Tag: A Writer's Life
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On Writing & Storytelling: ‘Reunion: A Story’ – Genesis of a Novella
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Life in the United States, Passage of Time, Personal History, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Sex, South Miami Senior High SchoolLike most writers, I’m often asked questions along the lines of “Where do you get your ideas from?” and “How did you write this story?” So, to give you some idea of how Reunion came to be and what it’s about, here are some questions and answers related to my novella. The Premise: It is February 1998. 33-year-old…
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On Writing & Storytelling: A SITREP on ‘Reunion: Coda’ for August 3, 2023
Late Morning, Thursday, August 3, 2023, Lithia, Florida Hi, Dear Reader. As I write this, noon is less than three hours away, and yet it is shaping up to be another simmering high summer day here in the Tampa Bay area. Currently, the temperature (outside) is 82°F/27°C under mostly sunny conditions. However, with humidity at…
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On Writing & Storytelling: Editing and Revising ‘Reunion’ – It’s Not Over Until the Last (Egregious) Mistakes Are Corrected
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always…
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Musings & Thoughts for Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Adieu, Spring – And a Writer’s Anxieties Come to the Fore
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in 4K UHD Blu-rays, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Atlantic Hurricane Season 2021, Blu-ray Collection, Books, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Family History, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Love, Sex, & Relationships, Movies, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Spring in Florida, Star Trek: The Original 6-Movie Collection, The New StoryAdieu to Spring 2023 “Is it so small a thing To have enjoy’d the sun, To have liv’d light in the spring, To have lov’d, to have thought, to have done; To have advanc’d true friends, and beat down baffling foes…?” ― Matthew Arnold, Empedocles On Etna and Other Poems It’s late morning here in…
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To Write or Not to Write: Today’s Pressing Dilemma – Evening Update
“You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or despair … Come to it any way but lightly.” – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft It’s evening here in Lithia, Florida, on May 26, 2023; sunset is less than one hour away, and the temperature is exactly how it…
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‘The New Story: Music from the Original Writing Soundtrack’
When I write fiction – be it Reunion: A Story (AKA “the one that’s floating out there on Amazon and the online Barnes & Noble store”), “The New Story,” or the occasional screenplay – I tend to listen to music as I sit at my desk, regardless of whether I’m writing or gnashing my teeth…
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Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, May 20, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part the First
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in 4K UHD Blu-rays, Acting Lessons, Adults-Only Games, Amazon, Being a DIK (2020 Game), Blogging, Blu-ray Collection, Cold Waters, Computer and Video Games, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Crusade in Europe (Command Series game), Kindle Create (Publishing App), Leap of Faith, Life in Florida, Love and Sex, MicroProse Software, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Regiments (2022), Regiments: Iron Curtain, Regiments: Second WaveIt’s almost noon as I sit here at my desk in my corner of Lithia, Florida, on Saturday, May 20, 2023. I’ve been up since 7:30 AM, which – per my usual schedule – amounts to “sleeping in late.” Oddly, I don’t remember checking the time before I fell asleep trying to watch Star Trek;…
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On Writing & Storytelling: A Slow Start Morphs into a Writing Marathon – and I Have the Strained Eyes to Prove It!
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 SITREP “Tell the story that’s been growing in your heart, the characters you can’t keep out of your head, the tale story that speaks to you, that pops into your head during your daily commute, that wakes you up in the morning.” ― Jennifer Weiner It’s late evening on Wednesday, April…
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Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, April 22, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part the First
Wowie zowie. It’s already afternoon here in Lithia on Saturday, April 22, 2023! Where did my morning go, and why did it morph into the afternoon so quickly? It appears like I woke up a little while ago, wandered into the kitchen, brewed (and then drank) two cups of coffee, then came back in here…
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On Writing & Storytelling: A Late Start to My Workday – and the Weekend is Nigh
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Reunion: A Story, Ronnie and the Pursuit of the Elusive Bliss“Let’s get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun.…