About Nicholas

Frequently Asked Questions

Nicholas answers several questions unrelated to any of his works. Want to know why he writes the way he does, what he does in his free time, or what he’s working on now? Read the questions and answers below.

For Nicholas’s answers questions about the books he’s written, view our individual book pages for book specific FAQs. Please note that answers may give away important plot points about the books. If you haven’t read a particular book, proceed with caution as you will encounter “spoilers.”

General FAQs

Why are all of your novels set in North Carolina? Because I live in North Carolina and am familiar with the area, because few other novelists write about the area, and because I want to create a sense of familiarity when readers buy each novel.

Why do you write love stories? I chose that genre because there was little to no competition.

Do you ever incorporate anything from your own romantic life into your books? Not necessarily. Some of my stories have been family stories but as far as my own romantic life, I guess the closest you can say about that is that most of the women characters in my novels are very similar to my wife in a lot of ways.

Which one of your books would you say is the most interesting book you’ve written? Interesting for me, or interesting for the reader? I can’t answer the latter, and as for the former, it’s hard to say. I’m passionately interested in every novel as I write it, and later, even as I reread it.

Which of your novels have been adapted for film? The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song. The Lucky One is scheduled to be released in 2012.

How can I get a signed copy of one of your books? How can I get a signed photograph? Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming volume of such requests and time constraints, I cannot respond to any individual requests for signed books or signed photographs. The Nicholas Sparks Foundation does offer signed copies of my books as an ongoing fundraising initiative. If you are interested in ordering a signed book or finding out more about my foundation and its program of planned giving, please visit our website at NicholasSparksFoundation.org

I’ve heard that you have written screenplays. Is that right? Yes. I adapted The Guardian into a screenplay, though it has not been offered to Hollywood to this point. I also wrote the screenplay for The Last Song, as well as a "spec" script called One Square Mile, together with an old college friend, Jeff Van Wie.

Will you read my manuscript and tell me what you think?  Will you forward my manuscript to your agent or editor? Or can you recommend an agent for me? To avoid any litigation problems, I have been advised by my attorneys not to read manuscripts that have not already been accepted by publishers.  For the same reason, I can’t forward your manuscript to my agent or editor, nor can I recommend an agent for you.  However, I am fully aware of the difficulties in both writing a novel and finding an agent, especially for those who haven’t previously been published. To learn about the steps that I took when starting out, as well as what I have learned since, see For Writers.

What advice can you give me about writing? See For Writers.

When will your next novel be out? My next novel doesn’t have a scheduled release date yet. To be informed of updates on this you can sign up for my mailing list, subscribe to my Latest News RSS feed or connect with me through Facebook and Twitter.

Do you get a chance to meet the stars of your movies? Yes. I usually visit the set of each film a couple of times and meet everyone involved.

How do you feel about the film versions of your books? I am very pleased with all films on a number of levels. It’s important to understand that films and novels are different mediums and tell stories in different ways. What works well in novels doesn’t work well on film and vice versa. For example, introspection works well in books but not in film. A car chase works well on film and uses only two minutes to show what might take twenty pages to write. Also, a typical novel runs 350 pages while a screenplay runs 120. In other words, two-thirds of any novel is automatically eliminated before the first page of a screenplay is even written. With that in mind, I tend to look for the following: did the film follow the basic outline of the novel? Did the film capture the major theme of the novel? Were the characters consistent with those described in the novel? Was the film satisfying when compared to other films? Was the film successful? In that regard, I feel like all the films have succeeded.

Do you accept story ideas from other people? To avoid any litigation problems, I have been advised by my attorneys not to look at or accept story ideas.

How long does it take you to write a novel? Do you work every day? How many hours per day? It can take as long as three months to conceive of a story, and during those periods, I simultaneously work on projects for television or film, outline possible ideas both mentally and on paper, go on book and film tours, work with foreign and domestic publishers, and handle the paperwork associated with being an author. Once I finalize a story concept and begin writing, my work schedule can vary depending on where I am in a particular novel, since some sections are easier to write than others. I generally work five or six days a week. My goal is to complete 2,000 words each day, and that can take anywhere from three to eight hours, usually averaging five hours. Generally, I start around 9:00 a.m. and try to finish by 2:00 p.m. I have, however, written at all hours of the day and night. I generally work at home, although I’ve also been known to write while touring. Sometimes I need quiet, other times it doesn’t matter. Sometimes I listen to music, other times not. Sometimes I write with the television on (I like watching DVDs of old television shows), but other times I don’t. In the end, it usually takes four or five months to complete a novel, not counting editing, which adds an additional month or so.

Do you have a lot of input when it comes to adapting your work into film? I have some input, though it varies from project to project. I read the screenplays, and I will offer suggestions if asked to do so. I am not involved with casting, budgets, location, or other assignments best left to those in the film business.

What do you read? I usually read about 125 books a year, and I have been a voracious reader since I was young. I read commercial fiction, selected modern literary fiction, assorted Penguin Classics, history and biography. For my personal recommendations, click on Recommended Reading.

