History Creator / NicholasSparks

* ShoutOutThemeNaming: All of Sparks's real-life children share a name with one of his characters:
** Landon Sparks/Landon Carter from ''A Walk to Remember''
** Miles Sparks and Ryan Sparks/Miles Ryan from ''A Bend in the Road''
** Lexie Sparks/Lexie Darnell from ''True Believer'' and ''At First Sight''
** Savannah Sparks/Savannah Curtis from ''Dear John''
** This trope may also apply to his ex-wife, Cathy Cote/Catherine Blake from ''Message in a Bottle''.
** And his in-laws, Paul and Adrienne Cote/Paul Flanner and Adrienne Willis from ''Nights in Rodanthe''.
** And his agent, Theresa Park/Theresa Osborne in ''Message in a Bottle''.
** And his editor, Jamie Raab/Jamie Sullivan in ''A Walk to Remember''.
** And his publicist, Jennifer Romanello/Jennifer Romanello in ''The Guardian''.
** And the producer of several of his movies, Denise Di Novi/Denise Holton in ''The Rescue''.

** ''TheNotebook'' and ''Nights in Rodanthe'' are both [[FramingDevice framed]] as a story being retold to another person.

* OppositesAttract: Several variants:

* HollywoodAtlas[=/=]MarySuetopia: Sparks portrays the South only with its most positive stereotypes: gentility, family, faith, tradition, hard work, and enormous oceanside houses with white picket fences and trees dripping with Spanish moss. Characters who embody less comfortable Southern stereotypes, among them [[HeteronormativeCrusader homophobia]] and [[DrugsAreBad drug use]], are DesignatedEvil or mentioned briefly without being seen.

* HollywoodAtlas: Sparks portrays the South only with its most positive stereotypes: gentility, family, faith, tradition, hard work, and enormous oceanside houses with white picket fences and trees dripping with Spanish moss. Characters who embody less comfortable Southern stereotypes, among them [[HeteronormativeCrusader homophobia]] and [[DrugsAreBad drug use]], are DesignatedEvil or mentioned briefly without being seen.

* InterclassRomance: Most of his works have this, frequently as an obstacle to love. Usually the man is a WorkingClassHero, or at least has a job that requires getting his hands dirty in some way, although he may have literary HiddenDepths. Meanwhile, [[UptownGirl the woman]] is a [[HigherEducationIsForWomen college girl]] with more artistic interests. When she has a RomanticFalseLead, he is always a WhiteCollarWorker, which we are meant to view as less masculine and/or down-to-earth.
** In some Sparks stories, one half of the leading couple comes from a significantly wealthier background than the other without this difference impeding the romance.
** This trope may overlap with DatingWhatDaddyHates if parents get involved.

* MenAreStrongWomenArePretty: The typical Sparks pattern, although the man is certainly a {{Hunk}}.
* MenAreTough[=/=]WomenAreDelicate: Sparks heroines tend to have [[AcceptableFeminineGoals traditionally feminine jobs]]: homemaker, waitress, hairdresser, librarian, teacher, artist, musician, nurse, pediatric assistant, animal caregiver, parenting columnist. His heroes, on the other hand, have been a sailor, a fireman, a mechanic, a police officer, a carpenter, a soldier, a surgeon, a bull rider, an MMA fighter, an oil rig worker, and a safari park ranger. Notable inversions are Travis of ''The Choice'', who is a veterinarian, and Maria of ''See Me'', who is a criminal lawyer.

* UptightLovesWild: In many Sparks romances, one half of the couple (usually female) has a perfectly mapped-out life that is upended by the arrival of the free-spirited, usually male half. That said, if they live HappilyEverAfter, they end up in a thoroughly conventional married life.

** People in the former group exist to keep the central romance moving on schedule with their sage advice. They are typically a [[TheConfidant confidant]] of one of the leads, who may form half of a BetaCouple with a partner who exists for the same reason. They are always able to [[EveryoneCanSeeIt recognize the developing romance before the people in it do]].

** ''The Best Of Me'' and ''The Longest Ride'', released within months of each other (the former in October 2014, the latter in April 2015), both feature the young lovers in question being counseled by a sage older man.
** ''The Best Of Me'' and ''The Notebook'' both feature virtually parallel storylines between older and younger versions of the lovebirds.

** Eric in ''A Walk to Remember'', Jean in ''Nights in Rodanthe'', and Victor in the film version of ''The Lucky One'' (he is Hispanic in the book) are all the BlackBestFriend of one of the protagonists.

* MonochromeCasting: The number of minority characters in his books/movies can be counted on one hand. Averted in ''See Me'', to date the only Sparks novel to feature a biracial leading couple.

