Courtesy photo / Dustin Hess displays a copy of his new young adult novel “Sweet Pea and the Three Days of Darkness.”

More than 10 years ago, Dustin Hess sat down to write his first fictional middle-school-aged novel for his young children, “Sweet Pea and The Three Days of Darkness.” Until he stopped about a few chapters in.

“I realized I had no idea how to write the middle part of a book,” he said. “Beginnings and endings are easier, middles not so much.”

Over time, Hess picked up his project again and dedicated much of his time learning how to create character arcs, outlines and story beats until he self-published a 100,000-word young adult fictional novel in early 2025.

“Sweet Pea and The Three Days of Darkness,” which follows a 15-year-old girl who struggles to find companionship when a solar event threatens Earth, is now available on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble and Walmart.

“It’s definitely something I’m proud of,” he said, as he plans on writing more books in the future.

Hess believes the seeds for his love of storytelling were planted during childhood when his musically inclined parents encouraged reading and listening to music.

As a result, he said he became obsessed with picture books and “couldn’t wait to hear a new chapter of Narnia read to me every night before bed.”

Hess first got a taste for writing at Tyrone Area Elementary School, where he wrote about a volcano with a time machine planted inside its core. Even at a young age, he thought creative writing prompts were fun exercises.

Then, in middle school, he said he kept track of the kids he struck out during recess dodgeball competitions in a journal, hidden inside his classroom desk. And that love of writing followed him into high school, as he enjoyed reading assignments after finishing essays about classic literature.

“I don’t think I realized it until recently, but looking back, I think writing was something I enjoyed at almost every level of my education,” he said.

While studying marketing at Shippensburg University, Hess made sure to squeeze electives such as poetry and creative writing into his schedule. A few of his creative writing pieces were published in the university’s literary magazine.

Back then, he said it was “pretty cool to see your writing in something ‘real’ like that for the first time.”

Hess met his wife, Shannon, through a mutual friend about 30 years ago during the summer. He settled down in Bellwood, secured a marketing copywriter and brand manager position at New Pig and had two children, Ethan and Olivia.

Work in progress

When their children were pretweens, Hess started drafting his novel, “Sweet Pea and The Three Days of Darkness,” geared for a middle-grade audience.

His daughter, Olivia, remembered sitting in their previous house’s kitchen while her father typed away on his computer about novel characters and plotlines.

“At that age, I wasn’t old enough to really ‘get it,” she said. “It just felt like one of those ‘dad things’ that I knew was important to him and kept him busy.”

His original goal was to write 50,000 words until he hit a writing wall about 10 chapters into the novel. As a result, he abandoned his story for 10 years, giving up on his passion project.

But he never gave up on writing: he channeled his skills differently.

When Olivia was a teenager, she frequently sought her father out to proofread her English homework. And through small influences, she chose to study at Penn State University.

“I trusted his ability and perspective, and he basically doubled as my personal editor,” she said. “Looking back, it’s clear that his guidance influenced the way I write and think, even to this day.”

When Hess turned 50 a few years ago, he said something motivated him to pick up his novel again.

“I owed it to my characters, whom I had created, and I love my characters,” he said. “I couldn’t leave them hanging like that.”

When rewriting his novel, he also realized his children weren’t so young anymore, as they were entering college. So he chose to age up his book, gearing it for the young adult audience instead by including swearing, drinking and mature themes.

Longtime friend and local author Kerry Naylor recalled talking to Hess about the beginnings of “Sweet Pea and the Three Days of Darkness” during the COVID-19 pandemic

at a grocery store.

“We understand each other because I’ve done the same thing,” Naylor said, mentioning that he’s restarted writing projects in the past.

Over Thanksgiving break, Hess sent his daughter the finished manuscript. And she responded with a detailed, five-page analysis and a selfie of her crying when she read the story’s ending.

“At no point did it feel like I was just reading something my dad wrote,” Olivia said. “It felt like I was reading a real book. And because it is a real book, I hope people can enjoy it as much as I did.”

Hess decided to self-publish his book in early 2025, “probably just for the immediate gratification of holding your own book in your hands, feeling some closure to the journey it took to get there,” he said.

Just the beginning

While “Sweet Pea and The Three Days of Darkness” remains fresh on the shelves, family and friends continue to praise Hess’ work.

“What a ride this story gives,” coworker Keith Eldred commented on Amazon. “Now it’s grounded, now it’s distressing, now it’s expository, but always threading through is an abundance of humor, intricacy and subtlety.”

Naylor also hopes “Sweet Pea and The Three Days of Darkness” catches on with readers, as he thoroughly enjoyed the novel for its multi-generational humor and fast-paced plotline.

Hess’ writing evolves each day, as he is currently writing another book that fits into the adult thriller genre.

“Maybe ten years from now, I’ll know what I’m good at or what genre I enjoy writing the most,” he said. “But for now, it’s just fun learning more about craft and trying new things in my process.”

“I’m so glad my dad tapped back into creative writing and picked this book up again,” Olivia said. “I know that having this opportunity to be creative keeps him excited, and everyone needs something that brings that spark back.”

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.