Tag: life
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On Writing and Storytelling: Have a Concept, But Stuck at the Terminal Gate
Sunday, August 23, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a steamy late-summer day here in Central Florida, the kind where the air feels like it’s leaning on you. Fortunately, I have no reason to be outside, so I’m writing this from the comfort of my air-conditioned room. The thermometer says 89°F (32°C), the humidity…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why Rhythm and Cadence Matter
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Book Reviews, Books, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing a First Novel, Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftThoughts About Writing and Storytelling I’ve been a writer since I was a student in the Dade County Public Schools system between 1972 and 1983. More accurately, I spent much of that time as an aspiring writer. I wrote only one poem—or was it a story?—in fourth grade for the Dade County Youth Fair &…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Making of an Unplanned Literary Series
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two Movies, Writing as a CraftThursday, August 20, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Every story—or, in this case, every collection of stories—begins somewhere. It may start with a flash of inspiration, a lingering memory, a familiar-looking person or place, or even an old college creative-writing assignment that suddenly makes you want to revise, expand, and share it. In the introduction to…
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On Writing and Storytelling: ‘The Jim Garraty Chronicles’ is Almost One Month Old!
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two MoviesWednesday, August 12, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost a month since I published The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life in Four Movements, an omnibus that presents Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, and the bonus tale The Summer…
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On Writing and Storytelling: All Good Things – Even Sabbaticals – Must Come to an End…Just Not Yet
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Summer 2026, Summer in Florida, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing and Editing Software, Writing as a CraftTuesday, August 11, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. Late summer in Central Florida has a way of announcing itself without saying a word. If you’ve spent any time in the Sunshine State, you already know the drill: heat thick enough to feel like a physical presence, humidity that clings like an overly affectionate relative,…
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A New Month Begins….and the Creative Writing Department Takes a Brief Summer Vacation
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Poland, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon Sweden, Amazon UK, Blogging, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Personal Thoughts, Summer 2026, Summer in Florida, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series)Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi there. Central Florida Weather Check To no one’s surprise, August has arrived in Central Florida with its usual late-summer combination: oppressive heat, heavy humidity, and the afternoon threat of rain and thunderstorms. As I write this from my corner of Orange County, the temperature is 91°F (33°C),…
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A Small Moment of Book Marketing at Aldi
Friday, July 17, 2026 – Orlando, Florida A Small Moment of Personal Book Marketing at Aldi Yesterday offered one of those unexpected, quietly meaningful moments that remind me why I write in the first place. I was at my local Aldi—nothing glamorous, nothing planned, just a routine stop with my landlady—when I spotted the young…
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‘The Jim Garraty Chronicles’ Countdown: Tonight, It Happens
Tonight, It Happens There’s a strange electricity in the air today — not the kind that crackles through the Florida sky when the afternoon storms roll in, but the quieter, internal kind. The kind that sits behind the ribs and reminds you, repeatedly, that something long‑awaited is finally about to happen. The Jim Garraty Chronicles…
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Summer Heat, a Mentor’s Passing, and a Memento Mori
Saturday, June 27, 2026 – Orlando, Florida It is brutally hot outside. According to my Microsoft Weather app, the temperature here in my corner of Orange County is already 91°F (33°C) under partly sunny skies. The humidity is 56%, the wind is barely stirring out of the east-southeast at 4 MPH (7 Km/H), and the…
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Remembrance: Elizabeth Joan Owen: September 8, 1929 – December 28, 2025
Friday, June 26, 2026 — Orlando, Florida “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” — William Arthur Ward Ms. Owen was my mentor. She was special — an amazing chorus director and someone I always wondered about long after graduation. I am saddened to hear of…
A Certain Point of View, Too 