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Why It Works

Why it works: “Ramona the Pest”

April 12, 2021 by Nathan Bransford 4 Comments

A lot of the writing advice out there focuses on what NOT to do. “Why it works” is my occasional series where I take books I love and try to pinpoint what the author does especially well. Beverly Cleary’s recent passing led me to revisit one of my favorites from my childhood: Ramona the Pest. […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice Tagged With: Why It Works

Why it works: “Master & Commander” by Patrick O’Brian

January 7, 2020 by Nathan Bransford 13 Comments

A lot of the writing advice out there focuses on what NOT to do. Why it works is my occasional series where I take books I love and try to pinpoint what the author does especially well. Today’s entry: Master & Commander by Patrick O’Brian. First, I’ll be honest, Master & Commander is at times an […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice Tagged With: Why It Works

Why it works: “Go Tell It on the Mountain” by James Baldwin

October 8, 2019 by Nathan Bransford 4 Comments

A lot of the writing advice out there focuses on what NOT to do. “Why it works” is my occasional series where I take books I love and try to pinpoint what the author does especially well. Today’s entry: Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin, which I recently re-read. When you’re a […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice Tagged With: James Baldwin, Why It Works

Why it works: “Feed” by M.T. Anderson

July 22, 2019 by Nathan Bransford 2 Comments

Book cover of Feed by M.T. Anderson

A lot of the writing advice out there focuses on what NOT to do. “Why it works” is my occasional series where I take books I love and try to pinpoint what the author does especially well. Feed was a much-loved and much-awarded young adult novel when it was published way back in 2002. What’s […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice Tagged With: M.T. Anderson, Why It Works

Why it works: “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson

July 11, 2019 by Nathan Bransford 4 Comments

A lot of the writing advice out there focuses on what NOT to do. “Why it works” is my occasional series where I take books I love and try to pinpoint what the author does especially well. Today’s entry: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, which I recently re-read for the first time since I […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice Tagged With: Robert Louis Stevenson, Why It Works

Why it works: “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson

June 20, 2019 by Nathan Bransford 9 Comments

So much writing advice out there, including my own, starts from the premise of what not to do. Honestly, it’s often easier to articulate the things that don’t work in a novel than to pinpoint what does. In order to change that up, I’m going to introduce an occasional new feature on the blog where […]

Filed Under: Books, Writing Advice Tagged With: Marilynne Robinson, Why It Works, writing advice

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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 achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

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My Books

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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