Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Finally reading Uglies by Scott Westerfield as well as The Boneshaker by Kate Milford and Trapped by Michael Northrup. Just finished The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman, which I enjoyed. YA all the way, lately.

It's not like I had high expectations, but I'm really not doing well. That being said, Go Wisconsin!

Yeah I won't sugar coat it for you, The Road is depressing, but you won't find a better written dystopian setting. I also won't lie, right after I read The Road I reread the YA book The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson to feel all better inside. I was depressed for about a month after reading The ...

My only real pet peeve with sex in fiction is the infamous purple/flowery prose (sex scenes should not make me laugh from wording choice!). I also get annoyed blatant BS. I know its fantasy and all, but seriously most women do not reach happyland with just a heated look and a quick touch Totally ag...

Margo--right on!
And I like what Sommer says, too. I should read more sexy stuff, I think. Why don't I?

Interesting question. I haven't given this a lot of thought. My initial feeling is that it has to feel right within the context of the story. If I'm needing to be sucked into the romance--than it ought to feel more romantic. YA: perhaps more of the lusty feelings of adolescence and yearning. I don't...

Thanks for all the words of wisdom, Peeps. I love the story, so I will write. I have no fantasies of being the next Stephenie Meyer. My only fantasy is to be able to sleep longer, take some trips now and then, and hang out more with my family and my dog.

Polymath, how did you get so smart?

So there's a lot of talk about how certain genres have been done to death and how you shouldn't write in a certain genre just because it has been wildly popular. But what you have a book idea that you love and it is in that genre that your potential agent is so sick of hearing about she won't want t...

I definitely like the idea of Hailee Steinfeld for Katniss. She's young and has the right look, plus she's really good!

Pippi Longstocking!
Franny, Zooey, Buddy, Walter, Waker, Seymour, Boo Boo Glass
Edward Cullen was kind of a perfect name for the character
Katniss Everdeen, for sure (and with that, Peeta)

I spent a Christmas in Australia once. We all wore colorful paper crowns and pulled apart some kind of wrapped tubish thing that maybe gently exploded? It was a long time ago. But the presents and the tree and Santa were all part of it. Aussies rule!

Here are a few of my favorite (Christmas) things:

It's a Wonderful Life
Egg Nog
baking cookies and then eating cookies
Falling snow
Freshly fallen snow
Vegging in front of the fireplace
Buddy the Elf
Carols
Christmas lights
Charlie Brown's Christmas
Shopping (local, of course)

"Donkey Butt, you still have friends" made me laugh out loud. I will always remember this. And love it. Mine was from the Fine Young Cannibal's song She Drives Me Crazy: she drives me crazy, like no one else. But I always heard: she drives me crazy, like long white hair. Long white hair? A...

I'm predicting next week's blog posts (from Nathan) will be rich in Mark Twain, ur, stuff.

Do you get to work from home, Nathan? Or do you drive/commute to some fancy CNET offices where they serve donuts and microbrews? Is it like that Facebook office in the Social Network? I hope they are modernist cubicles.