--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first thought of the idea for…" description: "\"When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,' I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of the real world. And what I really liked was h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png" --- # When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,'… ![“When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,' I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of the real world. And what I really liked was how it moved things on from 'Sleeping Beauty'-esque romance novels where the girl had to wait for the hero. This would be girl-driven, very…” quote by Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png) > “When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,' I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of the real world. And what I really liked was how it moved things on from 'Sleeping Beauty'-esque romance novels where the girl had to wait for the hero. This would be girl-driven, very different, I decided - and indeed it is.” [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The series was created to portray teenage life actively, breaking passive romance tropes and empowering female agency. **In simple terms:** Girl-driven stories empower teens. Key Takeaway Create proactive, diverse teen narratives. Themes youth culture gender empowerment literature media representation Mood hopeful inspired Type inspirational literary When to use this quote - young adult fiction - school curricula - media analysis - creative writing Key Concepts female agency storytelling social norms Questions to Reflect On - How can teen media reflect real diversity? - What stories empower young women today? A Different Perspective Risk of reinforcing stereotypes if not nuanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Romance novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance-novel/) [Romance Novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance-novels-2/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > ['Sweet Valley High' is fantastic, fabulous, a little bit campy, and - dare I say it - cinematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/sweet-valley-high-is-fantastic-fabulous-a-little-bit-campy-and-dare-i/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [I love 'Sweet Valley,' but I love it from a different angle. There are people for whom it is their adolescence. They own it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/i-love-sweet-valley-but-i-love-it-from-a-different-angle-there-are/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“I just can’t wait to get out of Sweet Valley,' Jessica explained. 'I feel like I’ve been dancing with the same ten cute guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/i-just-can-t-wait-to-get-out-of-sweet-valley-jessica-explained-i-feel/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“At the time I was, and would continue to be for many years, obsessed with the Sweet Valley High books. I read them voraciously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/at-the-time-i-was-and-would-continue-to-be-for-many-years-obsessed/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [She had me at Sweet Valley High. Gay playfully crosses the borders between pop culture consumer and critic, between serious academic and lighthearted sister-girl,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-harris-perry/she-had-me-at-sweet-valley-high-gay-playfully-crosses-the-borders/) [Melissa Harris-Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-harris-perry/) > [“I'll move mountains to live in your sweet valley"-King”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nona-day/i-ll-move-mountains-to-live-in-your-sweet-valley-king/) Nona Day > [There is only one princess in the Disney tales, one girl who gets to be exalted. Princesses may confide in a sympathetic mouse or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-orenstein/there-is-only-one-princess-in-the-disney-tales-one-girl-who-gets-to/) [Peggy Orenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-orenstein/) > [I like Aurora, Sleeping Beauty, because shes just sleeping and looking pretty and waiting for boys to come kiss her. Sounds like a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-grande/i-like-aurora-sleeping-beauty-because-shes-just-sleeping-and-looking/) [Ariana Grande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-grande/) > [“Welcome back,sleeping beauty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/welcome-back-sleeping-beauty/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [“She could end up as just another girl in a forbidden room, a sleeping beauty who would never wake. He didn't want that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-cross/she-could-end-up-as-just-another-girl-in-a-forbidden-room-a-sleeping/) [Sarah Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-cross/) > [“I haven't finished revisiting Sleeping Beauty. As a faerie tale, that one is rife with inherent difficulties. After all, the world doesn't stop just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-sheehan/i-haven-t-finished-revisiting-sleeping-beauty-as-a-faerie-tale-that/) [Anna Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-sheehan/) > [This is not the way these tales end," Calliope said firmly. "This is not the way that things end when they get to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/this-is-not-the-way-these-tales-end-calliope-said-firmly-this-is-not/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [“I feel like Sleeping Beauty, forever asleep, with the waking world continuing on without me fully aware. Only there is no prince to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-clare/i-feel-like-sleeping-beauty-forever-asleep-with-the-waking-world/) Tiffany Clare > [Get at least 8 hours of beauty sleep. 9 if you're ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/get-at-least-8-hours-of-beauty-sleep-9-if-you-re-ugly/) [Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/) > [You know what’s a great metaphor for love? Sleeping beauty. Because you have to plow through this incredible thicket of thorns in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-know-what-s-a-great-metaphor-for-love-sleeping-beauty-because-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More by Francine Pascal > [“She had started driving past his apartment to see whether or not his car was out front. She had looked up his phone number,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/she-had-started-driving-past-his-apartment-to-see-whether-or-not-his/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [I like to play poker. I have a nice poker group that's been going on for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/i-like-to-play-poker-i-have-a-nice-poker-group-that-s-been-going-on/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“David had said something about her 'distinctive features'. Was he going to make her look ethnic? Jade worried. She was trying so hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/david-had-said-something-about-her-distinctive-features-was-he-going/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“How inappropriate,’ Lila said coldly. ‘Who’d ever dream of showing up at a dance in a wheelchair? What does she think she’s going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/how-inappropriate-lila-said-coldly-who-d-ever-dream-of-showing-up-at/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“Lila walked by with her