Tag: Writing a First Novel
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On Writing and Storytelling: How – and Why – I Wrote ‘Reunion: Coda’
🎼 Writing the Coda: How Music, Memory, and Missed Chances Shaped Reunion: Coda When I first wrote Reunion: A Story in 1998, I didn’t imagine it would become the central panel of a literary triptych. It was a novella born from grief, memory, and a quiet experiment in fiction—an elegy for a classmate lost too…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Why a Prologue Was Necessary: Reopening the Door to Jim Garraty’s Emotional Past
Why a Prologue Was Necessary: Reopening the Door to Jim Garraty’s Emotional Past When I returned to the world of Reunion: A Story nearly 25 years after its original publication, I wasn’t simply revisiting old characters—I was confronting the emotional residue they left behind. Reunion: Coda demanded more than a sequel; it required a bridge.…
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More Lessons I Learned from Writing a Novel
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Copyright, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Novella, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stephen King (Author), Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftUnexpected Lessons in Writing On April 4, nearly four months ago, I published Reunion: Coda, the second book in my Reunion Duology and my first novel. The first book, Reunion: A Story, is a novella. I spent a little over two years writing this novel. I began in March 2022 while living in Tampa, wrote…
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The Sixth of June…Now, Then, and Again…
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, D-Day (June 6, 1944), Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Music, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, Summer 2024, Summer 2025, Summer in Florida, The D-Day DarlingsMidday/Early Afternoon, Friday, June 6, 2025, Miami, Florida The weather system that brought that rainy opening to meteorological summer earlier this week has moved on, and the Florida Travel Bureau can rest easy because it’s sunny, clear, and hot enough to go to the beach. (Ah, bikini weather!) I’d argue, though, that – climate change…
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Quality Matters in Independent Publishing: Fixing ‘Reunion: Coda’…and Other Matters
Afternoon, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, there. It’s another scorching late spring day in South Florida on this last “Hump Day” of May 2025. Outside, it’s 89°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. With humidity at 63% and a gentle 9 MPH (15 Km/H) breeze from the southeast, it feels like 98°F (37°C). We’ve…
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Dear Reader, Let Me Tell You a Story About Friends and Beers—But Not the Whole Story
Afternoon, Monday, May 26, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, there, folks. It’s a hellishly hot late spring day in South Florida. Currently, the temperature is 90°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. That’s hot, but with 66% humidity and a southeasterly breeze blowing at 12 MPH (19 Km/H), it feels like 97°F (36°C). The original forecast high…
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Summer-like Springs, Rave Reviews, and Sleepless Nights
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Life in Bogota, Life in Florida, Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Life in the Tampa Bay area, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Semester in Spain Program, Semester in Spain Program – CCIS, Spring 2025, Spring in FloridaAfternoon, Thursday, May 22, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi there! It’s one of those gloriously vibrant late spring days that feels like summer has arrived a bit early. The temperature is sitting at a toasty 94°F (34°C) under cheerful, mostly sunny skies—high for May, or at least higher than what I remember from my younger days…
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A Milestone Worth Celebrating: My First U.S. Review for ‘Reunion: Coda’
Late Afternoon, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Miami, Florida When you pour two years of dedication, passion, and no small amount of stubborn perseverance into a novel, there’s nothing quite like seeing it resonate with readers. On May 3, 2025, Reunion: Coda received its first U.S. review—and second overall—on Amazon, and to say I’m thrilled is…
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Rainy Day Musings: Finding Solace in Modest Literary Victories
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, May 3, 2025, Miami, Florida “You have to celebrate the small wins as well.” ― Robin S. Baker Hi, everyone. It’s a gray, sometimes rainy day here in the Greater Miami area on this first Saturday in May 2025. Currently, the temperature is 81°F (27°C) under rainy conditions. With humidity at 66%…
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Victory and Vexation: A Writer’s Journey through Self-Publishing (A ‘Reunion Coda’ Cautionary Tale)
Late Morning/Midday, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Miami, Florida “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out…
A Certain Point of View, Too 