The ‘romantic’ author gets talking

What do films like A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and The Last Song have in common? Not only do they celebrate bubbling romance, but they are all adaptations of novels by one of Hollywood’s favourite authors, Nicholas Sparks (right).

What do films like A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and The Last Song have in common? Not only do they celebrate bubbling romance, but they are all adaptations of novels by one of Hollywood’s favourite authors, Nicholas Sparks (right).

The latest adaptation of his novel, The Lucky One, that will release in April, will see actor Zac Efron, 24, play a US marine, Logan Thibault, who has a unique lucky charm — a photo of a woman whom he’s never met. And, so he must find his lady luck.

Talking to the author over the phone, we asked him if he too, has a lucky charm, and Sparks said, “Not a lucky charm, but there are certain routines that act lucky for me. When I face a creative block while writing, I put my feet on the desk and then resume writing. This helps me every time, but the routine has a manic quality to it, and I’m afraid to discover what would happen if I try to change it.”

Sparks enjoys visiting the sets of the films based on his novels, but he’s not sure if others on the set feel the same. “I go for a couple of days or weeks. Even though I enjoy the experience, I think for others, I’m just a distraction,” he says.

During the shooting, does he ever feel like suggesting changes? “I never do that. I go through the scripts beforehand so I know what will happen next,” says Sparks, adding: “I love films. When my writings are turned into movies, it brings me a lot of joy.”

And, if he had to turn a movie into a novel, which one would it be? “Definitely, Casablanca,” he concludes.