Category: Writing as a Craft
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A Pretty Swell Monday, All Things Considered
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in Florida, Writing as a CraftMonday, February 9, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Happy Monday, Dear Reader. There’s something about the first day of a new workweek that feels like a clean page—full of possibility, full of momentum. Today has that energy in spades. Central Florida is showing off a bit: bright sun, clear skies, and a gentle coolness that lingers…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Soft Heart I Spent Years Trying to Hide
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Casablanca (1942), Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Coral Estates Park (Miami-area Neighborhood), Creative Writing, Family History, Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Things I Miss, Writing as a CraftThe Soft Heart I Spent Years Trying to Hide Some people spend their lives pretending they’re not sentimental. I’m not one of them. To borrow the words of Captain Louis Renault, I freely admit I’m a rank sentimentalist—and unlike Rick Blaine from Casablanca, I don’t bother hiding it behind a mask of cynicism or put‑on…
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Gray Skies, Cold Wind, and Editing Misadventures
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Winter in Florida, Writing as a CraftSaturday, January 31, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Hello again, Dear Reader. Central Florida is wearing its grayest winter coat today. The sky is a solid sheet of cloud, the air sits at a brisk 59°F (15°C), and the wind promises to make things even chillier as the afternoon rolls on. It’s hardly the sort of…
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Getting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Blogging, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in the United States, Music & Concert Specials, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Royalties, Star Wars, WordPress, Writing as a CraftGetting to Know You, Round #75 — Plus a Tiny Royalty Plot Twist Every so often, Kymber posts another round of her “Getting to Know You” questions, and I always enjoy jumping in. Round #75 landed this week, so here are my answers — equal parts honest, reflective, and lightly caffeinated. 1. What drives you…
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My Dream Job (WordPress Daily Prompt)
My Dream Job (WordPress Daily Prompt)Today’s Daily Prompt: “What is your dream job?” If you’ve spent any time around here—whether you’re a long‑timer or you just wandered in with a cup of coffee—you already know my dream job: being a writer. Not “wanting to be a writer,” not “dabbling in writing,” but actually being one.…
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On Writing and Storytelling: My Ex-Co-Editor, Always
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Book Reviews, Books, Brandon Padilla, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing as a CraftGratitude Tour, Stop Five: My Ex-Co-Editor, Always When I first mapped out my “Gratitude Tour,” the plan was simple: shine a little light on the readers who not only devoured the three existing Garratyverse books—Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen—but also took the time to leave…
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On Writing and Storytelling: On Having a Reader Like Thomas Wikman
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Books, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger, Thomas Wikman, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftOn Having a Reader Like Thomas Wikman Thomas Wikman’s Review of “Reunion: Coda” (2025) This is a love story complicated by life. Jim Garraty is a successful History Professor who has tragically lost love and found love again. The story follows two timelines. One is focused on Jim’s high school days and his secret love…
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When Fiction Shops Local (Even If the Store Doesn’t Stock the Book)
When Fiction Shops Local (Even If the Store Doesn’t Stock the Book) There’s a moment at the start of the Jim–Maddie arc where Maddie walks into the Moonglow Club carrying a Book Culture bag stuffed with Jim’s books. Jim, of course, has no idea. He only sees a refined stranger with caramel hair, a sky‑blue…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Excavating a Lost Branch of the Garratyverse
Excavating a Lost Branch of the Garratyverse A reflection on the story that almost was Every long-running fictional universe has its ghost trails—the paths nearly taken, the drafts that flickered briefly before vanishing, the characters who stepped forward only to retreat into the wings. Within the Garratyverse, one such spectral branch is The Best Years…
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A Little Order, A Little Magic
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing as a CraftMonday, January 12, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Hey there, friends— Today I’m gearing up (or at least trying to gear up) for another round with The Jim Garraty Chronicles inside the ever‑infamous Kindle Create app. The mission: wrangle those unruly subheadings in the Reunion: Coda section into something resembling order. I won’t pretend I’m thrilled…
A Certain Point of View, Too 