On Writing and Storytelling: Small Victories Are Better Than None

Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Orlando, Florida

Hi, everyone.

Central Florida is doing its best impression of late July today. As midday slides into early afternoon, we’re sitting at 86°F (30°C) under mostly sunny skies, humidity at a deceptively polite 46%, and a shy little southwesterly breeze at 3 MPH (4 km/h). The heat index, however, is already auditioning for summer at 94°F (35°C). Later on, expect more sunshine and a high of 91°F (33°C), because of course.

On the writing front, I don’t have breaking news so much as a small personal victory. I finally figured out how to use File Manager to access the old Kindle Create files I’d saved to the cloud back when my previous computer was still among the living. I’m a writer, not an IT engineer, and despite having owned more than ten computers since 1987, I still occasionally forget what half their buttons do. So when my old Lenovo gave up the electronic ghost earlier this month, I assumed the worst—that all my Kindle Create files (and the illustrations I made with Microsoft Designer) had vanished into the digital afterlife.

Plot twist: they hadn’t.

Yesterday, on a whim, I poked around the File Manager on my new PC and discovered that most of the relevant folders from my old machine had quietly replicated themselves in the cloud—thank you, OneDrive, you unsung hero. All the original Kindle Create files for Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen were sitting there, graphics and all, exactly as I left them between 2023 and 2025.

Which means that if I ever need to update the books currently on Amazon, I won’t have to rebuild them from scratch in Kindle Create—unless I decide to release a minimalist, illustration‑free edition of Reunion: Coda. I don’t expect to make major changes to the novel anymore (beyond a few light touch‑ups inside The Jim Garraty Chronicles), but it’s reassuring to know that the 2023–25 version of Reunion: Coda is safe, sound, and ready to be imported into the current Kindle Create whenever needed.

Thanks for stopping by for this little chapter of my ongoing writing-and-tech saga. If you’re curious about Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, or Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, all three are available on Amazon. And if you do check them out, I’d genuinely love to hear what you think—drop a comment or reach out anytime.

A Review of Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen

Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars A Review of Comings and Goings- The Art of Being Seen by Alex Diaz-Granados

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2026

Format: Paperback

Verified Purchase

Time.

Any writer (or astute reader, for that matter) knows that time can be a character. In fact, it can be what keeps a story moving— whether forward (continuous narrative) or backward (using flashbacks and memories). Time can be as important to a story as a given protagonist.

Alex Diaz-Granados uses time in an effective and interesting manner in his short story, Comings and Goings- The Art of being Seen.

Comings and Goings begins with the lead character/narrator (Jim Garraty) telling us that he’s not real big on parties. But, here he is, at a party he’s hating. He barely knows anybody in attendance. The music’s way too loud for his tastes. The beer he’s drinking (warm Budweiser) sucks. In short, Jim is pitching a drag.

As Jim is trying to formulate an escape plan, he is confronted by a very nice college girl— Kelly Moore.

Kelly is not only nice, but is also very intuitive and intelligent. She approaches Jim and says (doesn’t ask) that he’s not having a good time. At first, Jim hems and haws, but finally he admits that this party just isn’t for him.

Without giving anything away, Jim and Kelly escape the party and get to know each other a little better.

While Jim and Kelly are getting better acquainted, Jim’s thoughts go back to an earlier time in his life. He’s thinking of an old friend, who he wishes were an old flame (Marty). Jim remembers a time when he “let her get away.” He also admonishes himself as he knows she got away by his own actions (or, lack thereof).

Diaz-Granados uses time effectively, going from present to past with ease. The reader is never confused as to what is happening, but both sides of the timeline move the story forward.

In the end, Jim is glad to have come across paths with Kelly, and he learns a little bit about himself in the process.

It should be noted that Jim Garraty appears in two other pieces of Alex Diaz-Granados’ work. They are the focus of what Alex calls his Reunion “Duology.” The first, “Reunion: A Story” and the second, “Reunion: Coda” are true sequels. This piece stands fine on its own, but also gives the reader a bit more depth into who, exactly, Jim Garraty is.

Comings and Goings is a snappy read that gives the reader a great deal of satisfaction. Whether one reads this alongside the two books in the “duology,” or reads it as a stand alone, the reader will not be disappointed.

This short story comes highly recommended.