A.J. Flowers

When editing your manuscript (and edit you must), it’s easy to get wrapped up in spelling, grammar, dialogue scenes and prose. While those are all vital to a publishable novel, there’s a big picture you might be missing. I don’t just mean the plot arc and character development, but the full message and theme of your novel. … More A Powerful Theme – Does your Manuscript Have It?

http://ajflowers.org/blog/3-reasons-why-critiquing-can-improve-your-writing-craft There you are, sitting with your morning coffee, a warming laptop and a small journal of jumbled notes. After you finish your first draft and begin the revising process, you keep finding the same mistakes over and over again… Why does this keep happening? I think this is a common problem most writers have … More 3 Reasons Critiquing Can Improve Your Writing Craft

I’m pleased to introduce our guest author: Elizabeth Davies! She has written and self-published 5 full-length novels. Her latest being The Medium Path, a paranormal romance with a fascinating premise. Amazon 5-star Reviews of The Medium Path: “The Medium Path is an intriguing read that will capture your imagination and your heart” – Amy Valentini “A … More Author Interview: Elizabeth Davies

  This is a book review for The Martian, by Andy Weir. Realistic Sci-Fi Thriller. There are no spoilers in this review. My rating (1 to 5 stars): 5 stars! Plot: A thriller of an astronaut that has been unknowingly left alive on Mars while his crew thinks him dead. He must use his wits … More Book Review: The Martian, by Andy Weir

This is a personal post to give an update on how my writer’s life is going. I started out with my 180k word manuscript for Acceptance about three months back. Since then, I’ve broken it up into three separate novels (a word count more appropriate for YA) and begun querying the first novel at 54k … More Writer’s Life: Finding the Right Agent, Keeping Up with the Craft

Ever wondered what goes through the mind of a fallen angel? Now’s your chance to find out. Take a peek at Azrael’s Journal, a fun look into the world of Acceptance available only on ajflowers.org. http://ajflowers.org/azrael-s-journal Preview: You arrive home and happen upon a strange leathered book sitting at the edge of your bed. It’s covered … More Azrael’s Journal – Entry 1

In honor of Labor Day I decided to do some research into traditional versus self-publishing. The question is constantly coming up as I enjoy the guest authors that I have interviewed for this site. So far, self-publishing is by far the most popular. At first, I imagined it was because of how difficult it is … More Self-Publishing, is it the New Norm?

A large issue I’ve been struggling with for quite some time had no name. Now, I know that it was the concept called “filtering.” I’ve had an unholy amount of critiques/beta reads come back on my work complaining how the reader felt “distanced” from the main character. “I want to know what she’s thinking! I want … More Oh No! A Common Pitfall that can distance your Readers from your Characters