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Nicholas Sparks’ Novels and Adaptations...Nicholas Sparks’ Novels and Adaptations...He Does It All!He Does It All!

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Writer and Producer, Nicholas Sparks is a “New York Times Best Selling Author”with eight fi lm adaptations such as one of his most popular novels, “The Notebook” (receiving 11 wins and seven nominations). Sparks contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame. Along with his wife, he founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina. In 2011, Sparks and his wife launched the Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t committed to improving cultural and international understanding through global education experiences for students of all ages. Hollywood Scriptwriter Magazine contributing writer, Brittany Cervantes dives into the inspiration that sparked his incredible success. Where do you begin when telling the journey of one of the most loved authors

of our time? Nicholas Sparks is a storyteller who continues to release New York Times bestsellers, with over 89 million copies in print worldwide. All of his novels are beyond worth mentioning from “Message in a Bottle” (1998),

“A Walk to Remember” (1999), “The Rescue” (2000), “A Bend in the Road” (2001), “Nights in

Rodanthe” (2002), “The Guardian” (2003), “The Wedding” (2003), “True Believer” (2005) and its sequel, “At First Sight” (2005), “Dear John” (2006), “The Choice” (2007), “The Lucky One” (2008), “The Last Song” (2009), “Safe

Haven” (2010), “The Best of Me” (2011), and “The Longest Ride” (2013), as well as the 2004 non-fi ction memoir “Three Weeks With My Brother”, co-written with his brother Micah. Eight of his novels have been adapted into fi lms with his most recent dramatic love tale, “Safe Haven”. He has the ability to capture his audience whether it’s a reader fl ipping the pages, watching his novels come to life on the big screen and/or a

little bit of both. His inspiration started from

somewhere and he dives into the how, the what’s next and offers advice to readers on how to turn

The Spark that Started it all, From Novels to Adaptations -- “Nicholas Sparks” Does it All

by Brittany Cervantes

Writer and Producer, Nicholas Sparks continues to write novels that inspire millions of fans across the

Photo Courtesy of Photo Art Industries.

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their dream into a reality. Always a dreamer, Sparks felt that like everyone, he changed his mind about what he would grow up to be from a Pilot, CEO and an attorney. Trying many doors to his future, the right one opened when he put his pen to the paper. Sparks always loved to read and one day he felt that he could create his own story. Some of his inspiration can be attributed to the people he viewed as role models in one way or another. Ten-thousand meter Olympic Gold Medalist, Billy Mills was one of Sparks role models. His connection lies in Mills being Sparks neighbor at one point as well as Sparks dating his daughter for a few years in high school. “I was a big track and fi eld athlete, so I wanted to win a Gold Medal just like he did,” Sparks says. “He was one [of my role models], probably a few of my largest.” As a former full scholar-ship athlete (he still holds a track and fi eld record at the University of Notre Dame). With the record still standing, in 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School

set a World Junior In-door Record in the 4 x400 meter, in New York. The goals he obtained set the prec-edent for his outstanding character. His attri-butes refl ect his continu-ous success;

strong-willed, determination and the ability

to persevere are a few reasons why he has so many fans. His track and fi eld success just mirrors his dream that he set after his role model, Mills.

Sparks describes his writing style as “evocative”, an adjective used to describe something that can bring images, memories or feelings to mind. From the fi rst two lines to the last page, he does exactly that - produce evocative novels but how does he turn them into viral sensa-tions? Some readers, have the no-tion that every book of his was easy to write but he says the Guardian was the hardest. “It was challeng-ing because it was very diffi cult to have a fully fl ushed out love story in the context of a fully fl ushed out

thriller,”Sparks emphasizes. Sparks explains that it was diffi cult because there two genre’s with opposite roles. “One needs quick-fast page turning tension and the other needs slow me-thodical but genuine adaptation of feeling,”Sparks says. His writing almost becomes therapeutic in a sense because he says he has learned about 10,000 things from his novels and even further - his characters. He states that he learns something new every time he writes a novel. “The lessons are vast but in the end it always comes down to the same general rule,”Sparks says. “If you create vivid characters with com-pelling voices and put them into an original story, keep the pages turning and surprise the reader at the end…you will probably have a

pretty good book.” Every one of his stories is a process when he develops the angle, idea or what direction he wants it to follow. He pieces to-gether multiple ideas until the cor-rect combination feels right to him - the perfect combination. “It takes a long time to really get a story that you really feel will appeal to read-ers.” Sparks believes that turn-ing a novel into a screenplay is not very diffi cult. “Once you under-

