Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story…About Finally Becoming a Three-Percenter

Late Morning, Monday, March 31, 2025, Miami, Florida

“According to The Synergy Whisperer, ninety-seven percent of people who start to write a book NEVER finish it. In simpler terms, out of every 1,000 people who start a book, only thirty actually complete it.”  – Zoe Wynns, Six Reasons Why Authors Don’t Finish Their Book and How to Change That

If all goes well on this last day of March and the first few days of April 2025, I will write, edit, and revise the two remaining scenes of Reunion: Coda, the second book of the Reunion Duology, and, even more importantly, my first novel. (The first book in the Duology, Reunion: A Story, is a novella, a much shorter work.)

Sometime after that – perhaps by mid-April, but maybe by May 1st (May Day!), depending on how quickly I can complete the other steps of the publishing process – I will upload my manuscript via my Kindle Create app to Kindle Direct Publishing. This will allow me to join the exclusive club of authors – indie or traditionally published – who actually finish and publish their books.

I’m no math genius, but I know that 30 out of 1,000 equals three percent. So, despite this not being my first literary escapade – with two other books already gracing Amazon’s digital shelves – Reunion: Coda will be my first full-length novel. It’s the realization of a dream I boldly declared at the tender age of 15 back in 1978, with all the naive confidence of youth:

“Mom, I’m going to write a novel!”

It took a bit longer than my youthful optimism anticipated to make good on that grand declaration, and if you’ve followed my journey through the myriad posts since I embarked on writing Reunion: Coda, you’ll know the roller coaster it’s been. From facing external hurdles like naysayers and life’s unexpected detours to grappling with internal battles such as stress, fatigue, and the ultimate nemesis of every writer – self-doubt – it’s been quite the adventure.

I’m no math genius, but I know that 30 out of 1,000 equals three percent. So, despite this not being my first literary escapade – with two other books already gracing Amazon’s digital shelves – Reunion: Coda will be my first full-length novel. It’s the realization of a dream I boldly declared at the tender age of 15 back in 1978, with all the naive confidence of youth:
“Mom, I’m going to write a novel!”

Alex Diaz-Granados, on the odds of finishing a book

Now, 753 days after I first sat down at my desk in what was my bedroom/writing room in Lithia, Florida, I find myself at the brink of joining the elusive three-percent club. Isn’t that just fantastic? Cheers to perseverance, and here’s hoping my coffee supply holds out!