Valentine's Day 2011

Right, so I'm going to say Phil beats all y'all on the Valentine's Day front. He assembled a four-course dinner: blue cheese, cherry, almond, and spinach salad*, paired with a Crispin cider; pesto-parmesan artisan bread with a balsamic vinegar dipping sauce; pan-fried steaks** with mushrooms and onions, and a side of Italian vegetables, paired with a malbec; and chocolate mini-eclairs.

He also gave me roses, an Amazon gift certificate for a large amount that is about a quarter of what he's been awarded in attaboy gift certificates from work***, and a bottle of _chocolate wine_.

That's right, boys and girls. It exists, and it is AMAZING.

* Salad kits are awesome. I did not know they existed, but now I'm a big fan.
** He called his mother to find out how to make steak indoors. Now he won't tell me how to duplicate his success. I'll just have to talk him into making me steak every so often. Oh noes.
*** Now I have to decide if I should spend it on one large thing that would otherwise be out of reach, or six smaller things that are more basic necessity type things but which money has been too tight to get.

People have been talking about their V-Day "traditions." I never though of creating traditions before, but I think I could get behind this....

Aswiebe's Market List Update 2012-02

http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/markets.html

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 03/15/2012.
Permanent link to this newsletter in the archives: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/archive2.html#021612

Editor's Note

I linked to this article on increasing writing productivity in the last Aswiebe's Market List Update: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/25-ways-to-improve-your-writing-in-30-minutes-a-day

This month, I've been using the techniques emphasized in it, and they have made a huge difference in my writing productivity. The main change for me has been visualizing what I'm about to write, in detail, before I write it. Watching the movie version, if you will. I've always had a general plot scrawled somewhere before I start writing, but this is organic plotting on a very detailed level. This has the benefit of getting me excited about certain parts of the scenes (the "candy bars") immediately before I write through to them.

This has had three observable effects that boost my productivity:
1. Procrastination Block Begone! That "don't wanna write just yet" feeling? Gone. The visualizing takes care of it, without triggering procrastination itself.
2. I drop into what people call "flow" or "the zone" pretty much instantly.
3. I just plain write faster. My writing speed has about doubled.

Try it for a week yourself, and see what you think!


What I've been up to lately, writing-wise:
"Gone Huntin'" has been published by The Washington Pastime. It's a heartwarming literary story, a bit of a departure for me! Read it here for free: http://www.washingtonpastime.com/drupal/node/88

The man stamped his feet hard against the stoop when he stepped outside of his cabin. It was an hour yet before sunrise and cold enough that his breath frosted the air, hanging white against the dark of the trees. Even through the layered flannel shirts and down jacket he was wearing, he felt the bite of winter.

Shouldering his rifle, thermos in hand, he walked through the woods to his stand. Birds' sleepy chirps fell silent when he walked by, twigs snapping under his boots. There was just enough light for him to make out the path. When he reached his stand and climbed up the ladder, he saw fresh claw-marks from the black bear that roamed in the area on one of the trees nearby. They shone white against the dark tree bark. He was glad for his rifle.

Read more.

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!
- Abra Staffin-Wiebe

Things Shiny or Useful
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