For greater than 25 years, Nicholas Sparks has been reminding us that love — in all its messiness and magic — endures. In actual fact, whenever you consider him, you most likely consider heartrending tales that scale back you to a teary puddle, like The Notebook or Nights in Rodanthe. However the beloved writer’s subsequent mission takes his signature emotional storytelling into new territory alongside acclaimed filmmaker and grasp of suspense M. Night time Shyamalan. Collectively, the 2 have created a supernatural romantic thriller that explores grief, thriller, and whether or not love can transcend even the boundaries of life and dying.
Sparks’ 26th novel, Remain, follows New York architect Tate Donovan, who arrives in Cape Cod to design his finest buddy’s summer season house and begin a brand new chapter after the devastating lack of his sister, Sylvia. Nonetheless reeling from her passing (and the supernatural revelation she comprised of her deathbed), Tate finds himself questioning every part, particularly when he types an intense reference to a phenomenal girl named Wren.
The genre-bending collaboration releases Oct. 14, forward of a 2026 movie adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor, directed by Shyamalan. Sparks caught up with Scary Mommy to debate preserving his readers stunned after greater than 20 years of bestsellers, the opportunity of The Pocket book getting a sequel, and what he hopes he’s remembered for many lengthy after the ultimate chapter closes.
Scary Mommy: This collaboration is such an sudden however intriguing pairing! What clicked between your storytelling kinds?
Nicholas Sparks: There have been a few issues that basically clicked … I believe there was a sure peer-to-peer respect. We have each been round for 30 years. We’re each in good locations in our lives. Neither one among us wanted this collaboration; neither one among us had been attempting to do something. So we approached it from a really wholesome, “Hey, this could be attention-grabbing and enjoyable. And I ponder if we are able to.” And so, that was a part of it.
There are extra similarities between Night time’s work and my work than most individuals most likely understand. We each write tales with characters which are defined. They bear journeys from the start of the story to the top of the story. Each Night time and I attempt to inform entertaining tales. However as an example, Stay, sure, it is a love story, but it surely’s not similar to The Pocket book. And we now have Stay, however properly, it isn’t similar to The Sixth Sense.
We each attempt for originality inside not solely our mediums, however within the particular world through which we have develop into profitable. Each of us wish to shock by the top and maybe have the story shift in a means that both viewers or readers did not anticipate.
So, that is what each of us dropped at the desk. We shared all that in widespread, so the collaboration in our thoughts most likely made extra sense than it first seems whenever you see these two names on the quilt.
SM: You and Night time are creating two variations of the identical story — a novel and a movie. Are there variations between the 2, or do you see them as companion items that reveal completely different layers?
NS: They’ve a variety of similarities, proper? Identical common motion, identical foremost characters, identical secondary characters, identical important theme. And that is most likely crucial. The theme of the story is the ability of affection, you would possibly say. So all of that may be very related, however movie and novels are very completely different mediums. Some issues work rather well in movie that do not work in a novel, and vice versa.
In a novel, as an example, I can hop into the heads of each character, if I want, and you’ll’t do this essentially in a movie. Conversely, scenes with nice depth of emotion, Night time can do extra with two characters taking a look at one another than I can do in 5 pages. So, completely different mediums. And it is vital to know that simply due to the medium, some issues work higher than others. Some issues inherent to 1 medium do not work in any respect.
Night time and I, we have been round lengthy sufficient that we perceive these modifications. One of the simplest ways to have a look at that is like you’ve got an equivalent twin raised by two completely different individuals. Or you’ve got one coin, and I totally stamped one aspect with out interference. And he totally stamped the opposite aspect with out my interference. However it’s nonetheless the identical coin, proper? It is the coin we created, and that is it; it is simply the way in which it really works.
SM: That is your twenty sixth novel. How do you retain discovering new emotional floor to discover whereas nonetheless stunning even your longtime readers?
