A Perfect Beach Escape

by Audrey Wick from the August 26, 2024 issue

Tagline: As Becca settles into her tropical vacation, she meets a surprise companion who makes her getaway all the sweeter.

Off the Cuff Observations: I'm behind on blogging again, so to try to catch up, I sometimes just record my thoughts as I read the story. So, here goes. :)

It's a vacation story. Those are always tricky because you have to get the reader to believe in the coincidence that two people who hit it off on vacation happen to live in the same town. But that may not be the case here.

She's caring for aging parents. Boy, do I feel that. My mom has dementia and it's hard to watch the slow but inevitable decline. Harder, though, for my sister and her husband, who moved in with her.

Of course she's reading romance! I think it's practically a given that a heroine in a Woman's World story is a romance reader. LOL

I like this sentence:

He winked, a playful gleam from his dreamy blue eyes energizing the space between them.

It's "electricity" without a too-intimate touch. Perfect.

Okay, I've already sped to the end of the story. Interesting. I really liked the descriptions of the setting. Wick really painted the tropical scene well. But it's curious that the ending is, well, so open-ended. Like I mentioned at the beginning, where do the two vacationers go from there? Maybe he lives on one coast and she lives on the other... I guess we just have to trust that they will go on the sunset cruise and just see what happens. This is a definite departure from the norm for Woman's World stories. I'll be keeping an eye out for more stories with ambiguous HEAs. 

Photo by James via Flickr CC License

As Sweet as a Macaron

by Audrey Wick from the 1/22/24 issue=

Tagline: When Rayna takes a French cooking class, she never expects to whip up romance...until she meets the handsome chef and sparks fly.

Observations: This was a charming story. I love cooking and am a genuine foodie. I love watching cooking shows. The Great British Baking Show is a fave of mine. I imagine Ms. Wick likes macarons and perhaps even makes them. Or, if she's like me, she wants to try her hand at them one day. To be honest, I've even had daydreams of starting a macaron making side gig, selling at farmer's markets and online. Probably never gonna happen, but it's fun to daydream.

The thing is, you can take one of your daydreams, and turn it into a Woman's World story. I talk about this at length in my book, Story Sparking: How to Generate Ideas for Woman's World Magazine 5-Minute Romances. (If you're interested in buying the book, the link is down below.)

For instance, let's say you thought it might be fun to be a blackjack dealer. Maybe your heroine's friend owns a catering company or is a party planner. She needs someone to help her with a casino night and your heroine has played blackjack in the past with her late husband, so she knows the game. Her friend is desperate, so she volunteers to help. One of the guests has never played before so she teaches him some tips and tricks her late husband taught her. One thing leads to another and they make plans to see each other the next weekend.

Now, I have to tell you, I also used another story sparking idea in that story outline, above. Look at your own life. What is going on at this moment? At this moment, I'm at the Red Rock Resort outside of Las Vegas, so when I asked myself, what kind of kooky, out of the norm daydream/interest could I use as an example for this blog post? Blackjack dealer!

Try it yourself. Try either method--current events in your own life or a hobby or interest--and see if you can come up with a story plot. Do this often and it will get easier. The more you brainstorm story ideas, the better you'll get at them. 

To buy Story Sparking: How to Generate Ideas for Woman's World Magazine 5-Minute Romances, click here.

Photo credit: Takeshi Kuboki via Flickr Creative Commons License

Airport Attraction

by Audrey Wick from the April 3, 2023 issue

Tagline: Laurel is sure her love story with Ryan is over as she steps into the airport...until a surprise visitor changes everything.

Stream of Consciousness Observations: In case you're not familiar, in Stream of Consciousness Observations, I just put down my thoughts and reactions live as I read the story.

Oooh, she's being brave about something. I wonder what it is. Is she travelling alone for the first time? First time on a plane?

She's leaving a boyfriend. Poor thing.

Ah, a workmate relationship. That's always a dicey decision. If it goes south, like it looks like it did, you still have to see each other at work everyday.

Ryan broke up with her because she wanted to make more money and see places? She's better off without him!

Yet there was one bright spot... -- What is the bright spot?

I just realized this is that classic trope from rom coms where the hero stops the heroine from leaving on the plane with a heartfelt speech or grand gesture!

Okay, pretty good speech, Ryan. I will now allow Laurel to stay with you. LOL

Photo by club ohen via Flickr Creative Commons License

The Sweetest Love Story

 by Audrey Wick from the December 5, 2022 issue

Tagline: Mia is falling for the mystery man leaving her notes at her neighborhood's little free library...then a mug of cocoa finally brings them together.

Observations: I adore little free libraries! It's on my bucket list to have my woodworking sons make me one. I also adored the idea of exchange notes via the books. The first story I ever sold to Woman's World had a similar idea, except the notes were placed on tables at a deli.

This story was fabulous. I wasn't surprised to see that Ms. Wick is a novelist. There was a noticeable and restrained polish to her prose that I appreciated. I hope to see more of her stories in Woman's World!