Tag: Coming of Age Stories
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When Your Characters Feel Too Much: Writing Emotional Truth That Overwhelms Even the Author
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, 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), Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftWhen Your Characters Feel Too Much: Writing Emotional Truth That Overwhelms Even the Author There are nights when I sit with Jim Garraty—not as his creator, but as his witness. I wrote him. I shaped his world. And still, there are moments when his emotional clarity leaves me breathless. Not because he’s dramatic. Not because…
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Mapping the Heart: Navigating the Garratyverse
🔍 Introduction The Garratyverse is not just a series—it’s a recursive emotional journey. Through three interlinked works, readers follow Jim Garraty across decades as he wrestles with memory, intimacy, and the quiet heroism of being seen. 🧠 Emotional Themes 📘 Book-by-Book Breakdown Title Timeframe Emotional Focus Key Motifs Reunion: A Story June 1983 (with 1998…
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‘Comings and Goings’ Makes a Splash (at Least in One Category) on Kindle!
📘 Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen just cracked the Top 100 in 90-Minute Teen & Young Adult Short Reads on Kindle, and I’m quietly moved by it. Set in Boston, 1984—one year after Jim Garraty said goodbye to Marty at commencement—this isn’t a story about first love. It’s about the first time…
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‘Comings and Goings’ Comes to Print on July 1
Coming to Print July 1I’m happy to share that Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen will be available in paperback starting July 1. This story is a small one—but that was the point. Just two people, one moment, and the quiet current of what it means to be truly seen. It’s set in…
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On Soft Light and Honest Songs: A Note to the Reader
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Books, 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), Love and Sex, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Movies, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaEvery story in the Garratyverse carries its own rhythm. Some sweep across decades, reckoning with inherited grief, generational wounds, and the long arc of forgiveness. Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen isn’t that kind of story. It’s smaller. Quieter. But no less true. This one lives in the hush between songs, the half-step…
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In the Quiet Between Songs: Introducing Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen
There are stories we write with plot, and stories we write with silence. Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen is one of the latter. Set in 1980s Boston, this short story follows Jim, a nineteen-year-old who walks into a party already knowing he doesn’t belong—and walks out changed in ways he’ll never quite…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Your Assignment for Today – Describe Emotions Without Using ‘Feelings’ or ‘Feel’
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Mrs. Quincy, a beloved music teacher, announces her acceptance of a position at The Juilliard School, marking her last day at South Miami High. The students react with shock and sorrow, as her news disrupts their plans for the upcoming Spring Concert. Emotions run deep as everyone grapples with her departure.
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On Writing & Storytelling: Writing Exercise #15: The Content of the Heroines’ Character….
The protagonist, Jim, encounters emotional turmoil and pivotal relationships throughout his narrative. His commitment to his characters and the historical backdrop is evident in the compelling backstories of both Marty and Maddie. Marty’s innocence, kindness, and musical talents contrast with Maddie’s worldly nature, intellectual curiosity, and musical abilities. Each character’s unique characteristics and the tragic…
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On Writing & Storytelling: Writing Exercise #13: Travelers to the Undiscovered Country – My Protagonist’s Major Losses in the Reunion Duology
In “Reunion: Coda,” Jim, a history professor and author, navigates his relationships with Maddie and his best friend Mark. Unseen details and a symmetric balance characterize Maddie’s beauty, while Jim’s reflections highlight his academic interest and past losses. Maddie, an accomplished pianist, displays intelligence, talent, kindness, determination, and wit; however, she can be impulsive and…
A Certain Point of View, Too 