Dear John

An Interview with Nicholas Sparks

Q: Like one of your most beloved novels, A Walk to Remember, The Last Song follows two teenagers who fall in love. What did you like the most about Ronnie and Will?
A: I liked the complexity of the characters. Both are teenagers dealing with teenage issues - everything from rebellion to wondering how to find their own paths - but at the same time, they're both uniquely likable. Add in first love and redemption, and I think Ronnie and Will are among the most memorable that I've created.

Q: Both books also contain a certain religious element. Why was this important?
A: In A Walk to Remember, it was simply intrinsic to Jamie's character. Her father was a minister and I wanted to avoid the "rebellious minister's daughter" stereotype since that's what other writers seem to do. Instead, I made her the kind of person Landon wanted to be, and as such, it inspired Landon's growth as an individual. In The Last Song, I wanted to add an element of faith because doing otherwise seemed less than believable. Steve knew he was dying and the majority of people when confronted with something like that find themselves reflecting on the question of whether there is life after death. Also, I didn't want The Last Song to be simply a teen story. I wanted to craft a storyline that adults would appreciate, and Steve's questions regarding his faith seemed to be the perfect addition.

Q: One of my favorite scenes in The Last Song involved Ronnie, her 10-year-old brother, Jonah, and money needed for a fancy dress. What did you like the most about Jonah?
A: I like the fact that Jonah is depicted as an ordinary 10-year-old. He says funny things, he sometimes tries to come across as older than he is, and yet, he's still a child who sees the world more in terms of black-and-white than shades of gray. In a complex, emotionally charged story, humor is necessary, and Jonah provided the perfect source.

Q: You are listed as one of the screenwriters of The Last Song, which opens in theaters in early 2010. How does this experience differ from writing a novel?
A: Screenplays are easy to write, once you know the rules. The rules can be found in any screenwriting book and they provide the structure of the film. After that, the writing is pretty easy, if only because you're allowed to "tell." In novels, you have to "show." Big difference there. In a script, you write: "Jim is still angry at his boss as he enters his apartment." In a novel, on the other hand, you have to write something like, "The neighbors could hear cursing through the thin walls of their apartments, but Jim had never cared what those losers thought of him. All he could think about was the way his boss had talked to him. As if he were an idiot. A moron. An imbecile. It took everything Jim had not to smash his fist into the man's nose, and for a long moment, he'd actually seen himself doing it. As he sat there listening to his piece of crap boss with his ridiculous comb-over droning on and on about deadlines and quotas, he imagined himself balling his hands into a fist and leaping across the desk; he could see his boss's eyes widen in shock and fright, and as he delivered the blow, he could almost feel the crunch of bone as the nose began gushing blood. Slamming his door, he needed a drink. No, screw that. What he needed was a bottle...." Never once did I say "Jim was angry." Showing is ALWAYS harder than telling. And in a screenplay, telling is all - for space reasons - that you're really allowed to do.

Q: Dear John will also be a movie in early 2010. What's it like to have so much happening at the same time?
A: In all honesty, I don't think much about it. It seems as if I have enough to do right now, at the present time, so as not to think about what's going to happen months from now. But when I take a moment to ponder it, I think it's great.

Q: What book have you read that you would like to see made into a movie, and why?
A: I'd like to see The Choice made into a movie, because structurally, it's close to The Notebook, and I think audiences would enjoy it.

Q: Some popular TV shows depict teenage behavior some may find inappropriate. Did you make a conscious decision to keep The Last Song free of that?
A: Yes. Everything I write is a conscious decision. But I'm not naive. I remember being 17, I have a 17-year-old, and I coach teenagers on a daily basis. I know what goes on in the real world. But just because some teenagers act inappropriately, it doesn't mean that all of them do.

Q: Ronnie's father, Steve, has so much to give, if only an angry Ronnie would let him. What do you think is the hardest thing to teach a child?
A: The hardest thing to teach? I suppose it depends on the parent and the child in question. With some, it might be values or honesty, with others, it might be the importance of hard work. Everyone is different.

Q: What is the biggest lesson Ronnie has learned by the end of The Last Song?
A: Ronnie learns that life is sometimes harder than she ever imagined it would be, that her parents weren't always who she assumed they were, and that her life is going to be her own, so she might as well make the best of it.