Meet PJ Braley

 

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful PJ Braley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with PJ below.

PJ , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I have always loved to write and spent much of my pre-adult years making up stories for friends. As I was getting out of my teen years, I shared one I had written down and told them I was going to be a writer. Although they liked the story, my friends didn’t think much of my career choice and said I couldn’t be a writer with only one story. “Writers write books,” they said. Me? Write a book? That was something I didn’t believe I could ever do, and set aside my dream of becoming a writer for what I thought was forever. But through the years, stories kept popping up; ideas about characters, settings, and plotlines would fill my mind, but I pushed them away. Someday, I thought, when I had more time.

Then fate took a hand. I found a job at a university and needed to take an English class to prepare for proofreading a manuscript. About mid-way through the course, the professor took me aside and said, “You can write.” I will never know if she was merely stating a fact or giving me permission, but I took that single phrase to heart and ran with it. I found that the more classes I took, the more valuable feedback I received. Not all the comments agreed with my first English professor, but they didn’t stop me from taking another class. Putting my work out there for discerning and critical assessment day after day for years was hard, but learning from every reader what worked and what didn’t consistently built up my confidence to write more. So, I started a blog, wrote freelance articles for the local paper, and a newsletter for my department. And I kept learning. I wrote one book and another, and then, one day, it hit me.

I was a writer.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am the author of The Fire Slayers series. The Fire Slayers was published in November 2020, Finding Persephone was published in June 2022, and Persephone’s Children is forthcoming in November 2024 from Liminal Books, an imprint of Between The Lines Publishing.

I never thought my first books would be adult science fiction novels about an alien assassin learning to navigate the labyrinth of the human heart. Still, they evolved so swiftly – as though my mind had been writing them for years – that the story could not be contained. Writing science fiction, especially when describing a species, language, religion, and history, as well as building a world so wholly different from human experience yet contemporary with human existence, was both challenging and rewarding. With the broad scope that a series allows, I was able to explore many different genres while staying within the confines of my characters. Is the story a pre-apocalyptic creation myth? Yes. A cautionary tale of human dominance? Yes. An unforgettable tale of love, betrayal, and redemption? Oh, yes.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are:
1 – Tenaciousness. When giving up is not an option, you stay the course and discover new ways to make the journey successful. Finding a publisher took five years of rejection, rewrites, and re-submissions. I believed in my story and characters; I was their only voice. I would not let them down.
2 – Assertiveness. There is a saying that “Faint heart never won fair lady,” which is true in many ways. You have to believe in yourself and your work and put it out for others to see. Even if you are scared to get up and talk about yourself, your work, your ambitions, and your journey, do it anyway and represent yourself the best you can.
3 – Thoroughness. This quality has many applications. A – Do your homework. For instance, writing science fiction differs from writing fantasy because it’s “science” fiction that can require research into many different subjects. B – Many writing or presentation opportunities are lost because submission instructions are not followed. Remember: deadlines are final; word count matters; subject or theme criteria must be followed, and font and margin preferences should be heeded. Ignoring these requirements only wastes everyone’s time – including yours. Finally, C – Only present your best work in the best possible shape. Has your manuscript been proofread, beta-read, and copy-edited? If your work is not polished, it is not ready to be seen.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My biggest challenge in becoming a writer was taking classes while working full-time and having a growing family. Luckily, my family understood my literary aspirations, supported me every step of the way, and never complained about my questionable dinner choices.

I was lucky to have wonderful professors at the University of Dayton who were instrumental in providing the tools, instruction, and feedback to take my first writing steps. Their guidance and encouragement helped me develop the skills to not only complete my degree but also become a successful writer. The University of Dayton’s motto is “Learn, Lead, and Serve.” These words have inspired me to reach out to other writers through the Citrus Writers of Florida and into our community to share what I have learned so that other writers may take their first steps as well.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

The book covers were designed by Between the Lines Publishing
The heart on fire graphic was designed by David Collins

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Portraits of Resilience

Sometimes just seeing resilience can change out mindset and unlock our own resilience. That’s our

Productivity
Perspectives on Staying Creative

We’re beyond fortunate to have built a community of some of the most creative artists,

Confidence
Kicking Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

This is the year to kick the pesky imposter syndrome to the curb and move