In Nicholas Sparks's original novel, the characters were a bit whimsical, which screenwriter Jeremy Leven didn't feel would be believable on screen. Leven told The Harvard Crimson: "The problem with the book is that it's melodramatic and sweet, and you have to find a way to appeal to an audience that is apprehensive about yet another sweet movie. So you have to give it an edge, make it real, and make the choices the characters face real."