Josh Duhamel (left) and Julianne Hough (Right) having fun on the set of Nicholas Sparks most recent fi lm adaptation, Safe Haven. Sparks also is the producer of this hit fi lm. Photo credit: Nicholas Sparks Productionsadaptation, Safe Haven. Sparks also is the producer of

Photo credit: Nicholas Sparks Productionsadaptation, Safe Haven. Sparks also is the producer of

(L to R) Author Nicholas Sparks, director Lasse Hallstrom, producer Ryan Kavanaugh, actress Amanda Seyfried, actor Channing Tatum and producer Tucker Tooley arrive at the premiere of Screen Gem’s “Dear John” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on February 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California.(Photo Credit: January 31, in Hollywood, California.(Photo Credit: January 31, in Hollywood, California.

2010 - Source: Alberto E. (Photo Credit: January 31, 2010 - Source: Alberto E. (Photo Credit: January 31,

Rodriguez/Getty Images - North America)Rodriguez/Getty Images - North America)Rodriguez/Getty Images

stand screen-play structure, format, timing and the rules of screenplay writing…it’s really just about [understanding] writing,”Sparks says. Sparks has been for-tunate to have good experi-ences with all his eight fi lm adaptations. He expresses that he probably wouldn’t sell his novels to be made into a screenplay if it turned out to be diffi cult. “I’ve had eight fi lms made and I have had good experiences with each and every one of them,”Sparks emphasizes.

With every fi lm adaptation, all offers vary on how much input the original author gives when taking it to the screen. “For me, I have signifi cant input. I’ve served as either screenwriter or

producer,”Sparks says. “I’m involved in the selection of the screenwriter, direc-tor, casting, script developments and involved in market-ing; so, I tend to be very involved.” He offers advice to fi lmmakers that would like to adapt a novel into a movie. He recommends two steps: 1) Get the audio tape of the novel - it will already be condensed thus making it easier. 2)

Figure out how to cut another hour out of the book on tape “and make it a good

movie,”Sparks says. There are varying factors when looking at the differences of a novel versus a fi lm then trying to turn one into the other. “With a novel, the big-

gest strength is that you can get heavily involved in introspection which works really well in novels,”Sparks explains. “With fi lm, the strengths are visual images, the visual images are some-times easier to do on fi lm then in a novel.” Sparks gives an example of imagery in a book versus a fi lm in reference to a car chase

scene. “For instance, no matter what you do a car chase in a book is not as exciting as a car chase in a movie. It’s just not,”Sparks says. “Some things work better on the screen then they do in a book.” Sparks says across the

Nicholas Sparks Novels, many adapted into fi lms. Photo Courtesy of Nicholas SparksNicholas Sparks Novels, many adapted into

Photo Courtesy of Nicholas SparksNicholas Sparks Novels, many adapted into

Nicholas Sparks at Lucky One Premiere (Photo Credit: April 15, 2012. Source: Jason Merritt/Getty (Photo Credit: April 15, 2012. Source: Jason Merritt/Getty (Photo Credit: April 15, 2012.

Images - North America) Source: Jason Merritt/Getty Images - North America) Source: Jason Merritt/Getty

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board that it takes a lot of hard work to get the correct script. Dur-ing the development stages is when he especially has to put in hard work. Taking on a recent role as a Producer, Sparks lays out a couple expectations someone should have entering into the fi eld. “[A potential Producer] can expect a lot of read-ing of writer’s scripts. So, they can fi nd the right screenwriter for that project,”Sparks explains. “Prob-ably [expect] about sixty different scripts, sixty different writer’s, changes from the underlying work and the fi lm may look different from what they imagined it would be.” Sparks demonstrates that hard work pays off by his success and describing it as “always fun to see a novel on screen, always fun,”he says. Sparks current projects consist of his latest novel, The Longest Ride now being sold in bookstores everywhere. The Lon-gest Ride is also in the early stages of development. Produced himself is Sparks’novel, The Best of Me currently in pre-production, set for release October this year, 2014. He has four television shows that he is working on. The Notebook for Broadway is also be-ing developed. He is the executive producer of A TV Movie, Deliver-ance Creek which is currently in pre-production. The list continues but it should be safe to say that Mr. Sparks will not be fi nished just yet and that’s good news for everybody with his impeccable writing skills.