Category: Writing as a Craft
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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…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Balancing Writing and Daily Chores
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, 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), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Uncategorized, Winter in Florida, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning/Midday, Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s a beautiful, sunny late winter day here in South Florida. As I sit down to write this, the morning is just about to give way to noon, with the temperature sitting at a comfy 82°F (28°C) under mostly sunny skies. This afternoon, it’s supposed to get…
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A Writer’s Warm Saturday in Miami
Late Morning, Saturday, February 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Good day! Here we are basking in the warm embrace of a winter morning in Miami. As I sit here, the thermometer reads a delightful 79°F (26°C) under mostly sunny skies. Unlike the blistering summer heat, today’s high will gently peak at 82°F (28°C) – a stark…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Behind the Scenes of ‘Reunion: Coda’
Late Morning, Friday, February 14, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s a delightful and warm Valentine’s Day in my little slice of South Florida. The temperature is already a toasty 78°F (25°C) under a brilliant, cloudless sky. Today promises to be like an early summer day, with the mercury set to rise to a perfect 83°F (28°C),…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Chapter 25 Sparks to Life in ‘Reunion: Coda’—Penning the Climax with Precision
Late Morning, Thursday, February 13, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Guess what? Yesterday, I penned the first scene for the 25th chapter of Reunion: Coda. It’s not a marathon scene—just 531 words, a bit more than those college essays from back in the day. You know, the ones I cranked out 40 years ago. But…
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Crafting Captivating Scenes: The Power of Detailed Outlines
Mid-Morning, Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Miami, Florida “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”― Bob Dylan It is just past 7 AM on this Wednesday in South Florida. I sit at my desk, still…