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David Foster Wallace

Are we stripping modern books bare?

July 9, 2012 by Nathan Bransford72 Comments

Reader Drew Turney wrote to me recently with an interesting question. There’s so much advice, commentary, and opinion about stripping away anything unessential to a book’s plot. Writing in the modern era emphasizes moving the plot forward at all costs, and everything else is “ruthlessly killed off no matter how darling.” Digressions and detritus that […]

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Filed Under: BooksTagged With: Charles Dickens, Culture, David Foster Wallace, Jonathan Franzen, Moby-Dick

Does Angst Help You Write?

September 1, 2010 by Nathan Bransford184 Comments

There is perhaps no archetype more persistent throughout the history of art and literature than that of the tortured artist. From the tragically real cases (like Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, and David Foster Wallace), to self-conscious poseurs (who shall remain nameless), angst-filled writers in both fiction and real life are an enduring staple in culture. […]

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Filed Under: The Writing LifeTagged With: David Foster Wallace, Hemingway, Staying Sane While Writing, You Tell Me

Writers, Authority, and The Keith Hernandez Rule

August 12, 2010 by Nathan Bransford83 Comments

While I have previously tackled the perennial conversation topic/game/complaint Today’s Publishing Industry Would Have Never Publishing Such and Such Genius Old Book Because Everyone in Publishing Today is a Freaking Idiot, there is a component to these complaints that I would like to delve into just a tad deeper. I find it curious that whenever […]

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Filed Under: The Writing LifeTagged With: David Foster Wallace, Harry Potter, How to Write a Novel, J.K. Rowling, James Joyce, Lord of the Rings, Moby-Dick, Seinfeld, William Faulkner, writing advice, Writing and Sports

This Week in Publishing 5/14/10

May 14, 2010 by Nathan Bransford54 Comments

This week in………. TYRA MAIL! Screeeeeammmm!!!!!!! Yes, it has finally happened. Tyra Banks. Novelist. The model/talk show host/judge-of-fierceness has smized her way to a book deal for a YA novel called “Modelland,” involving a land populated by “Intoxibellas,” who are, of course, hot and fierce and will cry dramatically if you ask them about the […]

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Filed Under: UncategorizedTagged With: Borders, Cormac McCarthy, David Foster Wallace, E-books, E-Readers, How to Find a Literary Agent, Ian McEwan, Jane Austen, This Week in Publishing, Young Adult Literature

This Week in Publishing 3/20/09

March 20, 2009 by Nathan Bransford124 Comments

Lots and lots of links this week, so let’s get this started, shall we? First off, I’m as surprised as you are that my bracket wasn’t completely busted by 3 PM yesterday, which probably means that I’ll be dead in the water by the end of the day. There’s currently a nine-way tie atop the […]

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Filed Under: UncategorizedTagged With: David Foster Wallace, Google, Ian McEwan, literary agents, Malcolm Gladwell, This Week in Publishing, Why Do I Need A Literary Agent?, Writing and Sports

RIP David Foster Wallace

September 14, 2008 by Nathan Bransford55 Comments

Wow. Just incredibly sad news. We’ve lost an unbelievable talent.

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Filed Under: BooksTagged With: David Foster Wallace

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About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors chase their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

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How to Write A Novel
Cover of How to Publish a Book by Nathan Bransford
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapo
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe
Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp

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