Tag: Writing as a Craft
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The Journey of a Storyteller: Embracing the Art of Writing
Thursday, December 18, 2025, Orlando, Florida “If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Wrestling with Subheads, Holding on to Stories
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Books, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftWrestling with Subheads, Holding on to Stories Tuesday, December 16, 2025 – Orlando, Florida If you’ve ever worked with Kindle Create, you’ll know it can be both a blessing and a curse. Today, I’m spending several hours fixing subheadings in The Jim Garraty Chronicles—particularly in Reunion: Coda. It’s a formatting issue that has haunted every…
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The Chronicles, the Coda, and the Chaos
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Books, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Central Florida, Life in Florida, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Stefan (Steve) Lee, The Jim Garraty Chronicles, Writing as a CraftWednesday, December 10, 2025 – Orlando, Florida Now that most of my belongings are finally here in Orlando instead of languishing in a warehouse in South Florida, I can turn my attention—at least in theory—to other priorities. Chief among them are the omnibus edition of The Jim Garraty Chronicles and making sure the Audible release…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writing Romance Without Reading Romance
📖 Writing Romance Without Reading Romance: Why Reunion: Coda Works I’ll admit something: when I started writing Reunion: Coda, I worried. I don’t, as a general rule, read romance novels. My shelves are filled with history, memoir, and fiction of other stripes, but not much in the way of “romance.” So when I realized my…
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Whoa, I Wrote That
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in ACX, Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Audible, Audiobooks, Books, Brandon Padilla, Bryan Haddock, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Ronnie and the Pursuit of the Elusive Bliss, Stefan (Steve) Lee, Writing as a CraftMonday, November 24, 2025, Orlando, Florida Most writers don’t bother rereading their own books. You’d think we’d want to relive the glory—but after wrangling with my first novel, Reunion: Coda, I get it. I spent two years chasing inspiration across three cities—Tampa, Madison (NH), Miami—all just to produce a 400+ page epic that hops between…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Jim, Mrs. Brillenstein, and the Confluence of Memory and Fiction
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Reviews, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Amazon UK, Blogging, Books, Creative Writing, Life in Florida, Life in South Florida, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, South Miami Senior High School, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a Craft2 Late to Homeroom 7:45 AM I was late for homeroom. Mrs. Brillenstein didn’t like that. She was a young-looking woman, maybe in her early thirties, with long auburn hair and big brown eyes that could be friendly or fierce, depending on her mood. She taught English 2, Regular, and drama in Room 230, which…
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“The Last Afterschool Walk Home”: Writing Friendship, Farewell, and the Emotional Geography of South Miami High
🌇 “The Last Afterschool Walk Home”: Writing Friendship, Farewell, and the Emotional Geography of South Miami High This is a story I don’t tell often; I’m a private man, and I don’t like to spill my guts about my love life, or lack thereof. I’m fine with talking in front of a crowd – whether…
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On Writing and Storytelling: The Price of a Missing Paragraph
Or: Why Editorial Blindness Isn’t Just Annoying—It’s Expensive There’s a special kind of heartbreak reserved for writers who reread their own work and discover something missing—a line, a transition, a comma that once held the rhythm together. It’s called editorial blindness, and it’s not just a cognitive quirk. It’s a budget line. This weekend, I…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Working on Weekends – Hope and Persistence, or Quixotic Hubris?
Sunday, October 12, 2025 📍 Orlando, Florida A Chilly Morning and a Familiar Ritual This morning greeted me with an unexpected chill—low 60s, which, by Florida standards, qualifies as brisk. The sun had barely crept over the horizon when I stirred, debating whether to return to sleep. Light tends to sabotage my rest once it…
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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…
A Certain Point of View, Too 