Creatives Help Board. How may I direct your call?: PAMELA TURNER: Five Things I’ve Learned Writing MALICE AND MAYHEM: TALES OF THE MACABRE

Obsession.

Jealousy.

Vengeance.

The darkest emotions lie buried deep in the human soul, awakened by twisted desires.

In these eleven tales of dark suspense, sometimes there’s truth to the warning, “Be careful what you wish for…”

1. If necessary, I can write a story on a tight deadline.

My first non-academic experience in writing under deadline came when I wrote feature articles and reviews for local publications. Later, when the publisher/editor of the Ten Tales anthologies invited me to contribute stories, I learned I could come up with ideas within a specific time frame, but I also had to learn to prioritize.

2. That I can format my book for Kindle and CreateSpace, and that linking the TOC to individual stories was easier than I thought.

It takes patience and time, but it’s not impossible. If I had any questions, I researched until I found what I needed. I’ve also gotten in the habit of using CTRL-Enter for a new page instead of using the Return key.

3. An autopsied body decomposes faster even if it’s been embalmed.

I learned other interesting trivia about decomposition, including the pros and cons of sealed vs. unsealed or wood vs. metal caskets. (On a side note, I keep leaning toward cremation.)

4. It’s always good to have stories written, even if they’re half completed, in case one needs material.

I keep a file of story ideas and have a number of flash fiction pieces, as well as half-finished stories. This helps when I need to come up with a story, which I had to do to make the 40,000-word count for Malice and Mayhem. Having multiple projects also helps stave off writer’s block.

5. It may take a while, but seeing your story collection in print will happen. It just takes patience, perseverance, and maybe even an innate sense of timing.

Malice and Mayhem is a story collection I’ve wanted to publish for a few years now. I had planned to submit it to a local publisher, but finally decided to self-publish the collection so I could retain control over the material.

About the Author

Pamela Turner drinks too much coffee, and wishes she could write perfect first drafts. Influenced by shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Thriller, and Twilight Zone, she writes paranormal suspense. Publications include the short novels Death Sword, a finalist in the Chanticleer Book Reviews’ Blue Ribbon Paranormal Awards 2013, Exterminating Angel (both from Kensington Publishing’s Lyrical Press imprint), and The Ripper’s Daughter (BlackWyrm Publishing). Her short, dark suspense story, “Family Tradition” (MuseItUp Publishing), was a finalist in the EPIC 2014 EBook Awards, and her short screenplay “Cemetery” placed second in The Writers Place Short/Teleplay screenplay competition. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, EPIC, and a supporting member of HWA. Besides coffee, she likes cats, cemeteries, and old abandoned buildings. You can find her at http://pamelaturner.net