Waynesvilleman publishes first novel
Write about what you know. Thomas Brigger of Waynesville learned how important this tried and true advice is to crafting a good story as he set out to write his first novel more than 15 years ago.
“I’m the guy who never knewwhat he wanted to do when he grew up,” Brigger said .“I started as a construction worker and then worked myway up to corporate executive. Along the way I traveled a lot.”
Brigger experienced life as he traveled to nearly every state in the country and he realized that Americans are more alike than they are different.
“I was always interested in how people acted and reacted to situations,” Brigger said.
He tried his hand at writing as a hobby years ago and endedupwith a few short stories he sent on to his sister to read. Hemade thejump from the short story “hobby” to novelwriting one nightwhile sitting in a hotel in Cleveland.
“I had just finished a really badnovel,” Brigger said. “And I thought tomyself – I can do this, and I can do better.”
He started writing his first book that night and coincidentally, the main character was a construction manager sent to southwest Virginia to begin a new project.
“I had been working on several construction projects myself inVirginia at the time,” Brigger said. “Iwas fascinated by the people, but I was also al armed by the drug problem .”
Brigger finished his first draft and ended up putting it away and not looking at it again until a little over a year agowhen he decided to review it and see if he could get it published.
“When I read the book again, it turned out I really liked what I had written all those years ago,” Brigger said. “I had truly never taken an objective look atmy ownwriting.”
Brigger’s main character in his book “Beyond the Higher Ground ,” which was published last December, is a man looking for a way to restart his life after the death of his wife, while dealing with there occurring demons of his childhood.
“Tucker Mason is a man who, like most people, has lived through a lot of adversity in his life,” Brigger said. “He is given this project to build a prison on the top of a mountain in Virginia and he sees it as a greatopportunity.”
Brigger said “higher ground” is a metaphor for Mason’s life on themountain, living among the peoplewho call it home.
“About halfway through the construction project, Tucker discovers drugs are running through the prison,” Brigger said. “Then the plot begins to thicken.”
When Brigger revisited his
book, which is fictional but includes some historical references, he shared it with his wife, made some edits and then worked on getting it published.
“I had no clue howto publish a book,” Brigger said. “I sawan advertisement online and found two publishers who were accepting work from new writers.”
The next thing he knew, Brigger had two contracts from two New York publishing houses. He read through both and chose the one he found the easiest to understand.
Brigger knew he’d need to figure out how tomarket his new book effectively, so he built a web page and said he ended up giving away quite a few copies.
“My wifewas hospitalized, and I sawa lot of nurses reading the book,” Brigger said.
While researching“Beyond the Higher Ground,” Brigger said what surprised him the most was how sophisticated the illegal drug business has become.
“It’s a complex problem and I can seewhy it’s so difficult to control,” Brigger said. “If these peoplewere in legitimate industry, they would be Fortune 500 companies.”
Brigger also said he was shocked at how few resources are available, particularly in rural areas, to fight the growing drug problem.
“Thesecommunities don’t have sophisticated narcotics divisions,” Brigger said. “It’s a sheriff and a few investigators and that’s it. This makes these areas fertile for drug dealers and the industry.”
Brigger continues to craft stories about issues affecting people right herein southwestern Ohio. He is currently working on his next novel as well as a collection of short stories.
“My guess is thedrugproblem is going to get worse because no one can really do anything to control it,” Brigger said. “The pandemic hasn’t helped and, in a way, hasmade thingsworse. More people are struggling with mental health and PTSD.”
“Beyond the Higher Ground” is available at bookstores and online at https:// www.beyondt he higher ground. B rigger self published the audio version through Amazon.