I need a profession for my main character. Well I need a reason for the hero to come back to his home town in California after being gone 10 years and cross paths with the main female character. I didnt want him to come back to his hometown because a relative died or someone in his family was sick. So the male character has been living in chicago and I was thinking maybe he played football or baseball there and now he got traded to a california team. Or maybe he is a golfer and wants to build a golf course in California. Or I thought what if he is a sports agent and he wants to relocate his agency back to California. The female character is a chef with her her own restaurant. He is in his early 30s. I can't really think of anything else. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. The female main character is an old flame. He hasnt seen her in 10 years.
If you are really into a sports career, I would say make him a coach. Like he is past his prime as a player so he goes to coach his old middle school team. Just a thought.
Maybe he just wants to see the family again, or is lonely and searching for answers to why he choose the life he's living. You seem into the sports theme, perhaps he got injured. How deep do you want this character to be. Is he the type that is reflecting on his past. He could maybe just want to be looking for a life he misses. How about he got sick of playing the game and wants to change careers, realizing he was playing for some one else like his father. There is a little conflict with his father in that idea. Hope I've helped some. Hey, is this girl an old flame or someone new.
How about a Soldier? You know, the John Rambo-esque, tired warrior... Although, there aren't many places a Soldier could be stationed in Chicago... You could say he was stationed at Rock Island Arsenal, like I am. After a few deployments to war he finally finished his enlistment there. I know quite a few guys like that myself! If he's early to mid-thirties, and been in ten years, he more than likely be a Staff Sergeant or Sergeant 1st Class. If he had some college first, he'd be a Captain or a VERY young Major, if he fast-tracked. Hope this helped.
There are plenty of jobs that require you to move from city to city for whatever reason. If you want it to be sports related, being a pro player works. Maybe he had a career ending injury and heard of an opportunity to coach in his hometown where he's somewhat of a celebrity. Or he could be a professor at a University and was attending a conference of some kind in another city. Or maybe he was just a generic professional (Engineer, Chemist, Doctor) that went to a conference/seminar in another city. Or maybe he's an author of a best selling book and he's doing book signings in that city. Or maybe he's not an author, but he's famous for something which led to someone writing a book about it which led to the book signing idea again. You say it's a hometown in California... maybe if it's near LA that opens up the opportunity for a lot of other ideas. Actor shooting a movie/TV show in LA. And you mentioned the character had been living in Chicago prior, I know Improv comedy is big in that city (Second City). Maybe that's what he did... then somehow he gets a gig in LA and it leads him back to his hometown. Or... maybe he's already somewhat famous and he was invited to go do some talk show in LA.
He could just come back for a job. These things happen. I've ended up living much of my adult life in the town I grew up in, simply because the firm I was working for relocated me here. Just a chance thing. I could have ended up living anywhere else. I had no reason to move back here. I had no family left here and hadn't kept up with any of my school friends (I hated school).
