I wanted, without purpose, structure, or theme, but it took readers nearly 2,000 hours to read, which is really ashamed. But I said without blush that they were written in sincerity, and after reflection and precipitation, they were typed word by word on the keyboard.

Although it is customary to have a few hours to concentrate on writing, recently I have become more knowledgeable about using fragmented time. Writing a hundred Chinese text drafts in 15 minutes is probably the limit of my ability (English will be faster). But that's always a hundred words closer to completion. Although I envy the speed at which other people can write an article in half an hour, if I can't do it myself, I'll just lay flat on Ah Q, just clap my hands and appreciate it.

As I write this, I'm standing on the pontoon of the Fisherman's Wharf at False Creek on Granville Island, waiting for the return of the fishing boat full of Spot prawns to get last month's Catch live shrimp on the same day as pre-ordered. The fishing boat returned nearly an hour late, but everyone was patiently queuing up, maintaining a two-meter distance. Some people listen to music or books with headphones, and I use two fingers to write on my phone.

When the fishing boat returned, the fresh live shrimp were taken out of the storage tank, bagged, weighed, and fluttered in the sun. Everyone lined up in an orderly manner to get the shrimp. Some people carried ice packs or small refrigerators to load the shrimp. The seemingly long queue ended in ten minutes or so and disbanded.

When I got home, I stuffed the shrimp in the refrigerator and went out immediately to do chores. Chlorine in tap water can quickly deactivate live shrimp, so never soak them. If not cooking right away, it is best to keep it on ice or in the refrigerator for temporary storage. Some people suggest to immediately separate the head and tail of the shrimp, but I can't do it by twisting the live shrimp by hand.

Fresh peony shrimp tastes fresh, sweet, fleshy, and has no fishy smell. Remember not to overcook the peony shrimp, steaming and boiling are suitable. If it is boiled, add live shrimp after the water is boiled, and the shrimp can be picked up after one minute when it turns dark. The family sits around and eats the peeled shrimp, dipped in the sauce, and prepared with the good soy sauce above the sauce, lime juice and shredded green onion. Boiled asparagus, served with bean dates, Korean kimchi, Japanese-style pickled yellow radish, and half a bowl of quinoa rice is a great meal.

I took a writing class called "My Roots" at the Vancouver Writers Fest last weekend. This class has a threshold. You must write a small statement first and strive for a limited number of 20 places. The complex ethnic backgrounds, language skills and life experiences of the students are more exciting than each other, which fully reflects how diverse a city Vancouver is.

Doing structured writing exercises together is a rare experience. Here are a few reference books that students find helpful for writing. There are a few books I have read that are really worth perusing the application.

Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts by Ryan Holiday

The Element of Style by William Strunk Jr., EB White

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

" Eats, Shoots & Leaves " by Lynne Truss.

The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman

This article was written slowly on my phone or tablet, taking advantage of the intermittent 15-minute gap of the day. The last paragraph and edited photo essay was done with a tablet in bed before going to bed.

The teacher of the writing class said that people who love to write should write even if they have only 15 minutes of space.

Matt City Thousand Days, from playing tickets to seriousness, I want to make good use of every 15 minutes in the schedule to practice my love of creation.