Tag: Love
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Comfort of Lasagna, the Weight of Goodbye
By the time I began writing Reunion: Coda in the spring of 2023, I was facing an uncomfortable truth: this was my third attempt to write a novel since 2015 and my fourth attempt overall. Each previous project had stalled out somewhere between ambition and exhaustion. I knew I couldn’t afford to abandon another one.…
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The Last Afterschool Walk Home – June 15, 1983 (An Excerpt from ‘Reunion: Coda)
This vignette is the third movement in the four‑part Prologue of Reunion: Coda. The Prologue begins with Jim’s wry rejection of clichés, then shifts into his candid admission of why he never pursued Marty in high school. This passage picks up only minutes after the final 1983 scene of Reunion: A Story, following Jim and…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why Brahms’ Poco Allegretto Has Become Jim’s ‘Letter Music’ for Me
Wednesday, June 15, 1983 My dearest Martina, I’m not sure if I am doing the right thing by telling you this now, or if I should tell you this at all. I wish I had the answers. I can’t believe our three years at SMSH have come to an end. It seems as though only…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Elementary School That Wasn’t
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftSaturday, March 28, 2026 – Orlando, Florida The Elementary School That Wasn’t “When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.”—Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft I woke up not long after 7…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Music of Memory: Why These Four Pieces Score the Garratyverse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Billy Joel, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaTaken together, these pieces form a musical arc that mirrors Jim Garraty’s journey: Elegy (Death of Falstaff) Renewal (All the Things You Are) Continuity (This Night) Memory (Forgotten Dreams) It’s a progression from grief to love to understanding — from silence to song.
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Gratitude Tour Continues – Crossing the Atlantic (Virtually) to Thank the ‘Godmother of Reunion: Coda’
Gratitude Tour, Stop #4: Meg Learner — The Godmother of Reunion: Coda Next, I want to thank someone whose influence on the Garratyverse runs deeper than she probably realizes: Meg Learner, whom I’ve affectionately dubbed the Godmother of Reunion: Coda. Meg and I first crossed paths years ago on the now-defunct writing site Persona Paper.…
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Adventures in Storytelling: ‘Reunion: Coda’ Nears Its ’15-Minute Checkpoint’
Checkpoint Received: A Milestone for Reunion: CodaVignette I: Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds I woke up to a quiet thrill this morning—a message from Stefan (Steve) Lee confirming that the 15-minute checkpoint for Reunion: Coda is already in progress. For those following along, Coda is the longest and most emotionally layered of the three Reunion…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Rewards of Being a Storyteller
✈️ A Chewed Cover, a Plane Ride, and the Gift of Lost Love: Gratitude Reflections Sometimes, the most meaningful moments begin with a bit of chaos. Last night, my friend Dayna Pitcher shared a story that touched me deeply—not just because she praised Reunion: A Story, but because of how the book found its way…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writing First-Time Intimacy with Emotional Grace
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Love and Sex, Love, Sex, & Relationships, Personal History, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Sex, Writing as a Craft📝 Soft Light, Quiet Courage: Writing First-Time Intimacy with Emotional Grace There’s a moment in Comings and Goings—quiet, unadorned—where Jim confesses to Kelly that his first time didn’t last long. He’s not ashamed. Just honest. And Kelly, in turn, doesn’t flinch, correct, or console. She simply says: “Then it was perfect. You were kind. You…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writing Intimacy as Emotional Truth
🛗 Between Floors and Feelings: Writing Intimacy as Emotional Truth In Reunion: Coda, there’s a moment suspended in time—an elevator ride, a kiss, and a song that shouldn’t belong. It’s not a grand gesture or a climactic reveal. It’s quiet. Intentional. Sacred. “The elevator is unusually empty as we step inside. The Musak version of…
A Certain Point of View, Too 