Tag: writing-tips
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Reunion and Beyond: A Writer’s Challenges
Late Morning, Thursday, May 29, 2025, Miami, Florida “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft As a storyteller, I’ve faced all kinds of challenges—some big, some small. A lot of it comes down to the nuts and bolts of writing, like finding the…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Five Things I Learned While Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’
1. Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals for Your First Novel While there’s certainly a place for ambition and artistic risks, I learned (through trial and error) that setting overly ambitious goals for your first novel can lead to frustration and burnout. Instead of diving into a sprawling historical epic or a complex science fiction adventure, start…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: The Morning After…on Finishing ‘Reunion: Coda’
Late Morning, Thursday, April 3, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy,…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Outlining a Scene Without Pushing Past 6 PM
Midday/Early Afternoon, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s a cool, mild spring day in Miami, Florida. The sun is shining, the skies are clear, and the temperature is a pleasant 73°F (23°C), though it feels more like 80°F (27°C). Today promises sunny skies and a high of 78°F (26°C). Yesterday was, of course, a…
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My Novelist’s Odyssey: Getting Closer to the Finish Line
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in Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the Tampa Bay area, Life in the United States, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. It’s a warm yet overcast early spring day here in the heart of Miami-Dade County. The temperature is a pleasant 77°F (25°C) under mostly cloudy skies, with just enough humidity at 65% to remind you that you’re in South Florida. The breeze, blowing from the…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Navigating Creative Waters and Harnessing the Muse
Midday, Thursday, February 27, 2025, Miami, Florida “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft It is a warm, humid day in my corner of South Florida. The mercury reads 79°F (26°C) under mostly sunny skies, but…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: What’s in My Novelist’s Toolkit?
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Book Reviews, Books, Copilot AI, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, OpenAI (Bing Chatbot), Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftOne of the coolest things about being a writer in 2025 is the amazing array of technological tools available to help create, analyze, revise, and improve literary projects. Some, like Microsoft Word, are time-tested classics that I’ve used since the late 1990s. However, I do think the app could use some tweaks by folks who…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: The Pantser’s Dilemma: How to Outline Without Losing Your Muse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Life in the Tampa Bay area, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Writing a First Novel, Writing as a CraftLate Morning, Friday, February 21, 2025, Miami, Florida Books are a uniquely portable magic. – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Yesterday was a better writing day than the one before. I managed to pen my daily blog post, savor a relaxing midday break, and enjoy a delightful lunch. When I returned…
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Crafting Captivating Scenes: The Power of Detailed Outlines
Mid-Morning, Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Miami, Florida “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”― Bob Dylan It is just past 7 AM on this Wednesday in South Florida. I sit at my desk, still…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Copyrights and Writer’s Block: My Saturday Saga
Early Afternoon, Sunday, February 9, 2025, Miami, Florida “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”– Sue Monk Kidd My Not-So-Restful Saturday Although I began yesterday as one of my two days off from work, I found myself preoccupied with thinking…
A Certain Point of View, Too 