Category: Writing as a Craft
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On Writing and Storytelling: Advice for Aspiring Writers
Advice for Aspiring Writers So, you want to write—or maybe you already do, scribbling stories in the margins of your day, chasing sentences that shimmer just out of reach. The path isn’t paved in gold, nor is it mapped by a single, shining formula. It’s a winding, idiosyncratic journey, full of turns, detours, and the…
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Marketing, Memory, and Miami Skies
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Beatriz Diaz-Granados, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Family History, Florida Weather, Jeronimo Diaz-Granados, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer in Florida, Victoria Eugenia Pineros Restrepo (Vicky), Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftMidday/Early Afternoon, Wednesday, July 16, 2025 — Miami, Florida I awoke this morning to the symphony of a torrential, thundering downpour. It was already past 8 a.m.—long after sunrise—yet the sky was still steeped in darkness, reminiscent of last night. The steady hiss of heavy rain filled the air, punctuated by the occasional crack-boom of…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writer’s Block…and How I Deal With It…(Or Try To, Anyway)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, How to Write a Romance: Or, How to Write Witty Dialogue, Smoldering Love Scenes & Happily-Ever-Afters (2019), Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writer's Block, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftHow do you deal with writer’s block? Honestly, it depends on my mood—and the day! If it’s a workday (I try to keep my muse gainfully employed Monday through Friday and let them enjoy some well-earned laziness on the weekends), my approach to writer’s block is a bit of an art form itself. Let’s rewind…
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Poet’s Corner: Boston, 1984 (#2)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Poetry, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Romantic Poetry, Writing as a CraftThe Story Boston, 1984. A party Jim Garraty never wanted to attend. A girl who didn’t look away. A night stitched together by mixtapes, quiet courage, and the ache of choosing to stay. Jim isn’t chasing romance—he’s just trying to outrun the noise. But when Kelly Moore enters the room with her drink, her Rachmaninoff…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Copy Editor’s Update to ‘Comings and Goings’
📘 Comings and Goings Update: A Little Cleanup, a Lot of Heart This morning, bright and early, I gave in to my inner copy editor. That missing hard return on one page of Comings and Goings had been irritating me to no end, so I opened up the Kindle Create app with one goal: fix…
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How I Came to Write ‘Comings and Goings’
Author’s Note Some stories arrive quietly. Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen wasn’t planned. It emerged from a single memory in Reunion: Coda—a name, a summer night, a girl who slipped through the edges of Jim’s story. But she stayed. Softly. Unmistakably. Kelly wasn’t loud, but she kept showing up—like a song you’d…
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A Note on Graphics, Nostalgia, and the Long, Slow Ache
Confession time: I’m a writer, not a graphics artist. So when I open up Paint and tinker with quotes and covers, I do it with the full knowledge that I’m not Norman Rockwell. I’m not N.C. Wyeth, either—though if you squint, maybe the spirit of their storytelling crept in around the edges. The graphic I…
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The (Almost) Unexpected Novel: Reunion: Coda and Writing Out of My Comfort Zone
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Ever since 1978, I’ve dreamed of writing a novel. Not The Great American Novel, mind you. I’m smart—and trained—enough to recognize that when I put in the effort, I’m good at what I do. Otherwise, I’d keep my scribblings—or tap-tap-tap-tappings—to myself, far from public view. Yet I’m also realistic: I’ve got a ways to go…
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From Typewriter Dreams to Storytelling Realities: A Writer’s Journey
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Books, College Life, Coral Estates Park (Miami-area Neighborhood), Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morming/Midday, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Miami, Florida “But there’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours…
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Smorgasbord Book Promotions Offers a Sneak Peek of ‘Reunion: Coda’ in Today’s Excerpt Showcase
📚 Book Spotlight Alert! I’m honored to share that Reunion: Coda, the second book in my Reunion Duology, is being featured today on the Smorgasbord Blog Magazine as part of their Book Promotions series. The post includes an excerpt from the novel that offers a glimpse into Jim Garraty’s journey of love, loss, and second…
A Certain Point of View, Too 