A Certain Point of View, Too

On Writing and Storytelling: ‘You, Sir, Are Jim Garraty’

—

by

Alex Diaz-Granados
in , , , , , , , , , , ,

You, Sir, Are Jim Garraty

There’s a moment in every creative collaboration when you realize: this is going to work. For me, that moment came when Bryan Haddock sent his first message after recording Jim Garraty’s voice for Comings and Goings. Dry wit, quiet grief, and the kind of self-awareness that doesn’t beg for applause—Bryan didn’t just perform Jim. He became him.

Even more impressive? His portrayal of Kelly Moore. Bryan didn’t mimic a young woman’s voice. He honored her emotional logic—her presence, her cadence, her quiet strength. That’s emotional literacy in action.

Cover for the paperback edition. (C) 2025 Alex Diaz-Granados

Checkpoint Scheduled: October 5

After hearing Bryan’s early take, I uploaded the full manuscript and gave him a deadline: October 5, for what we call a 15-minute checkpoint recording.

For those unfamiliar with audiobook production, this is a standard milestone. The narrator records the first 15 minutes of the book—usually the opening scenes—so the author and production team can assess tone, pacing, character interpretation, and audio quality. It’s a chance to align emotionally and technically before the full recording begins.

A Message That Moved Me

Bryan’s response? Pure joy. He found my blog, read my post about the project, and wrote:

“You have a really special gift, my friend. I don’t typically like blog posts, because they can’t keep my attention… but your writing style is captivating. Thanks for the nice things you said about me. This is really exciting.”

That kind of emotional recognition—unsolicited, generous, and grounded in shared creative values—is rare. It tells me we’re already speaking the same emotional language. And it reminds me why I treat narration as emotional stewardship, not just performance.

Let’s Honor the Spirit

So here we are: manuscript uploaded, checkpoint scheduled, and a narrator who gets it. I’m proud to say: Bryan Haddock, you are Jim Garraty.

Let’s make this audiobook something that honors the spirit of Comings and Goings—not just in sound, but in soul.