Category: Writing a First Novel
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Selling Stories, Writing the Next One, and the Art of Not Sitting Still
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftAfternoon, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Miami, Florida “Don’t wait for the muse. As I’ve said, he’s a hardheaded guy who’s not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to…
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Reunion: A Story of Words, Work, and What Comes Next
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in South Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2025, Summer in Florida, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftWriter’s Log, Stardate 2506.3Miami, Florida – Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Afternoon It’s been two months since I officially became a published novelist—words that still feel surreal even as I type them. Reunion: Coda, the long-awaited second book in the Reunion Duology, is out in the world, and while I’ve managed to sell a few copies…
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A Writer’s Dual Life – One Foot on the Creative Side, the Other on the Business Side
Midday, Friday, May 30, 2025, Miami, Florida With meteorological summer looming just around the corner – June 1, to be exact, when the Atlantic hurricane season officially kicks off – the heat has taken no prisoners. It’s 92°F (33°C) outside, the kind of heat that hangs heavy in the air, pressing against your skin. The…
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Quality Matters in Independent Publishing: Fixing ‘Reunion: Coda’…and Other Matters
Afternoon, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, there. It’s another scorching late spring day in South Florida on this last “Hump Day” of May 2025. Outside, it’s 89°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. With humidity at 63% and a gentle 9 MPH (15 Km/H) breeze from the southeast, it feels like 98°F (37°C). We’ve…
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Rainy Day Musings: Finding Solace in Modest Literary Victories
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, May 3, 2025, Miami, Florida “You have to celebrate the small wins as well.” ― Robin S. Baker Hi, everyone. It’s a gray, sometimes rainy day here in the Greater Miami area on this first Saturday in May 2025. Currently, the temperature is 81°F (27°C) under rainy conditions. With humidity at 66%…
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Victory and Vexation: A Writer’s Journey through Self-Publishing (A ‘Reunion Coda’ Cautionary Tale)
Late Morning/Midday, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Miami, Florida “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out…
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Another Lesson I Learned While Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’
Comedy and Pathos Can Coexist Harmoniously in the Same Narrative Storytelling, at its core, is our way of exploring both the outer and inner world, trying to make sense of it all. Stories grounded in lived experience strive to capture fleeting moments and evoke emotions that resonate with readers. In more realistic narratives, it’s not…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Five Things I Learned While Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’
1. Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals for Your First Novel While there’s certainly a place for ambition and artistic risks, I learned (through trial and error) that setting overly ambitious goals for your first novel can lead to frustration and burnout. Instead of diving into a sprawling historical epic or a complex science fiction adventure, start…
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My Writing Journey: New Projects and Reunion: Coda
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in Adria K. Woomer-Hernandez, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Boy of Harvard (Men of Harlech parody), Creative Writing, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Movies, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Song Parody, Uncategorized, Writing a First NovelMid-Morning, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a warm spring morning in my corner of South Florida as I prepare for another working day as a writer. The temperature is 76°F (24°C) under partly sunny conditions. It should be a pleasant, albeit slightly humid, day in our subtropical haven; today’s high is…
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Hey, I’m a Novelist Now!
Afternoon, Monday, April 21, 2025, Miami, Florida Well, folks, I’m thrilled to share that I’m officially a novelist now! Actually, I’ve been one for a while, but it feels incredible to say it out loud. It’s been a little over two weeks since I completed and published Reunion: Coda, the continuation of a novella (Reunion:…
A Certain Point of View, Too 