Tag: Writing as a Craft
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Garratyverse Motif Map: Memory, Music, and Emotional Echo
Introduction to My Motif Map Understanding the Threads That Weave My Stories When I begin to dive into a story, I often find myself tracing patterns—recurring symbols, images, or themes—that act as connective tissue running through the narrative. I call this intricate web a “motif map.” For me, a motif map is more than just…
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A Breath Between Heartbeats, Now Protected
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Spain (Amazon.es), Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Copyright, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, U.S. Copyright OfficeLate Morning, Friday, August 15, 2025 – Miami, Florida Well, folks, it’s official: Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen is now under copyright protection. As I may have mentioned earlier this summer, I registered my short story—a “breath between heartbeats” set between Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda—with the United States Copyright…
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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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On Writing and Storytelling: More (Unsolicited) Advice to Aspiring Writers
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), On Writing Well: 30th Anniversary Edition, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftMore (Unsolicited) Advice to Aspiring Writers The Path from There to Here – Some Backstory I’ve been a storyteller and a writer for as long as I can remember. Early on, I accepted that my disability meant I probably wasn’t destined to be an astronaut or a United States Marine—two jobs that seemed very cool…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Advice for Aspiring Writers
Advice for Aspiring Writers So, you want to write—or maybe you already do, scribbling stories in the margins of your day, chasing sentences that shimmer just out of reach. The path isn’t paved in gold, nor is it mapped by a single, shining formula. It’s a winding, idiosyncratic journey, full of turns, detours, and the…
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On Writing and Storytelling: Writer’s Block…and How I Deal With It…(Or Try To, Anyway)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, How to Write a Romance: Or, How to Write Witty Dialogue, Smoldering Love Scenes & Happily-Ever-Afters (2019), Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writer's Block, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftHow do you deal with writer’s block? Honestly, it depends on my mood—and the day! If it’s a workday (I try to keep my muse gainfully employed Monday through Friday and let them enjoy some well-earned laziness on the weekends), my approach to writer’s block is a bit of an art form itself. Let’s rewind…
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Writing and Storytelling: This, Too, Is Part of the Story
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaThis, Too, Is Part of the Story Late Morning, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi there. It’s a typical South Florida summer morning, the kind that the tourism industry doesn’t tell non-residents about. It’s hot, yes (82°F/28°C, but the heat index is 93°F/34°C), and sticky, but the skies are veiled by a sheet of…
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Selling Stories, Writing the Next One, and the Art of Not Sitting Still
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftAfternoon, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Miami, Florida “Don’t wait for the muse. As I’ve said, he’s a hardheaded guy who’s not susceptible to a lot of creative fluttering. This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks. Your job is to…
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Sunlight, Showers, and Storytelling: A June Morning in South Florida
Late Morning, Tuesday, June 10, 2025 – Miami, Florida Summer in South Florida is a study in contrasts—a daily performance where sunlight and shadow trade places with effortless unpredictability. For those of us who call this subtropical corner home, it’s a rhythm we know well: brilliant morning skies, the slow creep of humidity, and then,…
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Another Lesson I Learned While Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’
Comedy and Pathos Can Coexist Harmoniously in the Same Narrative Storytelling, at its core, is our way of exploring both the outer and inner world, trying to make sense of it all. Stories grounded in lived experience strive to capture fleeting moments and evoke emotions that resonate with readers. In more realistic narratives, it’s not…
A Certain Point of View, Too 