TERRY: TODAY THE NOVELS OF

CHARLES MARTIN ARE AVAILABLE IN

TWENTY COUNTRIES AND PRINTED IN

SEVENTEEN LANGUAGES.

HIS NOVEL "THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN

US"

IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR A

MOVIE.

HE RECEIVED 86 REJECTIONS BEFORE

HE GOT A CONTRACT FOR HIS FIRST

BOOK.

TAKE A LOOK

REPORTER: CHARLES MARTIN HAS

BEEN WRITING STORIES SINCE HE

WAS 15.

HE NEVER IMAGINED HIMSELF AS A

NEW YORK BEST TIMES AUTHOR.

HE CONTINUED WRITING BUT TOOK A

JOB SELLING INSURANCE TO SUPPORT

HIS FAMILY.

MONEY WAS GOOD, BUT WHEN THE

COUNTRY OFFERED HIM A SIX FIGURE

INCOME, HE DECLINED.

TERRY: WELCOME TO "THE 700

CLUB" CHARLES MARTIN.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

[APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

TERRY: WHEN DID YOU FIRST

KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER?

I STARTED WORKING ON STORIES

AT 15.

WHEN I WAS 15 I COULDN'T

COMMUNICATE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

THE LORD GAVE ME THE PEN TO

EXPRESS WHATEVER WAS BUBBLING UP

INSIDE ME.

I WAS ABLE TO GET IT ON THE

PAGE, COULDN'T GET IT OUT OF MY

LIFE.

TERRY: YOU GOT A JOB SELLING

INSURANCE, YOU WERE GOOD AT IT.

YOU DID WELL?

I WAS GOOD BECAUSE MY

BROTHER-IN-LAW TRAINED ME AND

HELPED PUT LEGS ON HIS PROMISES.

IT WASN'T MY DREAM.

IT WASN'T WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

I HAD A MANUSCRIPT WAS GOOD.

CHRISTY THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD,

MAYBE SOME WHERE IN BARNES AND

NOBLE.

TERRY: YOU ARE OFFERED A SIX

FIGURE SALARY, A LOT OF PEOPLE

WOULD SAY DITCH THE DREAM.

I WAS GRATEFUL.

MY DAD AND GRANDFATHER GREW UP

ON EITHER SIDE OF THE

DEPRESSION.

THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE SAID CAN I

THINK ABOUT IT OVER THE WEEKEND?

I WAS WRESTLING WITH LORD, WHY

DID YOU PUT ME ON PLANET EARTH.

TERRY: YOU ARE OFFERED THIS

MONEY.

WHAT DID YOUR WIFE SAY?

SHE WOKE ME UP AT 4:00 IN THE

MORNING.

WE HAD A ROUGH WEEKEND.

SHE TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER,

SHE SAID THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY.

[LAUGHTER].

I SAID HONEY, WHAT DO YOU WANT

ME TO DO?

THAT IS MY PIPE DREAM, MY DREAM.

SHE GAVE ME A GIFT I CAN'T EVER

REPAY HER.

SUNDAY LATER THAT WEEKEND, THE

LORD DID NEAT STUFF.

WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS ALL OUT.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET TO AGE

40 AND YOU TELL ME YOU COULD

HAVE BEEN SOMEONE ELSE.

NOW I AM 43 AND MY BOOKS ARE IN

17 COUNTRIES.

THE LORD ALLOWED US TO DO THAT.

TERRY: BEFORE YOU GOT TO

THAT PLACE, 86 REJECTIONS?

I STILL HAVE THEM IN A

FOLDER.

TERRY: WHAT WAS IT LIKE?

SHATTERED ME.

GUT WRENCHING.

THE TWO SENSE THEN, REJECTED,

THAT IS SHATTERING.

TERRY: BOOK IS LIKE GIVING

BIRTH TO A BABY.

SOMEONE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW SAYS

HMM, NOT GOING TO WORK.

IT IS TOUGH.

