Valentine's Day Love Letter ideas from Nicholas Sparks

I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough..”  ― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Nicholas Sparks is the bestselling author of 18 romance novels, many of which have been made into movies — Message in a Bottle (read the book instead, made me cry), A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, The Lucky One and Safe Haven. The king of weepy romance tales, provided the following tips for writing the perfect one-liner.

Keep it STRONG
Be committed. Your line must convey love, and convey it in no uncertain terms. Stay away from language that is open for interpretation or that leaves room for doubt—avoid words like “might” and “maybe.”

Keep it SINCERE
  Think about love as a very real, personal thing between you and the person you love. Find inspiration from your relationship. What does this love mean to you?

Keep it SIMPLE
Your goal is to convey your feelings—not your intelligence. Don’t be too wordy, and if you’re going to use metaphor, pick one; it’s better to have one metaphor that says it all than a number of metaphors that each fall short in their own way.

Keep it SHORT
Do not hide your message in an endless parade of phrases, words, and descriptions. Part of what makes the phrase “I love you” so powerful is that it evokes such a powerful emotion in so few words.

You are, and always have been, my dream.”
― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook   (More Nicholas Sparks quotes for inspiration)