Tag: Books
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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…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Unspoken Love and Haunting Memories in ‘Reunion: Coda’
Hold onto your hats, folks! While I’m tantalizingly close to typing “The End,” I’ve learned the hard way that confident predictions can be thwarted by the whims of life and the unpredictable dance of a “pantser” writer’s style. In the past year alone, I’ve weathered not one, but two interstate moves within a dizzying 10…
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‘Reunion: Coda’ First Look at Professor Garraty’s Final Exam Day
The clock on the wall shows it’s a little past 2 PM. The weather outside is typical for a late March day in Manhattan—chilly, with a brisk wind that makes you wish you had a scarf wrapped around your neck. Most of my students are bundled up in layers, their winter coats dripping with the…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: How I Rescued Chapter 23 of My Novel
Late Morning, Friday, January 10, 2025, Miami, Florida “To write is human, to edit is divine.”― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft For those following my novel-writing journey with Reunion: Coda, yesterday was more productive than Wednesday, although I did lose some productivity. As I mentioned in my previous post, I made…
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The Perils of Overconfidence: A Writer’s Journey to Finish ‘Reunion: Coda’
Midday/Early Afternoon, Thursday, January 9, 2025, Miami, Florida The first chapter sells the book. The last chapter sells the next book. – Mickey Spillane Although I’m not writing the last chapter or the final 50 pages of Reunion: Coda, I’m definitely on the “home stretch” or the book’s climax. After nearly two years of working…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Crafting Humor Through Character Reactions and Timing
What is the funniest moment in your story? Does it involve the hero and heroine, or side characters? Humor is pretty personal, so what makes one person laugh might not work for someone else. Reunion: Coda has a bunch of funny moments, but here’s one example you might like. The elevator is unusually empty as…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Exploring Character Evolution Through Letters in My Novella and Novel
Describe a letter written by your protagonist. Does he use email or a quill? What is distinctive about his writing style? What comes through in his written words that might not show when he speaks? How does he sign off? Example 1: The Letter from Reunion: A Story, written by Jim Garraty, 18, on June…
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Foggy Fridays and Novel Triumphs: A New Year’s Blogging Adventure
Late Morning, Friday, January 3, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. First, I’m a bit surprised that it’s Friday already. Oh, I knew intellectually that the weekend was imminent because I always date my blog posts when I write them, but “knowing” something is different from “perceiving” it. Since New Year fell on Wednesday (and New…
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A Writer’s Resolve: Completing ‘Reunion: Coda’ in 2025
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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 Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaEarly Afternoon, Thursday, January 2, 2025, Miami, Florida Ah, January 1st – the magical day when people everywhere resolve to transform their lives, vowing to run ultramarathons, master the art of French pastry-making, and finally learn to speak Klingon fluently. By January 2nd, however, those grandiose ambitions often dissolve faster than the ink on a…
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A Lazy Saturday Afternoon in Miami…December 28, 2024
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Computer and Video Games, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Miami….Again, Life in South Florida, MicroProse Software, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile AgeAfternoon, Saturday, December 28, 2024, Miami, Florida Wow. Here I am, on a cloudy Saturday afternoon in Miami, Florida, December 28, 2024, with my blinds drawn closed. It’s nearly 2 PM, and half of my Saturday has slipped away, all thanks to my late-night escapades that led to a lazy morning. Now I’m feeling a…