- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 6
-
Sparkle (0)
Before I was asked to be part of a conference call interview with bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, I had never read one of his books. I knew of his books like, "The Notebook," "Message In A Bottle," "A Walk To Remember." I also knew that to speak with a bestselling author would be a treat so I eagerly agreed.
With the Warner Bros movie, "Nights In Rodanthe" set to open tomorrow, I figured that was as good a place as any to get to know Mr. Sparks and his work. The book was a quick read and the kind of lovely story that makes you do a little soul searching and maybe a little life altering.
It's a love story about a couple, Adrienne Willis and Paul Flanner, who meet during a long weekend at an inn on the beautiful Outer Banks of North
Carolina in the town of Rodanthe. They're both troubled and looking for comfort and they find it in each other. Since reading the book, I've had a chance to see the movie as well, but before I tell you about that, some snippets from the interview with Mr. Sparks.
When I mentioned to some women friends who have read his books, that I was going to be talking to Mr. Sparks, they almost all said they liked his women characters. After reading "Nights In Rodanthe" I also felt the character of Adrienne was well drawn and realistic. Since not all male writers are good at that, I wanted to ask Mr. Sparks about it.
(Megan Smith): How do you think it is that you're able to write such well rounded women characters?
Nicholas Sparks: That in all honesty is the magic question. I have not the slightest idea. I have a, I have a standard group of answers that I give whenever asked that question you know and they're all true. I had a wonderful mother. I married very well. All of the most important people in my life at the present time and throughout my publishing career have been women.
I have daughters. And yet none, and yet none of those fully answers the question. I suppose I just have an ability to create a character's voice that is, that sounds genuine and real. That's part of the magical writing process. It is what differentiates writers, the talent level of writers.
Certainly I observe the world. I've seen how my wife reacts in certain situations. I saw how my mom or my sister did it.
All of these things I'm sure play a role in that but it comes together in a way that is unique for me just as it is unique for everybody.
While reading about Mr. Sparks' work, one of the books I found most intriguing was "Three Weeks With My Brother," a non-fiction book about a trip he took around the world with his brother Micah. The trip not only involved seeing exotic places but reconnecting with his brother and their shared childhood memories. I asked Mr. Sparks about this part memoir, part travelogue.
(Megan Smith): What I want to ask is what was the hardest thing about the experience of taking the trip and writing the book? And what was the easiest?
Nicholas Sparks: The hardest thing about it was, and I spelled it out in the novel or in the memoir. It was twofold. It was going, you know just going. I was at a point in my life when I was very, very busy. And then number two, finding a way to enjoy it. And that was really what the journey that I was going through was about.
It was, that was an important part of my journey. So that was the most challenging part, the most challenging part about writing it was reliving experiences that I'd rather not get emotionally close to again. It's, you know there were a number of tragedies that struck my family and I needed to go back to those places, put you back in there.
You really have to work to do that. That's a very painful place to be. It became very real for me again. So those were very, that was that. For the good things look, traveling the world with my brother is an experience that I'll never forget and it's something most likely we'll do again.
And the best part about
