Starstruck with Nicholas Sparks

I will never forget the first time I went to Disneyland. I remember taking a step back marveling at the Disney train. I can still remember people laughing as they saw me, a little girl, bouncing with excitement.

When I arrived at the station, I bolted past everyone else. I ran ahead of the crowd and stopped in amazement when I saw the iconic Disneyland castle. When my family caught up with me, I was still there dazed and in awe of everything.

No one can ever have another first trip to Disneyland. I’ve gone back and I didn’t feel the same excitement I had before. It seemed to me only kids that age could experience the feeling of amazement, of being “starstruck.” Little did I know, I was going to be overwhelmed by that exact same feeling years later.

 Nobody would have guessed I would become a Nicholas Sparks fan.

 I never read any of his books when they first came out. I did not even watch the film versions of The Notebook or A Walk to Remember, or listen to Mandy Moore’s songs from the said movie.

 But two years ago during my summer break, I saw a book displayed everywhere called The Lucky One.

 I started reading it and I just couldn’t put it down. My mom had to pry it out of my fingers in order for me to go to my tennis training. I finished the book inside of one day and I craved for more.

That was the start of my addiction. I bought every single book written by Nicholas Sparks. I would spend the whole night in my bed reading each of his novels one by one until I had gone through my entire collection. I remember watching The Notebook on the plane when I visited my sister studying in the United States, and A Walk to Remember on the flight coming back. Someday We’ll Know was even the song I listened to during that summer.

When I saw the billboard with the picture of Nicholas Sparks, I froze.

Nicholas. Sparks. Was. Coming.

It took me a few minutes to actually grasp the reality.

Excited no end, I told some of my friends I wanted to meet him, but they said it would take me forever to line up. Many of them told me it was a waste of time, saying it wasn’t worth it. Saddened, I took their word for it and forgot all about ever seeing the man in person.

Imagine my reaction when the marketing head of Powerbooks and National Book Store, Christine Correa, told me weeks later that I was going to actually meet and interview the one and only Nicholas Sparks.

I didn’t sleep that night because I was so nervous. What questions should I ask him? What should I wear? Should I address him as “Sir” or “Mister Sparks”?

I expected that he would walk in with a lot of press people or fans swarming around him. On the contrary, he arrived all by himself, casually striding in laughing and saying hello to everyone.

I wanted to remember this moment with me saying something so profound or witty. Instead I stood there absolutely frozen and mesmerized and all I could say was “Oh my God, it’s him.”

It was like my first time in Disneyland, all over again.

I was absolutely in a state of shock.

He sat across me and all I could think about was, “This was the man who had written The Notebook.” He was the one who came up with the characters that brought Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams together. He made the story of Dear John and had a movie with Channing Tatum in it.

I almost forgot that I was supposed to ask him questions.

I had 30 minutes to ask all the things that I could. I didn’t even bother looking at my questions because first of all, I had scribbled them on my beaten-up math notebook and I didn’t want to waste any precious minute I was allowed by looking at the questions.

I was amazed at how he was able to answer everything with so much insight. I was in fact so dumbfounded that I even forgot to take notes throughout the whole interview.

Someone signaled my time was up; I had a last-minute request.

“Could you sign my books?” I asked. I had with me my entire Sparks collection.

“Sure!” he enthusiastically responded.

I brought out all the books and he got his permanent marker.

“So which are yours?” he asked.

“All of them,” I smiled.

He laughed and signed each one of them, and I felt so proud to be the owner of those books, which are now priceless.

All good things come to an end. Before I knew it, my 30 minutes with Nicholas Sparks were over.

My mom was laughing at me, saying that I looked absolutely starstruck. My sister told me that I had this ridiculously huge smile on my face. Well, I was so starstruck because Nicholas Sparks has changed my life in so many ways that no one could possibly know.

Here are the three reasons why:

1. I read my first love story and actually liked it.

I was not the type who would read the latest chic lit or get “kilig” with any of the romantic comedies. I would groan whenever my friends wanted to watch movies dripping with cheesy love stories and mushy dialogue.

I’ve always preferred fantasy and science-fiction — Harry Potter, Eragon, Lord of the Rings, and the like — and I used to refuse to read anything else. When I went to a bookstore, I would go straight to one section and never bothered with the bevy of masterpieces around me.

After reading some of Sparks’ novels, suddenly the bookstore seemed so much bigger and a more enchanted place. I started reading all kinds of books — from my usual fantasy fare to suspense thrillers and the classics. I got to learn so much more, discovered so many new ideas, and uncovered so many beautiful stories.

Sparks’ books opened my eyes. He made me realize that I should not close my mind to things that do not seem appealing to me at first.

Before treasures are discovered, they have to be hidden first. One must have the patience and the will to dig up such precious treasures.

2. I cried after reading The Notebook.

I have never cried while watching a movie or reading a book. This was the first time.

When I read the final chapters of The Notebook, (I will not mention the specific part for those who haven’t read it yet), I found them so moving and heartbreaking.

After I read this book, I started working on my own stories. I wanted my stories to have this same impact on my readers. I wanted my message to be sent out so effectively that it would draw out true genuine raw emotion from readers. I wanted to write to make a difference.

It was at this time when I took a chance and tried writing young-adult fiction rather than fairytale-like fables. I wanted to write about things that mattered to me and that would matter to others as well.

I had not written in a long time before that summer. I guess reading these novels gave me that push to rekindle this love of mine. The stories I wrote that summer eventually became the stories that made up my book Flight to the Stars.

From that time on I had this motto:

“If I could touch even just a single life with my writing, then I know I’ve done my job.” 

3. Nicholas Sparks gives me hope.

Love stories are not usually the books that receive the most critical acclaim.

They often go through the same plot- the protagonists fall in love, suffer a terrible tragedy, but in the end love manages to conquer all.

What then makes people keep reading the works of Nicholas Sparks?

Well, one reason, of course, will have to be his superb style of writing. I still can’t manage to put any of his books down when I start reading them. He manages to make every story fresh and still captivating to readers.

Another reason would be that everyone can relate with the characters of his book. I’m not saying that everyone has fallen in love or anything like that. But, everyone has ups and downs in life. In every person’s life, there will be a time when he will feel that he’s on the top of the world — at the zenith and summit of everything — then there will be a point when everything will seem to fall apart.

Sparks’ novels hold out to everyone the hope that things will be all right. In the end, there will always be someone who will always be there to shower us with love. There is that greater power, a power so great that it will be able to make everything worth the pain and the suffering.

We call plots like these trite and clichéd. But this kind of plot is our life.

One day we are going to meet someone who will change our lives, one day we will suffer a loss so great and one day we are going to triumph amidst all the hardship life has to offer.

Nicholas Sparks does more than write stories, he inspires us to make our own.

His books have taught me that life is A Walk to Remember. It may seem hard At First Sight and we may encounter A Bend in the Road, but there’s The Guardian out there looking out for us prepared if we need The Rescue. It is up to us to make The Choice to be a True Believer and who knows, we might emerge The Lucky One.             

But most of all, I’ve learned that I should always live to find The Best of Me.            

 Nicholas Sparks may not receive the most literary awards, but he has made a difference in a lot of lives — including mine.