"The Notebook" author Nicholas Sparks made his television debut by serving as the executive producer for the two-hour drama "Deliverance Creek," Collider reported.
The show premiered on Sept. 13 on Lifetime channel and focuses on a widow who is determined to do everything to protect her three children during the Civil War. Lauren Ambrose plays, Belle Gatlin Barlowe, the lead in the program, according to LA Times.
For the show, Sparks worked heavily on the development of the script. He also got the chance to work closely with Ambrose and is impressed by her professionalism.
"A lot of my work is primarily done on the front-end with script development," the author said. "I've been around film long enough to know that, when you're working with someone like Lauren, who is a consummate professional, she knows how to do it and my best role is to stand back and let them work together."
Despite being the producer, Sparks said he didn't intervene with the director's method in explaining to the actors what they should do in each scene.
"I'm there, but I generally don't involve myself in giving the actors some tips on acting," Sparks explained. "At the same time, I don't do that with the director. We talked about the themes, the movement, and what the general emotions are that we were trying to build throughout the script."
"A lot of that work is done upfront, with the writer and the director, and then you sit back and let the actors bring to life," he added. "It's just something that I have learned, over time, that works."
Comparing his latest endeavor with his experience as an author, Sparks said working on a book is much easier that developing a television program. Being the author, he has complete control over the progress of his work.
"Working on a novel is very solitary and I get to be the boss," he explained. "I'm the dictator, so I win every battle. So, in that sense, novels are easier because you don't have to answer to anyone."
"And then, you go into something like film and there are more cooks in the kitchen, so to speak," he added. "You have the studio and you have the director. And television is a little bit more like film."