Smiling Eyes

Story: Smiling Eyes by Ginger Hanson from the March 16, 2009 issue

Tagline: Would it take more than the luck o' the Irish to get Patrick annd Shanna back together?

In a Nutshell: Shanna needs an Irishman to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. She knows she should ask her Irish fiance to help her out, but they had a fight. She swallows her pride and apologizes for her behavior. He agrees to march in the parade but only if they get married directly afterward!

Teaching Points: This story is the perfect example of the 3-act structure. The first act occurs when we find out Shanna's problem and her backstory. The second act starts when her friend helps her realize what she needs to do to solve the problem. Lastly, we see Shanna follow through.

Woman's World stories often don't have climaxes, but this one does. I love a climax in a story. Here, it's when Shanna apologizes and reconfirms her love, but Patrick doesn't say anything at first. We wonder if he still wants to marry her or if her pride ruined everything. Of course, Patrick still loves her. Good man, Patrick!

There was also a nice character arc for Shanna. During the course of the story, she learns to apologize and admit she was wrong. This makes me optimistic about her future with Patrick.

My Favorite Parts:

"Wait, you're saying that Mr. Maguire can't do the parade?" I heard myself, well, shout.

The "well" was funny.

I also laughed when she moaned softly at the beginning of the story.

But my favorite part was Patrick's response to Shanna. "Are you calling to apologize or because Mr. Maguire is in the hospital..." He didn't let her get away with anything, rightfully so, but he also smiled to soften his strong stance. That's when I thought to myself, "Shanna better not let this one get away."