nose in the air. In a straight line behind her, six obedient kindergartners waddled like baby geese, singing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/lila-walked-by-with-her-nose-in-the-air-in-a-straight-line-behind-her/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“Honestly,’ she said when they were out of Bruce’s earshot, ‘he’s as bad in the kitchen as you are. What do you people do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/honestly-she-said-when-they-were-out-of-bruce-s-earshot-he-s-as-bad/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [No matter when you were born or where, puberty is the same. It's the same for your parents as it is for you -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/no-matter-when-you-were-born-or-where-puberty-is-the-same-it-s-the/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“Ever since her obsession with Jonathan Cain, a deranged transfer student who had been at Sweet Valley for a month, Enid’s life had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/ever-since-her-obsession-with-jonathan-cain-a-deranged-transfer/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“Losers with no imagination say that if you start a new school, there has to be a first day. How come they haven't figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/losers-with-no-imagination-say-that-if-you-start-a-new-school-there/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“The documents were in English—sort of—but the language was so convoluted that it was beginning to give her a headache. It made for even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/the-documents-were-in-english-sort-of-but-the-language-was-so/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“As the crow flies. That’s how she liked to walk. So what if she had nowhere to go? So what if no one on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/as-the-crow-flies-that-s-how-she-liked-to-walk-so-what-if-she-had/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“She’ll probably have all the work made up and a dozen stories written for The Oracle before I finish that one stupid book report…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/she-ll-probably-have-all-the-work-made-up-and-a-dozen-stories-written/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [Humiliation, by the way, is a truly terrible emotion. It's at the bottom of the pile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/humiliation-by-the-way-is-a-truly-terrible-emotion-it-s-at-the-bottom/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [Nature compensates for its mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/nature-compensates-for-its-mistakes/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“His eyes narrowed with scorn. “I know a lot of things about you I didn’t know before, Enid. I know, for instance, that you’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/his-eyes-narrowed-with-scorn-i-know-a-lot-of-things-about-you-i-didn/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) [Explore all 101 Francine Pascal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) ## More Decided quotes > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) > [One day I decided I would like to put a record into my system. So I picked up a record that was lying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/one-day-i-decided-i-would-like-to-put-a-record-into-my-system-so-i/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I just decided to take some time off. I've been modeling since '93, '92, and that's a pretty long time. I'm a single mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-murphy/i-just-decided-to-take-some-time-off-i-ve-been-modeling-since-93-92/) [Carolyn Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-murphy/) > [When I became 21, I decided that nobody learned anything about politics after the age of 21.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/when-i-became-21-i-decided-that-nobody-learned-anything-about/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Before I started doing the film and when I found out I was going to be doing it, I just decided to pump up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parminder-nagra/before-i-started-doing-the-film-and-when-i-found-out-i-was-going-to/) [Parminder Nagra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parminder-nagra/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [You've decided to love me for eternity, I'm still deciding who I want to be today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/you-ve-decided-to-love-me-for-eternity-i-m-still-deciding-who-i-want/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [I turned to my mom and said, 'I'm going to be a martial arts movie star.' She didn't believe me, and neither did my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adkins/i-turned-to-my-mom-and-said-i-m-going-to-be-a-martial-arts-movie-star/) [Scott Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adkins/) > [He decided then that he would love her forever no matter what came to pass. It was not so much a matter of deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-guterson/he-decided-then-that-he-would-love-her-forever-no-matter-what-came-to/) [David Guterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-guterson/) > [At age 28, I had no retail experience, no consumer marketing experience and no real Internet experience. But I decided I wanted to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/at-age-28-i-had-no-retail-experience-no-consumer-marketing-experience/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Work hard on each opinion, but once the case is decided, don't look back; go on to the next case and give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/work-hard-on-each-opinion-but-once-the-case-is-decided-don-t-look/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [You see, years ago I was just an ordinary bee minding my own business, smelling flowers all day, and occasionally picking up part-time work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/you-see-years-ago-i-was-just-an-ordinary-bee-minding-my-own-business/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) Browse all 3,155 Decided quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,' I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of the real world. And what I really liked was how it moved things on from 'Sleeping Beauty'-esque romance novels where the girl had to wait for the hero. This would be girl-driven, very different, I decided - and indeed it is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francine Pascal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-sweet-valley-high-i-loved-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decided" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-sweet-valley-high-i-loved-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/120/francine-pascal-5330_decided_when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-swe_2835742.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I first thought of the idea for 'Sweet Valley High,' I loved the idea of high school as microcosm of…” — Francine Pascal", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francine Pascal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I first thought of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-sweet-valley-high-i-loved-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/when-i-first-thought-of-the-idea-for-sweet-valley-high-i-loved-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```