Category: Blogging
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On Writing & Storytelling: The Facts Behind the Fiction in ‘Reunion: A Story’
Five summers ago – seems like it was a lifetime ago – I decided to self-publish Reunion: A Story, a novella I wrote in stages between 1986 and 1998, through Amazon’s CreateSpace Independent Publishing division (now Kindle Direct Publishing). It wasn’t my first self-published work; that would be my collection of movie reviews originally written…
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On Writing & Storytelling: ‘Reunion: A Story’ – Genesis of a Novella
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Life in the United States, Passage of Time, Personal History, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Sex, South Miami Senior High SchoolLike most writers, I’m often asked questions along the lines of “Where do you get your ideas from?” and “How did you write this story?” So, to give you some idea of how Reunion came to be and what it’s about, here are some questions and answers related to my novella. The Premise: It is February 1998. 33-year-old…
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Musings & Thoughts for Monday, August 7, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part the Third (and… Some Remarks About My Writing for the Day)
Late Morning, Monday, August 7, 2023, Lithia Hi, everyone. Well, here I am, still bleary-eyed, sleepy, and unusually tired on another simmering midsummer day in the Tampa Bay area. And, of course, it’s Monday, which means that after taking it easy for the entire weekend – at least as far as working on Reunion: Coda…
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Musings & Thoughts for Sunday, August 6, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part the Second
Late Morning, Sunday, August 6, 2023, Lithia, Florida “Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week.” ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Another Sunday morning, another unbearably hot summer day in the Tampa Bay area. As I begin writing this, my 1,213th post in this blog, I’m listening to Samuel Barber’s Adagio…
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Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, August 5, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part the First
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in Adults-Only Games, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video, Blu-ray Collection, Boston Pops Orchestra, Computer and Video Games, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), John Williams in Vienna, John Williams Live in Vienna (2020 Album), John Williams: Greatest Hits 1969-1999, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Leap of Faith, Life in Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, MicroProse Software, Movies, Music, Personal Thoughts, Pops in Love: John Williams & the Boston Pops, Regiments (2022), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer in FloridaLate Morning, Saturday, August 5, 2023, Lithia, Florida “The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” ― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees Another hot Saturday, another day in hellishly hot Florida. It’s late morning here in the Tampa Bay area, and even though…
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On Writing & Storytelling: TGIF! The Endpoint of Chapter 11, Scene One is in Sight
Late Morning, Friday, August 4, 2023, Lithia, Florida “I believe someone made a grievous mistake when summer was created; no novitiate or god in their right mind would make a season akin to hell on purpose. Someone should be fired.” ― Michelle Franklin Ah. Another summer day is here, and another work week is ending.…
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On Writing & Storytelling: A SITREP on ‘Reunion: Coda’ for August 3, 2023
Late Morning, Thursday, August 3, 2023, Lithia, Florida Hi, Dear Reader. As I write this, noon is less than three hours away, and yet it is shaping up to be another simmering high summer day here in the Tampa Bay area. Currently, the temperature (outside) is 82°F/27°C under mostly sunny conditions. However, with humidity at…
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Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, August 2, 2023, or: Persistence in the Face of Adversity
Midday, Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Lithia, Florida “This morning, the sun endures past dawn. I realise that it is August: the summer’s last stand.” ― Sara Baume, A Line Made By Walking Hi, there. Well, here we are at the middle of the workweek (and the second day of August). As I begin this,…
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On Writing & Storytelling: I Got the 11th Chapter Started, But It Needs More Work Today
Mid- to Late Morning, Tuesday, August 1, 2023, Lithia, Florida Good morning – or good “whatever time it is where you are as you read this” – folks. It’s morning here in the Tampa Bay area, and though the day is still, as they say, young, it’s already hot (82°F/28°C) under sunny conditions. And this…
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On Writing & Storytelling: As the Month Ends, a New Workweek Begins…and Chapter 11 Beckons in the Wings
Late Morning, Monday, July 31, 2023, Lithia, Florida “Then came July like three o’clock in the afternoon, hot and listless and miserable.” ― Allie Ray, Holler Another Monday – and another workweek – begins. And another month – July – comes to an end. Still ongoing: the long, hot Summer of 2023, with its record…