Category: Writing as a Craft
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Winging It vs. Mapping It: A Writer’s Journey from Chaos to Clarity
Midday, Sunday, January 26, 2025, Miami, Florida In the world of writing, there are two primary camps: planners and pantsers. Planners meticulously outline their stories, mapping out each plot point and character arc before they ever write a single word. Pantsers, on the other hand, fly by the seat of their pants, allowing the story…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Crafting Cold Days and Warm Words in Miami
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing as a CraftSaturday, January 25, 2025, Late Morning, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a brisk and beautiful Saturday morning in Miami. Though the recent cold snap that blanketed the northern parts of the state left South Florida untouched by snow, we’re still feeling the chill. At the moment, the temperature is a crisp 59°F (15°C) under clear…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Brisk Miami Winter and Literary Progress: A Writer’s Journey
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Weather, Weather in New Hampshire, Writing as a CraftHi all! It’s another wonderfully brisk and gray winter day in South Florida. Believe it or not, it’s colder – by subtropical standards, of course – than it was yesterday. As I type this shortly before noon on this last day of the workweek, it’s a nippy 53°F (about 12°C) under cloudy skies. No rain…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Reunion: A Fragrant Journey Through Time
What is your protagonist’s main trigger (a plot device which causes flashbacks, insightful internal dialogue, etc.)? Is it a certain smell, certain song? When I wrote the first draft of Reunion: A Story in the fall of 1998, I didn’t have any “how to write fiction” books nor a textbook from my creative writing course…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: A Writer’s Weekend: From Cloudy Days to Vivid Scenes in Miami
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Going Full Circle: Back to South Florida I Go, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Saturday, January 18, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s another cloudy winter day in South Florida. As I write this, the temperature is a balmy 77°F (25°C) under mostly cloudy skies. Unlike yesterday’s deluge, which turned the neighborhood into a temporary water park, today promises warmth and mostly sunshine—a delightful start to the weekend in…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Revised with Insight: ‘Reunion: Coda’ Blurb Thanks to Beta Reader Denise Longrie
After an insightful consultation with my Beta Reader, Denise Longrie, I have revised and refined this blurb to sound more professional and polished. I hope it now captures the essence of Jim Garraty’s ongoing journey more effectively. Here it is: Reunion: Coda In the sequel to the heartfelt Reunion: A Story, Jim Garraty’s journey continues…
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Writing Wisdom from a Jedi: Mastering Your Novel with a Clear Mind and Steady Hand
Early Afternoon, Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Random Thoughts About Writing
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Big News: My 2018 Novella ‘Reunion: A Story’ Is Officially Copyrighted—Plagiarism Fears, Be Gone!
📚 Big News! My Novella “Reunion: A Story” is Now Copyrighted! 📚 It’s finally happened! 🎉 After much dithering, procrastination, and nail-biting over plagiarism fears, I’m thrilled to announce that my 2018 novella, Reunion: A Story, is officially registered with the Copyright Office! 🚀 Why the delay, you ask? Well, let’s just say navigating the…
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Finally Copyrighted: The First Book in the Reunion Duology Journey’s from Amazon to Officially Protected!
📚🌟 Exciting News Alert! 🌟📚 After years of blood, sweat, and plot twists, the first book in the Reunion Duology is officially copyrighted! 🎉 Yes, it’s been a long journey since Reunion: A Story’s first edition hit Amazon in July 2018, but good things come to those who wait (and wait… and wait). 😉 Sure,…
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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…