Embedded Files
How Sarah Dessen Writes...
Character
Sarah Dessen writes her stories in the first person perspective of the protagonist in order to allow readers to intimately experience internal thoughts and feelings. For example, in the book What Happened to Goodbye, Dessen tells the story in McLean's point of view. This allowed the reader to experience McLean emotional detachment and the impact of her parent’s divorce on her.
Sentence Structure
Sarah Dessen writes her stories with varied sentence structure in order to reflect the emotional state of her protagonists. Dessen often blends short, abrupt sentences with longer, more flowing sentences in order to mirror the emotional state of the protagonists. For example, in the book Dreamland, Dessen utilizes her varied word structure in order to emphasize the confusion, numbness, and isolation Caitlin experiences while in an abusive relationship. Thus, the word structure in Dessen’s writing creates an authentic and emotional voice to the protagonists.
Plot/Structure
Sarah Dessen uses a character driven plot to explore themes of identity, growth, and emotional healing. Rather than relying on dramatic twists or crazy events, Dessen constructs a realistic and gradual story line that mirrors the internal growth of her protagonists. For example, in the book What happened to Goodbye, McLean's involvement in the community project helps her begin genuine connections and confront emotional walls. This plot element reflects her inner transformation. Thus, through this slow, character-driven plot emphasizes the themes of identity, growth, and emotional healing.
Emulation of Sarah Dessen
The summer after my parents split up, I learned how to drive, got a job at a bookstore, and decided I hated the color green. Not for any deep meaningful reason, just because it’s the color my dad had painted the kitchen before he left. I remember walking in, the smell of paint still strong, and realizing my life had completely changed.
The bookstore was small and always smelled like dust and paper with a hint of coffee. I liked that cause it didn't try to be anything it wasn’t. I worked mornings. Shifts were mostly quiet and the biggest crisis was the printer running out of ink. Then one Thursday, Houston started working there too. He was tall, kind of quiet, and he didn’t talk much unless he had something worth saying. Which, weirdly, I liked.
We didn’t talk a lot at first, Just small things like what the weather was like, if I liked Mac N Cheese, whether I thought people could ever actually forgive each other. (That last one came out of nowhere, over a stack of returned books.)
“I think they can,” I said. “But it doesn’t mean things go back to how they were before.”
Reid nodded like he knew exactly what I meant. I didn’t ask what his story was, and he didn’t ask mine. But it felt like maybe we were both carrying some version of the same weight.
By mid-July we started walking to the dock after closing. Just sitting. Not even touching, just letting the silence be. Sometimes, being with someone who didn’t ask you to explain everything was the most comforting thing in the world.
One night, as the sky turned that soft blue that only exists in summertime, Houston said, “You know you don’t have to hate green forever. It’s not the color's fault.”
I laughed. “Yeah, well. It still sucks.”
“Maybe, but it won’t always”
And somehow, that small moment, him and me with the fading light and the gentle honesty, felt like the beginning of something. Maybe not a relationship but something, something real.
And for the first time in a long time, I believed that maybe things didn’t have to go back to how they were, but could maybe become something even better.
Explanation of Emulation...
Character
I wrote this story from a first person point of view in order to allow the readers to understand the internal thoughts and feelings of the protagonist. For example, I wrote the sentence “(That last one came out of nowhere, over a stack of returned books.)” This allows the readers to understand the immediate thought the protagonist was having within this situation. Readers can understand the shock she experienced, when otherwise told in a different narrative they would not have been able to.
Sentence Structure
I wrote this story with varied sentence structure by including some short, abrupt sentences while also including some long, flowy sentences in order to reflect the protagonist's emotional state. For example, I used a variation of short and long sentences in order to create emphasis on the transformation the protagonist experienced. The sentence structure allowed readers to understand the progression of the protagonist and evolve her emotional state.
Plot/Structure
I wrote this story with a character driven plot in order to explore the themes of identity, growth, and emotional healing. Rather than writing this story with dramatic plot twists I created a simple plot that follows the realistic storyline of the protagonist in order to establish internal growth and identity. For example, I wrote about the protagonist struggling with the experience with her parents splitting up, and then I followed a simple storyline that leads her to develop her identity and experience emotional healing.
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