A close look at the stories that work will show that it is the characters themselves who change, not just their situation. That is what the reader is hoping for.
At its simplest, a good story concerns a character who is unhappy at the beginning and happy (or happier, at least) at the end.
Jagged
Gideon Jagged (1963 — ) has degrees in Philosophy and Computer Science and has been a working writer since 2000. He is a Free Thinker, Free Expression Absolutist, and a Proud Child of the Enlightenment. He lives and works on the Pacific Coast.