Who are your favorite authors? Due to the volume of books I read, it’s impossible to choose a favorite. I have said publicly, however, that the only modern contemporary writer of fiction that I feel certain will be read 100 years from now is Stephen King, and I am a great admirer of Mr. King’s work.

Where do you get your ideas? That’s a question even I can’t answer, though I do admit that the ideas never come easily. Because my novels deal with universal themes and universal characters, it’s difficult to conceive of an entertaining, interesting, and original story that hasn’t been told before, either in a book or in a film. Generally, I work through hundreds of ideas and characters (a process that can take months) before finally making my decision and beginning to write.

What is your remedy for writer’s block? When I’m blocked, it’s nearly always because—subconsciously—I know I’ve made a mistake either with character development, structure, or story. It’s as if my mind tells me that I’d better stop because I’m heading in the wrong direction. Thus, I find myself writing more slowly until I simply can’t write anymore—a classic case of writer’s block. In a situation like that, I quit trying to press forward and instead ponder the book, or I begin to edit the previously written sections. I might go through everything I’ve already written a hundred times, tweaking and changing little things, as if trying to navigate my way through a darkened room. And little by little, I find those errors. Once they’re corrected, I find that I can then begin writing new material. The problem, however, is that I seldom know in advance what I did wrong. I know it’s wrong, but not where, what, why, how, or when. Thus, I make changes and change them back .... It can be a long process, but it always eventually works out.

How many copies have your novels sold? Worldwide, my books have sold an estimated 80 million copies to date.

What do you want your readers to take away from your novels? Generally speaking, I set out to write an easy-to-read, entertaining, original love story with a poignant ending, one that generates genuine emotion. That’s what I’d like my readers to take away. In terms of style, I attempt to write with efficiency, conciseness, and originality in uncluttered, vigorous prose.

When did you begin writing? I wrote my first novel at age nineteen, and my second novel at twenty-two. Neither of those novels have been published. At twenty-five, I co-wrote a book with Billy Mills, the 1964 Olympic 10,000-meter gold medallist, entitled Wokini. At twenty-eight, I wrote The Notebook, my first published novel. For more detailed information, see Biography.

How much do you know about the story before you begin? For instance, do you know the end of the story in advance? Once I’ve decided on the theme, I start to mentally outline the story and run through possible ideas. Before I start writing, I know how the story begins and ends, as well as five or six of the major events in the novel, which serve as turning points. Once I have those things, I’m ready to begin. Most of what happens in between the five or six major events is created as I proceed.

How do you approach character motivation? Character motivation differs from character to character and novel to novel, but as a general rule, all of my characters are motivated by the nobler parts of human character—honesty, integrity, kindness, bravery and loyalty.

What is the first step you take in writing a new novel? The first step is to come up with a general theme, one that influences the style in which it’s written, the proper narrative voice, the appropriate characters and settings, and the length of the novel.

Do you work from an outline? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. For example, The Notebook was written without an outline.  Message in a Bottle had no outline for the first 120 pages and had a highly detailed outline for the last 120 pages. The Guardian had a detailed outline, but for The Wedding, only the last half had an outline.  In other words, it differs from book to book.

Do you write longhand or work on a computer? I write on a computer.

To what do you attribute the popularity of your novels? Some of the reasons readers and critics have given for the books’ popularity are as follows: the novels are easy-to-read and entertaining, the reader is made to feel like "a fly on the wall" and feels involved in the story, readers can relate to the characters, the stories are believable, as if they could happen to anyone, they "generate authentic emotional power" (USA Today), they are romantic and sweet, there’s a lack of profanity, the love scenes are left more to the imagination than described, and they make readers both laugh and cry. With respect to the success of my first novel, The Notebook, specifically, there were a number of factors that contributed to its popularity: tremendous support from the publisher (for which I’m immensely grateful), the length of the tour, a beautiful cover, support from booksellers, etc. It’s important to realize that none of those things guarantee success, however. The publishing world is littered with high-priced, high-profile first novels that never hit the list at all. These days, it seems there are only three ways for an author to hit the best-seller list with a first novel. One, have the novel recommended by Oprah (all of the books she’s chosen for Oprah’s Book Club have become bestsellers, first time authors included). Two, have the novel receive wide and lavish critical acclaim, thereby triggering the interest of major media, i.e., Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier. Or three, write a novel that has good word of mouth, (a well-written book that people read and enjoy and feel compelled to recommend to others), i.e., The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. The Notebook was a word of mouth book. (Note: The three ways are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Among Oprah’s picks are novels by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.)

Is it true that all of your novels are based on your own life? My novels aren’t so much based on my life as they are inspired by events in my own life.  But even that degree of similarity doesn’t apply to all of my books. For instance, Nights in Rodanthe, was entirely fictional. For a further discussion of this question, please see the book specific FAQs.

Do you care what the critics write about your work? There is a general misconception about critical reviews of my novels, i.e., that most reviews have been less than kind. In fact, four out of every five reviews are positive and though that pleases me, I have always written, and will continue to write, stories for myself and those who enjoy my work.

