10 Nicholas Sparks Quotes for Writers and About Writing

Here are 10 Nicholas Sparks quotes for writers and about writing from the author of The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, and A Walk to Remember. In these quotes from our February 2011 issue, Sparks shares his thoughts on editors, deadlines, storytelling, and more.

Nicholas Sparks is the quintessential poster child of "overnight" success when he received a $1 million dollar advance for his debut novel, The Notebook, while he was still in his 20s. The novel debuted on The New York Times bestseller list in its first week and later adapted into a film.

(50 reasons for your characters to be stuck together.)

In addition to The Notebook, 10 of his novels have been adapted into movies, including Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and The Longest Ride. Sparks writes romances often marked by bittersweet, tear-jerking situations.

Here are 10 Nicholas Sparks quotes for writers and about writing that cover editors, deadlines, storytelling, and more.

"A love story is always internal conflict."

"Good stories are common. Good and memorable stories are far, far less common."

"I don't necessarily mind labels, I just want them to be accurate."

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"I have great respect for my readers in that they are working for the money to pay for this novel, and I'm going to give them their money's worth."

(7 deadly sins of novelists according to editors.)

"I work with my editor, not against my editor."

"I write stories that I want readers to enjoy."

"In creating antagonists, the main challenge that any writer faces is to create a worthy antagonist—to the protagonist, it's got to be worthy—that feels fresh and original."

(8 journeys and motives behind evildoers, antiheroes, and antagonists.)

"I've learned that writing a novel is never easy."

"Writing is hard. Writing well is hard. Writing under deadline is just misery at its most horrible."

(5 things I learned on deadline.)

"You know a bittersweet ending when you feel it. ... And it's challenging to pull off."