My Favorite Fiction
“Story Of My HeArt Pure Fiction Challenge”
I had a hard time in high school. If you’ve read some of my stories, you know now that I am bipolar and didn’t find this out until I was in my 30’s. My ignorance led to many issues, from bad grades to suspensions to arrests; I was in for the ride. Writing had always been an outlet for me — an escape from a world that felt so cold and dark. I delved deep into poetry first. Twisting words to acquiesce to my whim made me feel like a God. Finally — I had control of something that wasn’t going to land me in prison.
In the ’90s, hip hop had blossomed into a dominant culture that reigned supreme in suburban, white communities. The likes of Tupac, Wu-Tang, and Eminem decorated my walls like most kids my age. Poetry quickly turned to rap lyrics, and like all fads are, it was soon forgotten. Writing needed to take a backseat for my career and my love life to take flight — and so it did.
A few months ago, I fell into the worst depressive state I’ve ever been. It was horrible. I cried daily; I hated myself and everything around me. I didn’t want to talk to my wife — I didn’t want to go to work. The only thing I managed to do was write. For the first time in almost a decade, I decided to write something, but it wasn’t just something. I chose to write a short story for the first time. I had never written a tale before. I had never had to keep a storyline going or develop characters. I was nervous, to say the least, but excited nervous. I decided to convey specific strong points of writers that I enjoy. Steinbeck was the first to come to mind; the way he described the Salinas Valley in East of Eden is probably my favorite bit of literature. Next was Dostoevsky and his dark undertone and depiction of the human psyche in Crime and Punishment.
I knew I couldn’t write like these two giants, but it was fun to challenge myself. The product and my only saving grace in this wretched period of my life was “The Bench” — a dark, short story about a kid named Matthew in the fictitious town of Manchester, New Hampshire. The Bench is left as a cliffhanger — the sequel to the original exists but needs work.
“The Bench” is far from perfect, but that’s what makes it so perfect to me. It was my first work, my baby, my love.
Thank you!