Category: South Miami Senior High School
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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…
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Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, June 17, 2023, or: Commencement + 40 Years – A Tempus Fugit Piece
It’s mid-afternoon on Saturday, June 17, 2023. It’s a hot (90°F/32°C – but feels like 114°F/45°C!) early summer day in Lithia, Florida. We’ve already reached the forecast high of 90°F/32°C), and although the forecast for the Tampa Bay area calls for light showers, it’s still mostly sunny and worse, extremely humid outside. Definitely a stay-indoors-unless-it’s-absolutely-necessary…
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Musings & Thoughts for Friday, June 16, 2023, or: Tempus Fugit – Vague Memories of the Day Before Commencement ’83
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Family History, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, Tempus fugitGreetings, Dear Reader. Here in Lithia, Florida, it is afternoon on Friday, June 16, 2023. Outside, it is a cloudy and hot (90°F/32°C) early summer day. This being the subtropics, it’s still getting warmer and stickier – the forecast for today called for partly sunny skies and a high of 91°F/32°C. There’s no precipitation expected,…
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Musings & Thoughts for Thursday, June 15, 2023, or: Melancholy, Memories, and Frustration
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, Tempus fugitIt’s late morning here in Lithia, Florida, on Thursday, June 15, 2023. Here, early summer weather patterns are holding. Right now, it’s mostly cloudy, warm (78°F/23°C), and still cool enough to go outside for a walk and not come back winded and sweaty. But it’s warming up, and the forecast calls for a high of…
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Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, June 14, 2023, or: Then…and Now
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in 1983-2023, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Family History, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, Tempus fugitIt’s early afternoon here in Lithia, Florida, on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. It’s a hot – and getting hotter – day in the Tampa Bay area; the current temperature in my neighborhood is 90°F/32°C (but feels like 98°F/36°C) under partly sunny conditions. There’s no rain or stormy weather in the forecast, but it’s going to…
A Certain Point of View, Too 