Category: Blogging
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A New Chapter Begins: From Miami to Orlando
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, GoFundMe, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaMidday, Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – East Orlando, Florida Hello, friends. As you may have noticed from the heading, I’m no longer in South Florida. After decades rooted in Miami, I’ve relocated about 200 miles north to the Orlando area. The move wasn’t smooth—our first attempt on Saturday was derailed by trailer issues that left…
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Leaving Miami, Again
Later this morning, I’ll leave Miami behind—again. The city that raised me, shaped me, and held me through so many versions of myself. I’ve left before, always with a suitcase full of books and a heart full of ambivalence. This time feels different. Not dramatic, not cinematic. Just quietly significant. There’s a strange ache in…
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“The Ones Who Stay” (A Poem)
“The Ones Who Stay” They clap the loudest when the room is full,Their laughter timed to match the crowd.They speak in echoes, not in truth—A friendship built on being seen, not known. They tag your name in borrowed light,A gesture made for watching eyes.But when the silence stretches long,Their presence fades, rehearsed and thin. Then…
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When Your Characters Feel Too Much: Writing Emotional Truth That Overwhelms Even the Author
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftWhen Your Characters Feel Too Much: Writing Emotional Truth That Overwhelms Even the Author There are nights when I sit with Jim Garraty—not as his creator, but as his witness. I wrote him. I shaped his world. And still, there are moments when his emotional clarity leaves me breathless. Not because he’s dramatic. Not because…
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Writing Doesn’t Pay the Movers: An Update from Alex Diaz-Granados
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, GoFundMe, Insomnia, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, TransitionsFriday Afternoon, August 22, 2025 — Miami, Florida Hi, friends. I wish I could sit down today and write about stories—especially those in the Garratyverse—and the quiet ways they unfold. But clarity eludes me at the moment. It’s Laundry Day, and while I’ve got about half an hour before the dryer cycle ends, my mind…
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About My GoFundMe: 63% and Counting—Thank You, and a Little More Honesty
63% and Counting—Thank You, and a Little More Honesty We’ve reached 63% of the first benchmark goal on my GoFundMe campaign, and I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who’s donated so far. Your generosity means more than I can express—especially during a time that’s equal parts exciting and daunting. I’ll admit,…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writing First-Time Intimacy with Emotional Grace
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Love and Sex, Love, Sex, & Relationships, Personal History, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Sex, Writing as a Craft📝 Soft Light, Quiet Courage: Writing First-Time Intimacy with Emotional Grace There’s a moment in Comings and Goings—quiet, unadorned—where Jim confesses to Kelly that his first time didn’t last long. He’s not ashamed. Just honest. And Kelly, in turn, doesn’t flinch, correct, or console. She simply says: “Then it was perfect. You were kind. You…
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Understanding ‘Reunion: Coda’: Why the High School Chapters Matter
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Book Reviews, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High SchoolWhy the High School Chapters Matter: A Reflection (and Rebuttal) I didn’t hate high school. I didn’t romanticize it either—not like those who peaked there and never quite came down. But South Miami Senior High gave me something I didn’t expect: a sense of community. I sang in the choral department, wrote for the newspaper,…
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Writing Intimacy with Reverence: A Scene from ‘Comings and Goings’
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Billy Joel, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Love, Sex, & Relationships, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda🛋️ Writing Intimacy with Reverence: A Scene from Comings and Goings There’s a scene in Comings and Goings that still lingers with me—not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s quiet. It’s Jim Garraty, nineteen, sitting in Kelly’s apartment in Mission Hill, letting the world slow down long enough to feel something real. It’s a moment…
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Music Album Review: ‘Great Performances: Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez/Fantasia para un gentilhombre’
🎼 Echoes of Spain: A Journey Through Rodrigo and Albéniz with John Williams There’s something quietly transcendent about hearing the guitar sing in the hands of John Williams. Not the film composer, but the Australian virtuoso whose fingers seem to coax memory itself from the strings. In Great Performances: Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez/Fantasia para un…
A Certain Point of View, Too 