At an age when most people are thinking about slowing down, actor and former physician Grant Rivers is busy writing the next chapter of his creative life—literally. His debut novel, “A Second Chance at Love: A Texas Love Story,” is based on the feature script he co-wrote and is now being shopped to publishers. The book reimagines love, regret, and redemption against the backdrop of small-town Texas, capturing the same heart that fuels Rivers’ acting work. We caught up with him to talk about storytelling through this new lens, creative risk, and why he believes it’s never too late to start again.
You’ve turned your own screenplay into a novel. What made you decide the story of “A Second Chance at Love” needed a life beyond the screen?
The screenplay has not been greenlighted by a streamer or studio. Perhaps if the novel is successful, it will draw more attention to the screenplay.
What surprised you most about the writing process compared to acting or producing?
It is much more personal for me, and more difficult.
What aspects of your own life, if any, found their way into this story?
The time we spent in Austin inspired my appreciation for the wild Texas landscape and healthy lifestyle.
When adapting a screenplay into prose, what did you have to let go of—or expand—that changed the story for you?
The lead character's qualities and past history need to be expanded.
You’ve said before that acting is “inwardly satisfying.” How does writing compare?
Writing is much more intimate.
Many people your age might hesitate to start something new. What keeps you open to reinvention?
Nobody has ever stopped me.
The novel’s title suggests both romance and redemption. What does a “second chance at love” mean to you personally?
That there is always another—and perhaps better and more fulfilling—opportunity to interconnect with another.
Texas feels like a character in itself in this story. Why set it there?
Yes, Texas is like another person. It has a distinctive, freer, more entrepreneurial, more exciting, and pleasant atmosphere. You’re very conscious of Texas when you’re there.
You’ve spent years helping others—first as a doctor, now as a storyteller. Do you see any connection between those roles?
Similar diagnostic skills.
What’s the hardest truth you’ve learned about creativity at this stage in life?
It ain't easy, but it may just keep you alive.
Do you think audiences will see this novel as a reflection of your own love story in some way?
Nope. My relationship with my wife Chanel was totally unexpected. We are 180° different from each other, different interests, different motivations. Very unlike all the commonalities that [the characters] Levi and Belle share.
When you picture this book on shelves, what kind of reader do you imagine picking it up?
Middle-aged and mature woman. And teenagers in general.
What comes after this—another book, another film, or something entirely unexpected?
We are always looking for opportunities. And we have two other screenplays, “It's Time” and “Finders Keepers,” that we may novelize.
For more information on Grant, please visit: grantriversofficial.com.
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