Best-selling author advises aspiring writers
By GEREMY CARNES
News Writer
Best-selling author and Notre Dame alumnus Nicolas Sparks is helping Creative Writing Program students get experience in the publishing world.
"I'm very fond of Notre Dame," said Sparks, who recently donated $1.5 million dollars to the Creative Writing Program.
Sparks also mentioned that he finds the program impressive.
"I have a great respect for the writing program Notre Dame has established," he said.
Sparks' gift will award two students assistantships on the Notre Dame Review each year.
Two more students will have the opportunity to work in New York literary agencies and publishing houses each summer.
A third award will allow one graduate of the Creative Writing Program to spend a year in residency at the University to work on his or her writing studies.
Sparks hopes that the awards may be expanded in the future to give more students these opportunities.
"That's kind of a work in progress," he said. This year, the students who win the New York internships will work at Sanford Greenburger Associates as well as Warner Books, Sparks own literary agency and publishing company.
Sparks helped to create the internship positions in the Creative Writing Program.
"I just called to find out if they would be willing to take on interns and they were," he said. Sparks said he believes that understanding the publishing side of the writing business is critically important for prospective authors.
Sparks also stated that working with publishers and agents allows writers to make the contacts necessary to get their stories read.
"A typical agent might get 400 query letters a month. Of those he'll read three or four and represent maybe one or two," Sparks said.
"If you only have one chance in 100 of getting your book read, anything you can do to improve your chances is helpful."
Sparks' advice for prospective authors is simple: "Read a lot. Write a lot.
"Read a lot of different types of novels, see what works, then figure out how the authors do that," he said.
"By asking yourself a lot questions you can learn a lot about structure."
"If you're really serious you should probably write every day," he said.
Nicholas Sparks was in the Notre Dame class of `88. His first two novels, "The Passing" and "The Royal Murders," were rejected by publishers, but his next novel, "The Notebook," became a bestseller.
Since then, he has published "Message in a Bottle," "A Walk to Remember," "The Rescue," and "A Bend in the Road."
"Message in a Bottle" and "A Walk to Remember" have become motion pictures, and "The Notebook" and "A Bend in the Road" are in development.
"The Rescue" is currently under negotiations to become a television series.
Sparks will give a speech in the Center for Continuing Education Auditorium in McKenna Hall at 4 p.m. today. He will sign books in the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.
All News Stories for Wednesday, January 30, 2002
