An important difference...

... author and friend, Henry Corrigan, visits the bog this week.  Thanks for being here Henry and this space is all yours...

Words such as bleak and oppressive are kind of like kissing cousins. While they might not be directly related, they know each other well enough to have been intimately acquainted on more than one occasion. The reason for this is that bleak tends to describe one’s outlook on a situation, be it cheerless and exceedingly dark. Whereas oppressive tends to describe the situation itself, as something that’s difficult to endure. Given their closeness, it can be easy to assume that the words are interchangeable, and in some cases, they are. But in most cases, and especially fiction, the difference between them is overwhelmingly important, which is a lesson I was forced to learn early on when writing A Man in Pieces.

Earlier today, I was lucky enough to receive a wonderful review from Readers Favorite, and while I’ve read it at least a dozen times, one line still stands out. The reviewer said she “felt enamored by the sweet and heart-warming love” between two of my characters, which is a funny thing for me to consider because there was absolutely nothing sweet or heart-warming in the original version of my novel.

Not long after I finished the first draft, I sent the book out to a number of beta readers and they all said the same thing. They said it was beautiful, but oppressive. There was no break from the unrelenting darkness, it was like being hit over the head with nihilism.

And while I was disappointed by their reactions, (this book was based on my nightmares after all, darkness was what I was going for) it didn’t take me long to realize that they were right. A Man in Pieces was nothing but one bad thing after another. There was no light to be found.

All the things my readers have been enamored with since, the warmth and tenderness, the life and humor, were all things I went back and added in because just like a rollercoaster, it’s the ups which make the downs that much more thrilling. By bringing in the light, I was able to make the darkness hurt that much more.

The difference between bleak and oppressive is as important as the difference between ‘I can’t’ and ‘I can’t stop.’ It’s what prevents a reader from walking away and keeps them thinking about your book long after it ends. A Man in Pieces is bleak, make no mistake. I knew going into this it wouldn’t be for everyone. But much like Edward Van Sloan said shortly after the opening credits of Frankenstein, it would be unkind to present this story without just a word of friendly warning.

There is light here. It is a story about average men with average jobs, struggling to survive and you will find life and warmth and romance and a couple of laugh-your-ass-off moments. But there is also something else here too. And I think you will love how much it hurts you in the end.

about the author… Henry Corrigan is a bisexual, omnivore author, poet and playwright who writes every kind of story. Whether it’s horror or science fiction, erotica or poetry, high fantasy or children’s books, he writes it all because every story matters to him. They’re what keeps him going. Always an avid reader, Henry started writing poetry in middle school but it wasn’t until he started writing erotica in high school that he really learned the mechanics of writing. What started out as private stories and love letters, soon became publications in anthologies.

To date, he has the rough drafts of two science fiction books, one horror novella, one play, four children’s books, numerous poems and several song lyrics waiting in the wings. Above all, he wants to be known for not staying where he’s been put. To always surprise people, especially himself. Because that’s what makes it fun. The feeling that even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do next.

about the book… Mike Harper would like nothing more than to burn his dead-end job to the ground. But with a wife on bed rest and a son on the way, discovering that the company is downsizing couldn’t come at a worse time. Now, struggling to stay afloat, Mike is forced to fight for the last remaining spot to secure his family’s future. It’s too bad that Tom, his obnoxious boss, is in the same boat.

Tom Downes is a man with few friends and even fewer prospects, but the aging veteran has never gone down without a fight. Now , with his health failing and his marriage falling apart, Tom is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his job.

With a blinding snowstorm closing in, these two desperate men will battle each other on a long and twisted road fraught with heartbreaking losses – and murder.

For when it comes to staying afloat, the American Dream can break anyone…

You can get the book Here

You can follow Henry on his Website on Medium  Amazon Twitter  Facebook and on his Blog