NS: Yeah, therein comes the magic of creativity, and a few of that I can perceive and a few of it I do not. I look upon the works that I’ve carried out previously, say, “What have not I carried out?” You would possibly begin with that. “Effectively, what ages have not I written about lately?” And that may lead you to different questions. And ultimately, you get to a degree the place you’ve got 20 or 30 questions or parts determined. You would possibly know the start or the top; you would possibly know 4 or 5 plot parts. You would possibly know a bit in regards to the main characters and a number of the secondary characters.
The secret’s you need all of these issues to suit collectively completely for no matter you are going to write — and many tales collapse whenever you’ve received six factors or eight of these issues or 10 of these issues. However to illustrate you want 20 to put in writing a novel. My motto is all the time, properly, the primary clump of 20 wins. That is going to be my subsequent novel. And I’ve carried out that ever since Message in a Bottle, principally my second novel.
SM: Oof, Message in a Bottle… that one will get ya proper within the coronary heart. However we even have to speak about The Pocket book, as a result of I’m a Charleston lady! How does it really feel to see one among your earliest works residing on in one more kind?
NS: Stunning. Ingrid Michaelson wrote the music, and Bekah Brunstetter did the ebook, and I believed they did a tremendous job. I’ve seen it half a dozen occasions. And naturally, it is on tour now. It is fabulous, getting rave opinions. So, I am thrilled that folks get to see this story, in once more, a special medium.
You are able to do issues with music and tune that will not essentially work in a novel or movie. And on stage, you’ve got a phenomenal means to mix time to make it non-linear. When somebody is singing, as an example, in regards to the previous, after which the youthful model of that character seems. It is magical to see the way in which the identical story has equivalent triplets, however now they had been all raised in fully other ways. It is actually enjoyable to see.
SM: I’ve observed that followers generally ask for a follow-up. I do know The Wedding ceremony was a religious successor, however would you ever contemplate doing a real successor?
NS: Yeah, after all. I imply, we have been approached for a TV sequence or a restricted sequence. The Wedding ceremony was a little bit of a follow-up, not essentially a component two continuation, but it surely was a follow-up. So, I’ve dabbled with it, and I simply have not carried out something with it but. A part of that’s how concerned do I wish to be in no matter model they wish to do? Do I really wish to write a second story, as an example, after they’re nonetheless younger, and you’ve got these two, and life has intervened? What occurs then? We’ll see.
SM: OK! So a lot of your tales take care of love that endures by way of generations or loss. As a mum or dad, do you are feeling like watching your individual children develop and alter has influenced the way in which you write about love now, in comparison with whenever you had been youthful?
NS: I used to be 27 years previous once I wrote about 80-year-old Noah Calhoun, so I can not say that. It has been a variety of enjoyable watching my children develop up and fall in love. I’ve a few them married now, one other one engaged. And that is all the time a delight, to look at them transfer ahead of their lives.
I do not suppose it is modified my writing.
I have been sort of set in the concept that emotion, together with love, modifications much more slowly than the remainder of the world. In different phrases, anger 100 years in the past just about looks like anger now, or love 100 years in the past looks like love now.
Granted, the world has modified. Now, individuals drive vehicles in all places, and there are cell telephones, and we have been to the moon, and all of this expertise. We stroll round with computer systems principally in purses or in pockets. So the world has modified, however anger, lust, concern, frustration, confusion, love, infatuation — these issues are very gradual to alter.
I’ve sort of all the time had that view. And whether or not or not one has kids would not actually have an effect on that specific view. You may need a special view of, to illustrate, parental love or what you would be keen to sacrifice to your baby. You may need a greater sense of that, however that is about it. Once I write about emotion, I take the lengthy view.
SM: Past the books, what do you hope your kids bear in mind you most for?
NS: I’d wish to be remembered for the conviction of my religion. I would wish to be remembered for being a very good father, for being a very good buddy, for honesty, willingness to assist, these sorts of issues. All of the issues that basically matter in life. That is how I would wish to be remembered.
This interview has been calmly edited for size and readability.
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