Back on Track...?

So, this past week has been our spring break, but I am happy to say that I finished two out of my three novels by Nicholas Sparks. I finished the second one, Nights in Rodanthe, in basically one plane ride. Although I enjoyed Message in a Bottle more than the other novel, I can safely say that both were really great. They were what I expected, and more.

As I read through my novels, I began to wonder what aspects I am going to focus on in my research paper, as well as in my final project. Reading them is certainly helping me understand what makes a true love story. Sparks is a phenominal author who in my opinion, writes the best love novels I have ever read. They never lack any details and always surprise me with their twists.

This week, since I have been concentrating on actually reading the novels, I am going to start writing my research paper. Like Mr. Saxon said, I would love to get it out of the way and be one less thing to worry about. I will be brainstorming what I want to focus on in my research paper. I'm thinking I might want to write it on what makes a love story a quality story, or maybe some aspect about Spark's life that influenced him, particularly his writing style.

Here are some valuable websites that I consider using in my research paper:
this one includes actual interviews with Sparks throughout his writing career
the latest about his novels
information on Spark's life

4th Marking Period - We're Almost There...

So, we have finally made it to fourth marking period, and this time things are going to be a little different. As we are allowed to choose a topic of interest to research and create a final project on, I have decided that I want to do something with Nicholas Sparks's novels. Sparks has always been one of my favorite authors because his books have always seemed to surprise and intrigue me. My favorite novel, A Bend in the Road, was the best mystery/love story I have ever had my hands on. I cannot describe how amazing this novel was, but I finished it in a day, which is definitely saying something. Here is a link that details the plot of A Bend in the Road.

Over the previous week, I have been searching for classics that Nicholas Sparks has written and seeing how people liked them. I have decided upon reading three novels, including A Message in a Bottle (one of his earliest and definitely a classic), Nights in Rodanthe (my mom said it was to die for), and one of the newer books, The Choice. These three novels seemed to have interesting plots that I hope, yet know that I will enjoy.

At first I was wondering what I could actually do with these novels. What can I create after reading them? But I have finally decided upon writing my own short love story/novel. In my opinion, Sparks is the ultimate romantic, and from reading some of his works, I hope to gain some insight into writing my own. I know I will have to do more than just read the books; in order to create my final project, I will have to research how to write short stories, as well as love stories.

My plan for the week is to continue reading A Message in the Bottle and to research and learn more about Sparks's style and way of writing. I will also be working on my PIP, which stands for personal improvement plan, since it is the basic guideline of our project. I believe I have good plan or at least a basis of how to start and carry over my ideas for the fourth marking period.

Here are some valuable websites that I believe will help me in the future:
novels written by Nicholas Sparks
how to write a short story