* TokenMinority: Characters who are not white, Christian, or heterosexual are so few in Sparks stories that they are tokens within the entire canon.
** Eric in ''A Walk to Remember'', Jean in ''Nights in Rodanthe'', and Victor in ''The Lucky One'' are all the BlackBestFriend of one of the protagonists.
** Ira and Ruth in ''The Longest Ride'' are his first Jewish protagonists.
** Maria in ''See Me'' is his first Hispanic protagonist.
** Marge and Liz in ''Two by Two'' are the members of his first QueerRomance.

* AmbiguouslyChristian: While many Sparks characters are seen praying and attending church, and some go so far as to express a belief in God or a higher power in general, only a few characters, such as Jamie in ''A Walk to Remember'' and Steve in ''The Last Song'', are openly devout.

** ''The Last Song'' and ''Nights in Rodanthe'' both feature children who are simultaneously [[DysfunctionalFamily estranged from one of their parents]] and [[FollowInMyFootsteps following in that parent's footsteps]].

** ''Dear John'' and ''The Best of Me'' both feature the hero making a grand gesture to secure medical treatment for someone close to the heroine.

* BlackBestFriend: In ''A Walk to Remember'' and ''Nights in Rodanthe''.

** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/true-believer/ Jeremy and Lexie in ''True Believer'' and ''At First Sight'']] (in terms of personality), plus [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/nights-in-rodanthe/ Paul and Adrienne in ''Nights in Rodanthe'']] (in terms of their relationship history), are based on himself and his ex-wife.
** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/message-in-a-bottle/ Garrett, Catherine, and Theresa in ''Message in a Bottle'']] are based on his parents and his father's second fiancée.
** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-rescue/ Kyle in ''The Rescue'']] is based on one of his sons.
** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/a-bend-in-the-road/ Miles and Missy in ''A Bend in the Road'']], plus [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/a-walk-to-remember/ Landon and Jamie in ''A Walk to Remember'']], are based on his sister and brother-in-law.
** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-choice/ Travis and Gabby in ''The Choice'']] are based on, respectively, his brother and his former assistant.
** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-notebook/ Noah and Allie in ''The Notebook'']] are based on his wife's grandparents.

** [[nicholassparks.com/stories/a-bend-in-the-road/ Miles and Missy in ''A Bend in the Road'']], plus [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/a-walk-to-remember/ Landon and Jamie in ''A Walk to Remember'']], are based on his sister and brother-in-law.

** [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/true-believer/ Jeremy and Lexie in ''True Believer'' and ''At First Sight'']] (in terms of personality), plus Paul and Adrienne in ''Nights in Rodanthe'' [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/nights-in-rodanthe/]] (in terms of their relationship history), are based on himself and his ex-wife.
** Garrett and Catherine in ''Message in a Bottle'' are based on his parents.[[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/message-in-a-bottle/]]
** Kyle in ''The Rescue'' is based on one of his sons.[[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-rescue/]]
** Miles and Missy in ''A Bend in the Road''[[nicholassparks.com/stories/a-bend-in-the-road/]], plus Landon and Jamie in ''A Walk to Remember''[[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/a-walk-to-remember/]], are based on his sister and brother-in-law.
** Travis and Gabby in ''The Choice'' are based on, respectively, his brother and his former assistant.[[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-choice/]]
** Noah and Allie in ''The Notebook'' are based on his wife's grandparents.[[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-notebook/]]

** Jeremy and Lexie in ''True Believer'' and ''At First Sight''[[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/true-believer/]] (in terms of personality), plus Paul and Adrienne in ''Nights in Rodanthe'' [[https://nicholassparks.com/stories/nights-in-rodanthe/]] (in terms of their relationship history), are based on himself and his ex-wife.

* ArtImitatesLife: Sparks readily admits when one of his stories is based on his own life or that of a loved one: For example, when wooing his now ex-wife, whom he met on spring break in the Southeast, he wrote her 150 letters over the course of two months.

* IdealizedSex: Almost every Sparks movie depicts [[CoitusEnsues a round of lovemaking]], often [[TheirFirstTime the couple's first]], which is always [[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex gentle, romantic, perfectly timed, dimly lit, mutually satisfying, and free of any discomfort or awkwardness]], even when one or both partners are virgins. None of these scenes shows any nudity more scandalous than a quick glimpse of {{Sideboob}}, and any sounds from the actors louder than heavy breathing are [[TheModestOrgasm drowned out by music]].

* EmpathicEnvironment:
** Need an excuse for the couple to kiss? Cue the RomanticRain.
** Is someone angry or depressed? Cue the GrayRainOfDepression.
** Is the couple reuniting? CueTheSun and the ColorWash.
* FallingInLoveMontage: In every single one of his movies.

