On Writing & Storytelling: SITREP on ‘The New Story’ for Friday, April 28, 2023

It’s Been a Long, Long Day

It’s late morning here on Friday, April 28, 2023, here in lovely Lithia, Florida. For me, it’s been a longer than usual morning: I don’t know at what time I went to sleep last night; was it 10 PM? 11 PM? I don’t know. I just remember feeling drowsy as I watched something – I don’t recall what, either – on Amazon Prime Video – and having enough presence of mind to turn my TV off and carefully set the remote down on my desktop.

What I do know, though, is waking up as though I’d slept for hours, thinking it was 5 AM (not my favorite time to rise and shine, but today’s a writing day, so, okay, fine. I’ll wake up.) So, I did what I usually do when I wake up: boot up my computer.

To my surprise, it was not 5 AM. It was 1:11 AM.

I didn’t want to be up and about 1 in the morning, so I turned off my computer and went back to bed.

I lay there, with my eyes closed, trying to will myself to sleep.

I tried, and failed, to fall fully asleep. I probably dozed off a few times, sure, but I wasn’t truly asleep.

I didn’t want today to go to waste re The New Story though, so, at 5 AM, I got up, brewed a few cups of coffee – three, I think; I don’t know for sure – and ate a quick breakfast.

Then, I returned to my room and, even though I wasn’t – and still am not – in the most restful state, I started working on my new novella. (It’s not a short story, and it’s not a screenplay or a novel, I can say that much).

Progress Report on “The New Story”

As of an hour ago, which is when I started the “break” I am on currently, I’ve added 572 words to The New Story. I hope to add more once I take a real break because I know I can do it…so long as I’m not sleepy.

According to Word’s Word Count feature, the current draft I am working on has 12,403 words and is, including the title page and the epigrams page, 36 pages long.  

That’s almost as long as my previous novella, which – in its published paperback edition – is 51 pages long. Considering that I’m on the new story’s fourth chapter, I estimate that it’s going to be longer. Not novel length (100+ pages), but certainly not “just” 51 either.

Praise for “The Old Story”

I need to get going; I’m tired and sleepy, but I also want to write at least 500 more words. (Not 1,500 more, like I did a few days back. Just 500, or even 450). So I’ll be going for a rest break in a bit.

But, before I do, I’d like to share some of the reviews (five-star and four-star) that readers of Reunion have written on the novella’s Amazon product page. I hope you enjoy them!

4.0 out of 5 stars A Trip Down Memory Lane

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

In this bittersweet story of the innocence and naivety of youth, the reader is transported back to his or her own high school days. We’ve all been Jim. We’ve all had our Marty. Wrapping the story in today while jumping back to days past is not always easy to pull off, but it works here. A recommended read.

5.0 out of 5 stars High school memories!

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2018

Verified Purchase

Reunion: A Story is a sweet, sometimes bittersweet story of days gone by. It takes the reader back to the last day of high school and tells the tale of teen love and missed opportunities. Several years pass and success and time don’t always dull those feelings you had as a teen. Mr. Diaz-Granados captures the awkwardness of young love and how it can influence the rest of your life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Leaves you longing for more.

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2018

Verified Purchase

Reunion is a wonderful story that leaves you longing for just a little bit more. It’s a glimpse into the life of an extraordinary yet wholly relatable man; seeing his choices unravel, it leaves you to question everything you’ve done in your own life, and more importantly, what you’ve not done.

Excellent work by Mr. Diaz-Granados!