Mr. Fix-It

 by Shelley Cooper from the August 31, 2020 issue

Tagline: After a tough breakup, Delaney never expects to find the fix to her broken heart behind the counter of a hardware store...

Observations: I really liked the character of Delaney in this story, and I wanted to talk about two options for characters you may never have considered.

Option 1

Present the readers with a character who needs a change in his/her life. Show how the character's life has been up to this point and then, during the course of the story, show them realizing change is needed and embracing that change. It can be romantic. For example, Mary could have a problem with shyness and in the story we see her mustering up the courage to talk to a man she likes. 

Or it can be completely unrelated to romance. Maybe someone is too rigid about rules to their detriment, and in the story we see the person realize that being more flexible is a good thing. In these types of situations, just make sure there's some romance in there as well.

Option 2

Mr Fix-It is an excellent example of the other way you can go at this. Here, Delaney is already poised and ready for the change to occur. She/he's done all the hard work of getting mentally ready and embracing the opportunity to grow. All you have to do is put her in the ideal situation for that growth to occur or for that first step to be taken.

Photo by Rich Bowen via Flickr CC license