Lamont Turner’s stories have appeared in numerous online and print publications, including “Death And Butterflies” and “Scary Snippets” anthologies, and Abandoned Towers, Jitter, Serial, and The Realm Beyond magazines.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I have been writing since I was a child. I really can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making up stories.
What is your favorite type of fiction and who are your favorite authors?
I love horror and science fiction and mystery stories. I’m particularly fond of Raymond Chandler’s work. 8. I favor the traditional route. After years of being in sales, I’d rather concentrate on my writing and let someone else worry about the marketing.
How do you deal with rejections?
Rejections are never fun, but you can’t take it personally.
Were you taught anything about creative writing in high school or college that just didn’t work for you?
In college I took a creative writing course taught by a man who hated genre fiction. He claimed, correctly that it was often predictable because it had to adhere to certain conventions. What he failed to see was that by limiting what he considered acceptable he was imposing another set of rules on the material.
In your opinion, how important is a writing degree or MFA when it comes to achieving success in writing fiction?
I don’t think a writing degree is a necessity, but reading is. You have to be familiar with the tools at hand.
Do you participate in any online or in-person critique or writing groups?
I don’t presently participate in any critique groups, though there are several writing groups on Facebook I check out for market tips.
What are your writing goals for the next twelve months?
My writing goals for the next twelve months are to concentrate on writing short stories.
What are your writing goals for the next five years?
In the next five years I hope to finish at least one novel.
What book(s) are you reading right now?
I just finished Dashiell Hammett’s “Red Harvest.”
