Nicholas Sparks Turns His Divorce into a Sitcom for ABC

Posted on October 7, 2015

Bestselling author Nicholas Sparks is known for his romantic novels, such as The Notebook, Message in a Bottle, Nights in Rodanthe and The Best of Me. So when he and his wife of 25 years separated earlier this year, it shocked many of his fans. But now Sparks has found a way to make lemonade from his divorce lemons: he's turning his divorce into a comedy for ABC.

Deadline reports that Sparks sold the half hour comedy to ABC. The pilot was written by Austin Winsberg (Gossip Girl, The Sound Of Music Live!). The show is produced by Nicholas Sparks Productions and Warner Bros. TV. The show is called The Next Chapter.

The show is loosely based on Sparks' own life. The lead is a bestselling novelist improbably named Ben Diamond. He gets a divorce and must re-enter the dating world while finding the strength to love again. Oh, and everyone gives him grief because he is the world's top expert on love who cannot find love himself. Sparks will be an executive producer on the show. We're sure the soon to be ex-Mrs. Sparks finds it all simply hilarious.

Sparks is a busy guy. His novel, which became a hit feature film starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, is being turned into a television drama for the CW. His next novel, See Me will be released on October 13th. the book details the romance between Colin Hancock, a man trying to put his violent past behind him, and Maria Sanchez, an attorney with a traumatic past.

Sparks shared this photograph of his new novel being printed on Twitter. He tweeted, "Hot off the presses...literally!"