Tag: The Jim Garraty Chronicles
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On Writing and Storytelling: A Hardcover at Last
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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, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series)A Hardcover at Last After a surprising amount of wrestling with KDP’s trim sizes, templates, and cover quirks, The Jim Garraty Chronicles will finally be available as a hardcover edition. It took more doing than I expected — a page‑count limit forced me to change the trim size, which in turn forced a complete redesign…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Decisions, Decisions…..
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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, Autumn 2026, Autumn in Florida, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), The Summer of Two MoviesTuesday, September 15, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a gray-shrouded, rainy early autumn afternoon here in Central Florida. Fortunately, we’re getting the gentler side of the weather—steady showers rather than the crackling thunderstorms that usually roll through this time of year. The sky has been mostly overcast since morning, and the temperature is…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Should ‘The Jim Garraty Chronicles’ Get a Hardcover Edition?
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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, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series)Monday, September 14, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Should The Jim Garraty Chronicles Get a Hardcover Edition? It’s another humid early fall afternoon here in Central Florida — the kind where the air feels like warm syrup and the sky can’t decide whether it wants to stay sunny or break into a quick rain shower. Perfect…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Jock vs. Nerd Rivalry I Refuse to Write — And How Reunion: Coda Subverts It
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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, Creative Writing, Jock vs. Nerd Trope, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Literary Fiction, Literary Genres, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Tropes in Fiction, Writing a First Novel, Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftThe Jock vs. Nerd Rivalry I Refuse to Write — And How Reunion: Coda Subverts It Some high‑school tropes never die. They show up in movies, TV shows, YA novels, and even adult fiction: the artsy, awkward kid pining for the girl; the confident quarterback who already has her; the rivalry that becomes the story’s…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Weight of Small Corrections
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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, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion: Coda, Royalties, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftThursday, September 10, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, there. I’m off to a late start with my blogging today. Partly because I’m physically and mentally exhausted from stress and anxiety, but mostly because I had to make a minor but necessary correction to The Jim Garraty Chronicles in the section devoted to Reunion: Coda. It…
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Somewhere, Not Anywhere: Why Specificity Gives Fiction Its Soul
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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, Arbetter’s, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Personal History, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami High School in fiction, South Miami Senior High School, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Things I Miss, Writing a First Novel, Writing and Editing, Writing as a CraftThere’s a peculiar trope that shows up in fiction across genres and skill levels: the generic setting, the “It Could Be Anywhere” school, town, neighborhood, or city. You’ve seen it. A thriller introduces a group of high‑school students, but the school has no name, no mascot, no colors, no hallways with personality. The town has…
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Musings and Thoughts for Monday, August 31, 2026
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Depression, Florida Weather, Life in Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2026, Summer in Florida, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Summer of Two Movies, Writer’s BlockMonday, August 31, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, folks. Well, here we are on the last day of August, which is also the last day of meteorological summer. As I write this, it’s afternoon in my corner of Central Florida, and befitting the season, it’s cloudy, humid, and potentially stormy. I am not crazy about…
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On Writing and Storytelling: All Quiet on the Writing Front…Unfortunately
Friday, August 28, 2026 — Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s early afternoon on a hot late-summer day in Central Florida. Right now, it’s 91°F (33°C) and sunny, but with 61% humidity and a southwest breeze at 7 MPH (11 Km/H), it feels more like 101°F (38°C). I wish I could say everything is going smoothly,…
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On Writing and Storytelling: An Unexpected Boost in Sales!
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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, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Epinions, Life in Florida, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2026, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, The Jim Garraty Chronicles (Series), Writing as a CraftWednesday, August 26, 2026 – Orlando, Florida Hi, everyone — and happy Wednesday from the land of iced drinks, sunscreen, and weather that still hasn’t gotten the memo about fall. Well, folks, summer may be winding down on the calendar — meteorological fall begins on September 1 — but here in Central Florida, the weather…
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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…