** When the separation period of a couple [[UnrequitedLoveLastsForever lasts for years or even decades]], the man spends it [[IWillWaitForYou pining for]] [[OldFlame the other]], refusing to date anyone else on more than the most casual basis, while the woman [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder attaches herself to someone else]], who may be the RomanticFalseLead or a SecondLove depending on the story. From here, she will start leading an AwfulWeddedLife or discover a serious flaw in her relationship, which provides the perfect excuse for [[LoveWillLeadYouBack love to lead her back]] to her OldFlame and make her a SympatheticAdulterer. After this, she will be [[SexChangesEverything torn about the fallout]], requiring the man to nobly [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy give her his blessing]] to go back to her current partner, which she may do, at least for a while.

** Taken UpToEleven in ''The Choice'', where the heroine cheats on her boyfriend with the hero (and he technically cheats on his on-again, off-again paramour with her), even though there is ''absolutely nothing'' wrong with him or the relationship. She carries on with the other guy for roughly a month and not until her boyfriend returns to town does she even seem to realize that there was anything wrong with her behavior, and ironically, it's her lover who calls her out on this, pointing out that she can't go back to her boyfriend and act like nothing happened between them.

* OneTrueLove: [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism The ideal]] Sparks promotes above all others. Couples in Sparks novels tend to [[LoveAtFirstSight sense their connection instantly]], simply by [[WindowsOfTheSoul looking into each other's eyes]]. Within weeks or even days, they will [[WhatIsThisFeeling recognize this feeling]] [[LoveEpiphany as love]] and [[FourthDateMarriage commit to each other for eternity]]--emotionally, anyway, since something will [[StarCrossedLovers usually require them to separate]] until [[LoveWillLeadYouBack love leads them back]]. No matter precisely how this general RomanceArc plays out, no half of a Sparks leading couple is allowed to be truly happy with [[UnrequitedLoveLastsForever anyone but the other half]].

** When the separation period of a couple is particularly long, one of them (usually the man) spends it [[IWillWaitForYou pining for]] [[OldFlame the other]], refusing to date anyone else on more than the most casual basis, while the other (usually the woman) [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder attaches herself to someone else]], who may be the RomanticFalseLead or a SecondLove depending on the story. From here, she will start leading an AwfulWeddedLife or discover a serious flaw in her relationship, which provides the perfect excuse for her to become a SympatheticAdulterer. After this, she will be [[SexChangesEverything torn about the fallout]], requiring the man to nobly [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy give her his blessing]] to go back to her current partner, which she may do, at least for a while, or not.
** If the couple does reunite for good after one of the above scenarios, they will live HappilyEverAfter. If they don't, it's usually because [[BusCrash one of them has died]].

* OneTrueLove: [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism The ideal]] Sparks promotes above all others. Couples in Sparks novels tend to [[LoveAtFirstSight sense their connection instantly]], simply by [[WindowsOfTheSoul looking into each other's eyes]]. Within weeks or even days, they will [[WhatIsThisFeeling recognize this feeling]] [[LoveEpiphany as love]] and [[FourthDateMarriage commit to each other for eternity]]--emotionally, anyway, since something will [[StarCrossedLovers usually require them to separate]], often for years or even decades, until [[LoveWillLeadYouBack love leads them back]]. If the couple does reunite for good after this, they will live HappilyEverAfter; if they don't, it's usually because [[BusCrash one of them has died]]. No matter what, no half of a Sparks leading couple is allowed to be truly happy with [[UnrequitedLoveLastsForever anyone but the other half]].

** Other couples meet while one of them is [[TheMourningAfter still getting over the death of]] [[TheLostLenore a spouse]] or another close relative, who was always TooHappyToLive; the arrival of the other lead will speed up the grieving process considerably. In a few cases--among them ''Message in a Bottle'', ''The Lucky One'', and ''A Bend in the Road''--the other lead has some connection to, or knowledge of, the dead person before meeting their love interest, but [[CannotSpitItOut can't bring themselves to say so.]]
** During the separation period of many couples, one of them (usually the man) [[IWillWaitForYou pines for]] [[OldFlame the other]], refusing to date anyone else on more than the most casual basis, while the other (usually the woman) [[AbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder attaches herself to someone else]], who may be the RomanticFalseLead or a SecondLove depending on the story. From here, she will start leading an AwfulWeddedLife or discover a serious flaw in her relationship, which provides the perfect excuse for her to become a SympatheticAdulterer. After this, she will be [[SexChangesEverything torn about the fallout]], requiring the man to nobly [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy give her his blessing]] to go back to her current partner, which she may do, at least for a while, or not.

* TheMourningAfter: Some Sparks leads are still getting over [[TheLostLenore the death of a spouse]] or another close relative, who was always TooHappyToLive; the [[SecondLove arrival of their counterpart]] will speed up the grieving process. In a few cases--among them ''Message in a Bottle'', ''The Lucky One'', and ''A Bend in the Road''--the counterpart has some connection to, or knowledge of, the dead person before meeting their love interest, but [[CannotSpitItOut can't bring themselves to say so.]]