Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Brooks
One of the most fascinating things about being a writer, for me, is exploring the way small changes lead to big ones.
I wrote a story, a number of years ago, about a boy who grew up to become a thief. It was a very dark and disturbing story, leaning closer to horror than the fantasy it was intended to be. Then, having written it entirely for my own entertainment, I put it away.
A couple of years later, I happened across it again and re-read it, and my first thought was that it was really quite good. Too good to be consigned once more to a dusty drawer. Good enough that I wanted it to see the light of publication. But I’m a romance writer at core, and romances thrive on happy endings. What would it take, I wondered, to give my character a happy ending? What would need to change for him to even come to a point where healing was possible?
I rewrote, and rewrote, and rewrote. The story either stubbornly remained dark, or it became a mushy pastiche that failed to convince even me of any potential for real character growth. Finally, just as I was about to toss the whole notion away and consign the character once more to a wounded, loveless life, a friend of mine made a single, simple suggestion that acted like an explosion behind my eyes: he didn’t have to end up as a thief.
I rewrote yet again. This time, I made one small change — the profession of his rescuer. It made a world of difference for my character. It brought him out of the underworld, into a place of light where happiness and contentment were suddenly possible in a way they never had been, before.
Whereas before, his entire energy and motivation had been focused on ensuring he would never return to the horror he had suffered, he was now able to realize that it was possible to reach even higher. With that shift in motivation came possibilities for internal growth that simply hadn’t been possible before.
All that, for one tiny little change.
Safe Harbor’s beginning is still dark and disturbing, and I make no apology for that. I ask you to give it a chance, because it remains some of the best writing I’ve ever done — and once that darkness is past, you’ll get something precious: you get to watch the flowers of love and trust and hope bloom amidst the rubble of pain… and to be amazed at the differences that small changes can make.
Safe Harbor by Elizabeth L. Brooks, July 2011, Torquere Press
Visit Elizabeth at her blog: http://EveryWorldNeedsLove.
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8 Responses to “Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Brooks”
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I can’t wait to read it, Elizabeth! I love anything about sailing, and I love dark stories with HEAs even more.
Thanks, Shira! I hope you enjoy it! I lost more time, writing it, getting sucked into my research on sailing vessels and terminology… Hee!
I love sailing, too. And anything historical about sailing. I got hooked on the Hornblower novels by an old BF. What time period is this set? It wasn’t clear from the blurb on the TQ website, just an indication from the type of ships on the cover.
I started writing a pirate-y story for an antho call and it quickly went into novella-territory.After the necessary research I missed the deadline, too, but I am hoping to finish it at some point, though it will likely be a novel by then!
Oh, no, it’s the incredible expanding story! Hee…
This is set in a fantasy world, as befits its (ultimate) Dungeons and Dragons roots. Sort of a medieval European setting, in a world I’ve been crafting since I was in high school, which is WAY longer ago than I care to admit.
This sounds great, Elizabeth. I must admit I *like* a touch of dark with my romance! And I admire your determination to make this story what you really wanted in the end 🙂
Thanks, Clare! Characters who climb out of dark and difficult situations are a particular fondness of mine — there’s a similar (if less hotbutton-y) situation in my first published story, Of One Mind, too…
It’s hard to repurpose an old story, good for you for doing that. 🙂 The book looks great.
Thank you! I loved this story so much that I was just determined that it was going to see the light of day! 🙂