Category: South Miami Senior High School
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story of…Warm Spring Mornings and a Novelist’s Odyssey
Late Morning, Friday, April 18, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi there! As I sit here enjoying the beautiful, summer-like spring morning in South Florida, I can’t help but feel grateful for the sunshine. The current temperature is a pleasant 79°F (26°C), warmed by mostly sunny skies. Even though the humidity is at 58%, and there’s a…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story…: Hesitation, Regret, and the Power of Unspoken Words
As I continue to work on Reunion: Coda, I wanted to share with you a brief excerpt from the novel’s Prologue. Serving as the connecting tissue between Reunion: A Story (Book One of the Reunion Duology) and this new installment, the Prologue revisits some of the key plot threads from the earlier story while propelling…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story…: Where Memories, Music, and Fiction Cross Paths
The Winter Concert: A Glimpse into ‘Reunion: Coda’ In various chapters of Reunion: Coda, I’ve sought to weave together echoes of my past and the vibrant, emotional textures of high school life. This particular excerpt comes from “The Winter Concert,” a chapter based on my memories of South Miami Senior High School in the early…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story…: A Fusion of Memory, Music, and Fiction
This scene holds a special place in my heart because it draws deeply from my own high school experiences—the adrenaline of performing, the camaraderie of backstage friendships, and the bittersweet ache of a crush you can’t quite reach. It’s a spoiler-free glimpse into Jim’s high school arc and brings together the Big Three of this…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story…About the Characters and Settings in ‘Reunion’
Q: Is Reunion: A Story inspired by real people and events, or is it purely a product of imagination? A: It’s a mix of both. When I began crafting this story in the mid-1980s, the primary setting was always South Miami Senior High, my high school in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Even in its earliest form—a…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Sunday’s Unexpected Creative Marathon: Crafting ‘Reunion: Coda’ and the Journey of a Fretful Novelist
Mid-Morning, Monday, January 13, 2025, Miami, Florida From Rest Day to Writer’s Grind: Perfecting ‘Reunion: Coda’ – Insights, Reviews, and Copyrighting Although yesterday was supposed to be a rest day, I found myself knee-deep in Reunion: Coda. Rather than diving into new writing or revisions, I wisely saved those for the workweek—afternoon shift, here I…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Your Assignment for Today – Describe Emotions Without Using ‘Feelings’ or ‘Feel’
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Mrs. Quincy, a beloved music teacher, announces her acceptance of a position at The Juilliard School, marking her last day at South Miami High. The students react with shock and sorrow, as her news disrupts their plans for the upcoming Spring Concert. Emotions run deep as everyone grapples with her departure.
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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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On Writing & Storytelling: A Quick SITREP on My Writing Plan for Today
Hey, there, folks. It’s late morning here in Lithia, Florida, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. It’s a warm (79°F/26°C), humid early summer day in the Tampa Bay area, and it’s going to be both hotter and stormy, especially in the afternoon. Today’s forecast calls for a high of 91°F/33°C and thunderstorms will likely pass through…
A Certain Point of View, Too 