As a man, how do you feel about writing love stories? The love story is one of the oldest and most explored genres in literature. For example, The Iliad‘s Trojan War was fought over the love of a woman. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was a love story. Because of the three requirements in this particular genre—(a) originality, (b) universality of character and setting, and (c) a plot interesting enough to keep the pages turning—and the fact that the defining conflict is generally internal, it’s among the most difficult genres in which to work. It’s easy to write a story or create a character featuring two of the three requirements (Hannibal Lecter is interesting and original, but not universal, for instance; Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is original and interesting, but not universal), but combining all three is easier said than done. It’s the same with the challenge of internal conflict. External conflict (a crime to be solved, a killer on the loose, a monster in the woods, a terrorist threatening disaster, a young boy learning magic) is much easier to write in a way that keeps the reader interested than internal conflict (will Garrett Blake be able to put his past behind him? Will Allie remember Noah?). It’s also difficult to employ universal, internal conflict without resorting to timeworn cliches, which I work hard to avoid. With that said, I enjoy the challenge this genre presents. It’s also interesting to note that in recent history, men tend to have written more successfully in this genre than women. (Women, on the other hand, dominate the romance novel genre.) For example, Love Story was written by Erich Segal, The Bridges of Madison County was written by Robert James Waller, The Horse Whisperer was written by Nicholas Evans, so I am not alone.

How do you write women so well? First, I’d like to thank those who’ve asked this question. I’m honored! But answering that question isn’t easy. I try to write both men and women well, but to answer the question specificially, it probably comes down to the fact that the women in my life have always been important as individuals and role models for me. I had a wonderful mother, I married a fantastic lady, and both my agent and editor are female. All are terrific people to learn from.

Will you ever write in another genre? In the future, maybe, but only if I believe I could tell the story well. Right now, I’m satisfied with writing dramatic fiction, and there are no plans to branch out.  (That said, I have written two nonfiction novels, Wokini with Billy Mills and Three Weeks With My Brother, a memoir.)

What is the difference between a love story and a romance novel? It’s equivalent to the difference between a "legal thriller" and a "techno-thriller." In that instance, both novels include many of the same elements: suspense, good and bad forces pitted against each other, scenes that build to a major plot point, etc. But aside from the obvious, those novels are in different sub-genres and the sub-genres have different requirements. For instance, legal thrillers generally have a court room scene on center stage, techno-thrillers use the world or a city as their setting. Legal thrillers explore the nuances of law, techno-thrillers explore the nuances of scientific or military conflict. The same situation applies with romance novels and love stories. Though both have romantic elements, the sub-genres have different requirements. Love stories must use universal characters and settings. Romance novels are not bound by this requirement and characters can be rich, famous, or people who lived centuries ago, and the settings can be exotic. Love stories can differ in theme, romance novels have a general theme—"the taming of a man." And finally, romance novels usually have happy endings while love stories are not bound by this requirement. Love stories usually end tragically or, at best, on a bittersweet note.

Why do so many of your stories involve death? I suppose there are a few reasons that my stories include tragic elements. The first is that tragic or bittersweet elements are part of what define a love story (much like a "happy ending" to a romance novel, or the hero triumphing in a thriller.) The reason for that is that a love story is primarily a dramatic story, and the best dramatic stories allow the readers to experience a full range of emotions. Hopefully, my readers feel a bit of everything—empathy, hopefulness, happiness, love, anger and sadness—as they turn the pages of my novels. This principle is best captured by the statement (which I didn’t invent): "All great love stories, by definition, must end in tragedy." Without great love, there’s no tragedy and vice versa. Also, my stories are supposed to seem real (as opposed to fantastic) and tragedy is part of everyone’s life. The final reason is that most of my novels are inspired by events in my family, and sadly, that was the way that most of the family stories ended.

Is it true you wrote two novels before The Notebook was published, and if so, will you ever publish them? Yes, it’s true, but no, they will never be seen.  I regard the work on those novels as an apprenticeship of sorts, one that showed me that I not only enjoyed writing stories, but that I had the ability to finish a novel once I’d started. However, I don’t feel they are well-written enough to be published.

Why do you write books? I enjoy, and have always enjoyed, reading, and my ability to write and interest in a writing career grew out of that. While I generally avoid cliches, the following is apt: I don’t live to write, I write to live.

What are your hobbies? In addition to writing, reading, and spending time with my five children, I run 30 miles a week, lift weights four times per week, and practice Tae Kwon Do. As a black belt, I have competed at both the regional and national levels.

Is it true that you answer all of your fan mail at least once? At one time, I was able to answer all of my fan mail, but due to the sheer volume of letters I receive, I’m unfortunately unable to do so now. To answer everyone’s letter would impinge on the time I need to write, and I hope you understand. I do, however, tour extensively, and will sign copies of my new releases at bookstore events.

What are your running times (high school and college)? In high school, I ran 1:52.0 in the 800m (19th fastest H.S. time in 1984, according to Jack Shepherd, who compiles the list). My relay splits for the 400m and 1600m—which I seldom ran as open events—were 48.6 and 4:08.7. In college, I was injured frequently unfortunately (and missed two entire indoor and outdoor seasons), though I had three or four relay splits in the 800m that averaged 1:49.3-1:50.6.