Category: Writing a First Novel
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Two Years of Words: How ‘Reunion: Coda’ Came to Life
Late Afternoon, Sunday, March 9, 2025, Miami, Florida “So okay― there you are in your room with the shade down, the door shut, and the phone unplugged from its base. You’ve blown up your TV and sworn allegiance to a thousand words a day, come hell or high water. Now comes the big question: What…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: When Working on a Novel, Avoid Overworking!
Midday, Saturday, March 8, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a warm, butter-gold day in South Florida on this second weekend of Spring 2025. It’s 81°F (27°C) under sunny skies. With the wind blowing from the southwest at 6 MPH (10 Km/H) and humidity at 51%, it feels like 90°F (32°C). Today is one for…
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My Novelist’s Odyssey: Getting Closer to the Finish Line
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in Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, 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 the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a warm yet overcast early spring day here in the heart of Miami-Dade County. The temperature is a pleasant 77°F (25°C) under mostly cloudy skies, with just enough humidity at 65% to remind you that you’re in South Florida. The breeze, blowing from the…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: I’m Beginning to See the Light….
I’m Beginning to See the Light… Milestone Achievement in Reunion: Coda I’m overjoyed to share that after nearly two years of pouring my heart and soul into Reunion: Coda, I’ve reached an incredible milestone. The narrative now spans an impressive 530 pages and nearly 130,000 words. Tomorrow, with any luck, I’ll be wrapping up Chapter…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Navigating Creative Waters and Harnessing the Muse
Midday, Thursday, February 27, 2025, Miami, Florida “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft It is a warm, humid day in my corner of South Florida. The mercury reads 79°F (26°C) under mostly sunny skies, but…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: On the Swift Passage of Time…and the Finer Points of Revising
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Miami, Florida “I don’t write a quick draft and then revise; instead, I work slowly page by page, revising and polishing.” – Dean Koontz Hey there, Dear Reader, It’s a gorgeous late winter day here in South Florida on the last Hump Day of February 2025. As I sit…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: What’s in My Novelist’s Toolkit?
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Copilot AI, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, OpenAI (Bing Chatbot), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftOne of the coolest things about being a writer in 2025 is the amazing array of technological tools available to help create, analyze, revise, and improve literary projects. Some, like Microsoft Word, are time-tested classics that I’ve used since the late 1990s. However, I do think the app could use some tweaks by folks who…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: From Chilly New England to Sunny Miami: Reflections on a Saturday Morning
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Saturday, February 22, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s a cool, mild late winter day in the subtropical zone. Currently, the temperature is 72°F (22°C) under partly sunny skies. It promises to be a delightful Saturday; according to the forecast, we can expect partly sunny skies and a high of 74°F (24°C), all thanks to…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: The Pantser’s Dilemma: How to Outline Without Losing Your Muse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Creative Writing, 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 the Tampa Bay area, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Friday, February 21, 2025, Miami, Florida Books are a uniquely portable magic. – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Yesterday was a better writing day than the one before. I managed to pen my daily blog post, savor a relaxing midday break, and enjoy a delightful lunch. When I returned…
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Overcoming Writer’s Block: A Day in the Life of a Struggling Novelist
Late Morning, Thursday, February 20, 2025, Miami, Florida Writer’s Log, Stardate 0225.20: To put it succinctly, yesterday’s afternoon writing session was a bust. Despite my best efforts to sit down and churn out something for my novel’s 25th chapter – I aimed to write Scene Three but would have happily settled for a solid outline…
A Certain Point of View, Too 