We were lucky to catch up with PJ Peterson recently and have shared our conversation below.

PJ , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My first career was in medicine and I loved it. When I retired, I needed something to do with all this free time (beyond housework, quilting, and gardening) and dusted off a murder mystery that I had written nearly 40 years earlier. It was so old it was on a floppy disc that I had to take to a computer store to convert to a CD.

I had tried half-heartedly to find an agent several times in the past but once I learned about self-publishing from a traveler when we were chatting at the Vatican, I decided to pursue that idea. I never really planned to be an author. I just wanted to publish my book—and maybe become famous overnight—but once I hit that “publish” button, I was hooked and decided to write a second book.

Along the way I learned more about the art and rules of good writing, such as adhering to the so-called formulas of genre writing. I didn’t know what a trope was when I started. I’ve read a couple dozen books on different styles of plotting and pacing and character development and such, but I still write more from my heart and brain, rather than from a prescribed formula.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

First and foremost I’m a retired physician who loves people. In my practice, frequently I found myself using stories from my own experience to get a point across. I’ve written short stories and children’s stories on the side for quite some time, just for fun, and sometimes as a contest entry. I’ve had four medical “stories” published over the years as a result of winning.

My writing now is purely for entertainment. I think I entertain myself as much as my readers. I like to inject humor into my mysteries. The protagonist in my Julia Fairchild mystery series has a clever wit and a sidekick younger sister who gets to play the straight man sometimes, but is often a little silly herself.

I’ve never been able to be totally serious in any presentation even in my career as a physician. I think I get it from my mother! I find it fairly easy to sit down at my computer and make up stories or scenes with just a nugget of an idea. Even back in seventh grade I recall my English teacher commenting on my imagination when I submitted my work. I often find myself reacting to a situation, especially if it’s been interesting in some way, with the thought, “How can I work this into a book?” In fact, I’ve done exactly that in every one of my books. Much of my fiction is, in fact, based on some smidgen of reality.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I confess there’s a little part of me that enjoys being on stage. As a youngster, I imagined being a famous pianist. As a grown-up, I enjoy tap-dancing and being in front of an audience. As an author, I’m on a different kind of stage. I love knowing that someone somewhere is reading my books. I love getting great reviews. I enjoy being a little famous in my own community as an author. But I really write only because I love to write.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

It may not have made any difference, but knowing more about tropes and genres and plotting and outlining stories would have been helpful earlier on. I wrote my first novel without knowing any of those things. While I think it’s a decent first book, it might have been much better with professional editing, a fantastic cover, and fewer punctuation errors (which I corrected later, most of them anyway…).

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pjpetersonauthor.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjpetersonauthor

Image Credits
photos of me taken by Angela Thompson