A Cut Above

by Vicki Cox from the January 17, 2022 issue

Tagline: After an at-home haircut gone terribly wrong, Sam Johnson is embarrassed to be entering a salon for the first time. But fate has a plan for both his hair and his love life when Shelly, his hairdresser, arrives to give him a new shot at love.

Observations: This was a darling and original premise--the home haircut disaster. The mutual break-up-by-text was novel as well. I am always preaching the value of showing the hero and heroine having things in common, but usually it's walks in the park, cannoli and candlelight and that kind of thing. Even though break-ups are never pleasant, this is still something solid the two can connect over. Also, they both chose to look at the bright side of it, saying it was the best thing that ever happened to them. Like last week's story, Sam got a new start in life with a new job and a change in location. 

Another thing I wanted to point out about the break-ups was the texting aspect and especially the fact that he had a ring in his pocket evokes some real sympathy for the character. When you feel bad for the character, you naturally begin to root for him, so the happy ending of them going out for coffee is that much more satisfying.

Also, if you haven't seen the news, check it out! 

Photo by Nenad Stojkovic via Flickr Creative Commons License

Let It Snow

 by Karen Thurber from the January 10, 2022 issue

Tagline: Caught in her first snowstorm, Sarah is unsure of what to do ,until handsome Ben shows her the ropes...and offers her a new chance at love.

This photo is not Vermont. It's of some kind of Hello Kitty place in Japan, but it looked so wintery and whimsical, I couldn't resist it.

Also, I announced a new thing here on the blog. Check it out here.

Stream of Consciousness Observations: 

• So this is a fresh start after a rocky breakup story. Life changing moments are often a good basis for a story because you have a character evoking change in their own life, a very positive thing, something you admire him/her for. 
• She's never seen real snow... I can buy that, if she's lived in Florida all her life. However, she just up and moves to Vermont, sight unseen? That is a little cray cray, in my opinion. 
• "But something important was missing: love. Not just love, but love with someone thoughtful, fun, handsome...expectations only a fairy godmother could fulfill." Hm. I don't think she's asking for a whole heck of a lot, actually. But all of that is relative. What one person considers fun, another person thinks is torture. But I'm getting super picky here.
• A lost dog--a tried and true Woman's World trope.
• She puts on a jacket, but no snow boots, which I assume she doesn't wear inside the house just chillin'. 
• He gives her his gloves as a welcome present. He is thoughtful, I'll give him that, but I'm thinking her hands would be swimming in them... I must be in a mood. I'm definitely over-thinking things.
• Snow angels...another good trope for the magazine.
• The condo complex's power nearly always goes out during a snow storm? Did her real estate agent know/communicate this? I mean, I don't live in Vermont, but how often are there storms? How often would you have to abandon your home and hunker down in the community center?
• I liked the ending, bringing it back to her fairy godmother thoughts.
• Overall, it may have been my mood, but so many things jumped out at me.

Photo by Tomohiro Otake via Flickr Creative Commons License

Kicking Off Forever

by Marti Attoun from the January 3, 2022 issue

Tagline: After a devastating breakup, Bev is in no mood to celebrate New Year's Eve, until rugged Sam steps in to ring in the holiday with a bang.

Observations: There were a lot of things I loved about this story. First, how about that picture of the cowboy boots in the magazine? I found it refreshingly different from their usual picture and maybe even a little sexy!

I adored the idea of the New Year's Eve Boot Drop. So very original! I also loved that they had an Ugly Boot Contest and that Attoun described several of the entries...

• shiny orange go-go boots with "Bye 2021" and "Farewell" on them.
• gaudy striped booties
• cowboy boots festooned with rhinestones
• hip waders covered with stickers of champagne bottles and noisemakers

I loved this simile, "A handsome single guy at the Red Oak Grill is as scarce as caviar." In my Writing and Selling Romance to Woman's World Magazine class, I suggest one of the ways to make your story stand out from the crowd is to add one really prime simile. This is a very good example. I like how there's a contrast between the rural town down-to-earthiness described and ritzy caviar.

I also loved the little detail of the vintage Dr. Pepper clock in the cafe and how charming the town seemed. 

This was another excellent story from a seasoned WW pro.

P.S. Don't miss the announcement post below!

Photo by Jeremy Jenum via Flickr Creative Commons License

THE WW BLOG AWARDS

Hear ye, hear ye! Let it be known that I will henceforth be bestowing quarterly awards of excellence to the Woman's World stories I read. There will be virtual badges for each award in case the authors would like to post on social media. 

Here are the categories. Best of luck to all the writers!