Tag: Writing a First Novel
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Crafting Cold Days and Warm Words in Miami
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Madison (NH), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in South Florida, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing as a CraftSaturday, January 25, 2025, Late Morning, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a brisk and beautiful Saturday morning in Miami. Though the recent cold snap that blanketed the northern parts of the state left South Florida untouched by snow, we’re still feeling the chill. At the moment, the temperature is a crisp 59°F (15°C) under clear…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Venturing into Fiction: My Journey from Journalism to Novel Writing
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaNavigating the Quirky Seas: From Journalism to Zany Fiction Adventures Even though I’ve been writing for many years—having studied journalism in high school and majored in it at Miami-Dade Community College (now Miami-Dade College)—and have penned thousands of articles, reviews, and blog posts, my ventures into fiction have been few. The first two pieces—a short…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: A Day of Mixed Emotions and Creative Triumphs
Late Morning, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday was a day of mixed feelings. On one hand, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, starting his second term with controversial actions like abandoning Afghan refugees, pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: How I Rescued Chapter 23 of My Novel
Late Morning, Friday, January 10, 2025, Miami, Florida “To write is human, to edit is divine.”― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft For those following my novel-writing journey with Reunion: Coda, yesterday was more productive than Wednesday, although I did lose some productivity. As I mentioned in my previous post, I made…
-
The Perils of Overconfidence: A Writer’s Journey to Finish ‘Reunion: Coda’
Midday/Early Afternoon, Thursday, January 9, 2025, Miami, Florida The first chapter sells the book. The last chapter sells the next book. – Mickey Spillane Although I’m not writing the last chapter or the final 50 pages of Reunion: Coda, I’m definitely on the “home stretch” or the book’s climax. After nearly two years of working…
-
Foggy Fridays and Novel Triumphs: A New Year’s Blogging Adventure
Late Morning, Friday, January 3, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. First, I’m a bit surprised that it’s Friday already. Oh, I knew intellectually that the weekend was imminent because I always date my blog posts when I write them, but “knowing” something is different from “perceiving” it. Since New Year fell on Wednesday (and New…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Maddie Fends Off a Matchmaker! (Writing Exercise)
Writing As a Craft: Keeping Secrets? Author’s Note: This passage is based on one of the many writing exercises from the book How to Write a Romance: Or, How to Write Witty Dialogue, Smoldering Love Scenes, and Happily Ever Afters. In this exercise, I wrote in the third person to practice creating engaging dialogue and…
-
Miami’s Chilly Weekend: A Writer’s Reflection
—
by
in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Autumn in Florida, Creative Writing, Florida Weather, Going Full Circle: Back to South Florida I Go, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing as a CraftMidday, Saturday, November 23, 2024, Miami, Florida Well, it’s Saturday in South Florida, and the weekend has kicked off with a bang. It’s “chilly” by subtropical standards: the temperature outside is a brisk 69°F (20°C) under sunny skies. With humidity at 49% and a gentle northwesterly breeze at 7 MPH (11 Km/H), the feels-like temperature…
-
The Journey of a Storyteller: Embracing Challenges in Writing
Midday/Early Afternoon, Friday, November 22, 2024, Miami, Florida “Write without pay until somebody offers to pay.” ― Mark Twain I am, first and foremost, a storyteller. Crafting and sharing a good tale – whether presented as a blog post, a short story, a novella, a poem, a screenplay, or (since I’ve been working on one…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: My Third Most Favorite ‘Best Friends Forever’ Scene
“There,” I said. “The one with the long chestnut hair and the blue denim outfit. She’s heading for the lunch line.” Mark squinted and nodded. “Yeah, I see her. She’s pretty. Who is she?” I shrugged. “I don’t remember her name. But she sang ‘We’ll Meet Again’ this morning. She was amazing.” Mark raised his…
A Certain Point of View, Too 