VagabondMaverickHeart Celebrating meeting Nicholas Spark

I have shared my bucket list here in my blog and you must have seen and people who know me know.... I am not a fan type ’ person’ (I have my lips slanted towards one side) neither am I starry eyed about anyone: actor, singer or writer for that matter. I do like couple of them bit never went too gaga over them. So when I saw Nicholas Spark was coming for an event I wanted to attend it just because he is one of my favourite authors... Wanted to see what made him what he is today, what makes his books so special, what makes him one of the favourite authors of women throughout the world including me. But I didn’t feel starry eyed.(rolling my eyes) I was excited of course, (duh) to meet the author in person, to know from the horse's mouth what made him tick in the world of books.

We all sat and waited. The drinks were being served at the bar counters. 

I just took a glass of water. I looked around it was like a women's meet. Then I saw a couple of men here and there. ( I smiled a man of his age with 20 books to his credit including the book released yesterday, he had a crazy number of women admirers around the world. I am an example (my naughty self-winks)
He is introduced by Ms. Brown an author herself. She is the conversationalist today.

As they were introduced and Mr. Spark entered being seated in one corner at the front row I had to  crane my neck then thought it’s better to look at the screen instead directly at the podium.  I would be lying if I say I was mesmerized by his mere presence in the podium, this and that. But as the evening progressed, so many questions were asked to and were answered by Mr. Spark. I don’t remember the order or the verbatim answers but I wanted to share the couple of things spoken by my favourite author. And that, in one hour I was slipping into a FAN mode.  By the time I had reached in queue to get his signature in my copy of Two by Two I was all starry eyed fan looking adoringly at an idol, she never knew she had(all starry eyes hearty sparkle in the eyes)

 

Q:Tell us about your books?
A: It’s love story. It’s set in North Carolina. (With a resigned expression, bringing smile on all of our faces.)
Q: So tell us about notebook and now two by two?
A: Well Notebook …It’s a love story. .. and It’s set  in North Carolina. And Two by Two …errr… It’s a love story. .. and It’s set  in North Carolina (The whole audience erupted into laughter.) He was like isn’t that the basic and rest to be read by you question written on his face. Then he smiled and explained doesn’t want to give spoilers.
Then on a serious note he mentioned... How he doesn't write Romances... He writes love stories... (of course is set in North Carolina winky) (What is the difference? Guys! C’mon! Romance you know what happens. The people end up being together happily ever after…) Here he writes Realistic ones. It can be that they lived happily ever after, or ended tragically with a death or sadly... without fulfilling the romance genres criteria. Some has the thrill element, mystery element, romance element to it.
He said he knows how the story ends before he starts writing. He knows how it will be different from others... How he consciously tries to maintain the element of difference so that all the readers enjoy it. He says every individuals are different, their likes also has the subtle changes so he needs to be on toes to make sure his book caters all readers.

Whatever be the sub theme...he points out the external conflict will overpower an internal conflict hence he says while writing he should make sure the love story stabilises then introduce thrill/mystery/fantasy/horror element.
Ask why? Because when danger element comes in your focus shifts from the tenderness of love story, you get so involved in what is happening, like the bad guys doings the protagonists reactions to it etc.  
Did Mr. Nicholas Sparks just reveal the success funda  of his books?  I guess, yes!  
But for a beginner writer it was a treasure chest kept open.
He chided having been able to work with some handsome men through movie adaptations of his books, it didn’t take even a fraction of a second for the excitement to rise and the excited shouts and howls from the crowd.
Why he kills his characters? He explained how death and sufferings are part of life. It makes the story real. But that doesn’t mean he can go on bumping three or four guy on the way. We do need drama in a book as it is realistic but not melodrama.

Most of the moments and interactions between the characters are the reflection of the reality. The dynamics of the relationship so much you find around you. We relate to these characters hence we cry, we laugh, we get excited, get the dose of fear along with the characters.
He said writing The Rescue had really affected him as it brings out through the character a fear of a parent which he himself is.
His goal is to write a book better than "The Notebook". Why? Till date most of the readers favourite book is still "The Notebook" and it was his first book. 20 years later still it is considered his best work. So he believes he has not gone up the hill as a writer instead has climbed down the grade. He says his books have evolved with more complexities than his first, yet he is to create a better one than his first book " The Notebook".
And as the conversation wrapped up e mentioned about the soundtrack for the book. Yes guys you heard it right the book “Two by Two “ has a sound track. The music by JD Eicher, you can check out the music in twobytwomusic.com. The song was played by JD Eicher after the conversation. After hearing from Nicholas Spark the song was the cherry.
He likes Stephen King books. It is through those books he picked a lot on writing he told.
Having got signed my copy of the book putting a word about his fan following in India especially the member s of the book club. I having posed for a picture, walked out in a trance. That was my FAN moment.   
Soon will post my review of the book in http://reshmaranjanbookreview.blogspot.com and I am still flying high, I know I should land, but feeling light and buoyant. A page engraved in gold in the book of my life.