IT HAS MADE ME HIT MY KNEES.

IT IS ROUGH.

YOU ARE GETTING REACTION.

THAT IS MY SOUL ON THE PAGE.

THEY DON'T WANT IT.

TERRY: DID YOU EVER QUESTION

ALONG THE WAY.

HERE YOU WERE COMMITTED TO YOUR

DREAM, THIS PASSION STIRRING

INSIDE OF YOU, 86 REJECTIONS,

DID YOU EVER SAY, MAYBE I AM NOT

IT.POSED TO DO 

THIS SIDE OF PARADISE

REJECTED 126 TIMES.

I TOLD MYSELF WHEN I GET THERE

I'LL QUIT.

86 WAS GETTING CLOSE.

TERRY: THAT IS A LITTLE

SCARY.

TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR FAITH AND

HOW IT HAS IMPACTED YOUR WRITING

AND THIS WHOLE PROCESS FOR YOU.

I DON'T HAVE A PLAN B.

THE LORD GIVES YOU THE FAITH YOU

NEED AND GAVE US WHAT WE NEEDED.

I PRAY MY STORIES HONOR THE LORD

AND ON HIS SHELF WHEN I GET

THERE.

TERRY: WHEN YOU GET THERE,

NOT JUST ON THE SHELF.

NOW YOU HAVE A MOVIE DEAL?

IT HAS BEEN IN DEVELOPMENT.

PETER FROM 21ST CENTURY FOX

BOUGHT IT.

I HOPE THEY MAKE A STORY.

I AM PULLING FOR YOU.

I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT

MOVIE.

I AM SO FAR DOWN ON THE TOTEM

POLE.

I FIND OUT WHEN THEY POST IT ON

THE INTERNET.

TERRY: HERE YOU ARE, WHEN

YOU LOOK TO THE FUTURE, WHAT ARE

THE THINGS IN YOUR HEART YOU

WANT TO SEE HAPPEN?

AS I GET OLDER AND I GET

THESE HARD CHALLENGED PLACES.

I REALIZE I AM NOT ALONE.

MY READERS ARE NOT ALONE.

I WANT TO WRITE STORIES THAT GET

TO THE HARD PLACES AND TOUCH

THEM WHERE THEY ARE STILL

TENDER, FORGIVE QUICKLY, LAUGH

DEEPLY.

HOPELESSNESS IS SOMETHING WE ARE

FED IN THIS CULTURE.

THIS IS YOUR DAILY DOSE YOU EAT

THIS TODAY.

I REACT STRONGLY TO THAT.

WHY NOT RAISE IN HOPE TO THE

SURFACE?

TERRY: YOU DO THAT IN

"UNWRITTEN," THAT IS THE LATEST.

I WAS UP LATE READING THIS.

IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT YOUR

READERS TO TAKE AWAY?

TWO THINGS, HOPE WINS AND

LOVE NEVER DIES.

BROKEN CUPS CAN STILL POUR

WATER.

TERRY: SOMETIMES WITH THOSE

WITH MORE APPRECIATION.

AWESOME BOOK.

YOU ARE A REGENT GRAD.

YES.

LORD POURED INTO ME.

I FLEW IN LAST NIGHT AND I DROVE

UP, WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES?

I REMEMBER A LOT OF HARD

WORK.

CHRISTY AND I LEARNED TO LEAN ON

ONE ANOTHER AND TRUST ONE

ANOTHER AND THE LORD.

MY PROFESSORS WERE AWESOME.

I DON'T JUST SAY THAT.

I STILL STAY IN CONTACT WITH

THEM.

TERRY: THEY INVEST IN YOU?

THEY INVESTED IN YOU.

I DID A MASTERS AND ACCEPTED ME

INTO THE DOCTORAL PROGRAM.

TERRY: SO PROUD OF YOU,

CHARLES' LATEST BOOK

"UNWRITTEN."

IT IS A GOOD READ.

GREAT TO MEET YOU.

WONDERFUL STORY.