Details On Chuck Palahniuk's Short Story Contest
Recently I've noticed a lot of questions popping up in our inbox about our Writers' Workshop Anthology on the ChuckPalahniuk.net website. So I figured I'd take a few minutes to provide some much needed details.
- So what exactly is this thing?
First of all, this isn't primarily a 'short story' contest. I made it the title of this thread because many people are referring to it this way and it is very important to clarify that it is not a contest, but something much, MUCH more exciting! If you think about this venture we're doing as a contest, you're probably going to be let down. This is a Writers' Workshop, meaning, you submit your original work to our website and it gets rated, read and reviewed by your peers. Then, depending on its overall standing each month, it has the possibility of being selected to be screened by our editors. If it makes it past that process, it goes before our final screeners. And it it makes it past that, it goes to Chuck Palahniuk himself.
- What does Chuck do with the stories once he receives them?
Well, he reads them. Sometimes he'll read the same story many times. He then writes up about a 1 page review of the story. He praises all its positive points and provides feedback and critique on some of its weaker points. (*See a public example of this here.)
Chuck's goal is to select the best stories at the end of the year and publish them in an Anthology. Chuck has teased that he already has a publisher lined up. He will then toss his name on it, as probably one of the editors, and he's even going to write an intro for it.
We'll have no details about the publisher, or any sort of contract, until closer to the end of the year.
What I can tell you is that this is legit. Chuck has big plans for all the writers he selects that includes more than just being published. He revealed some of them to me recently and my jaw dropped. But I'll just have to leave you with that tease for now.
- How many stories get selected?
Each month our Writers' Workshop gets about 100 stories submitted from people just like you. Most of these people have never been published before. Some of them are quite talented, and Chuck doesn't have to give an abundance of notes for them. While others greatly benefit from all of his pointers and direction.
At the end of the month, we narrow it down to the semi-finalist selections. This is usually about 17 stories. So figure about 17% of the month's load. Those 17 stories are sent to the final two screeners and we then narrow it down to the 6 best. (Chuck is having so much fun reading the stories, that he recently upped that from 5).
- Then what?
Chuck reads, reviews and critiques the stories and sends them back to us. We post them in the member's only portion of the site on this page, for other Workshoppers to learn from. These selected writers then either decide to revise their stories to see if they improve by peer feedback -- or they take the lessons Chuck has given and apply them to a new story.
- Can you submit the same story twice?
Chuck and I talked about this recently and he's honestly not that thrilled about reading revisions at this time. So we sort of agreed that, if he likes a story enough the first time, and he's thinking about selecting it for the Anthology at the end of the year, then at that time he'll view revisions. Until then, I would urge you to focus on your next story... and stay busy writing!
- What sort of material do you accept?
The Workshop in general accepts mostly anything. Essays, short fiction, screenplays, novel excerpts and poetry. For the Anthology, we're only accepting short stories and novel excerpts that have not been previously published. Also, the novel excerpt should read LIKE a short story. It should feel like it could be a stand-alone piece.
- Do I have to have my story be included in this Anthology? What if I just want to join the Writers' Workshop for peer review and to troubleshoot my work?
That's perfectly fine. This is opt-in only. There's a little box you check off with a release form attached when you join our Workshop and submit a story.
Let's be clear about something: This Anthology is a bonus to what is already a ground-breaking feature on our website. The Writers' Workshop was developed on our site over 4 years ago. And for 3 of those years, Chuck wrote original essays on writing that are now all available and archived for members to read and learn from. We also have helpful Q&As with Chuck, essays about writing, and of course, a bustling community of writers all waiting to read your work. (this is probably the most vital form of feedback you can ever expect).
- Yeah, but this can't all be free.
It's not. The Writers' Workshop costs $39.95 to join for the year. This gets you a Premium Membership to the site and full access to all the features I listed above. 90% of the website is free. The Writers' Workshop makes up the other 10%.
Please understand that this all takes a lot of effort and man-power to maintain every month. This is a serious venture with the potential to get a group of writers published in 2010 in a major Anthology with Chuck Palahniuk as the editor. Not to mention, the lessons and tools that are available in our Workshop (from Chuck's 36 essays alone) are similar to what you'd be paying over $20,000 for in any graduate writing course or MFA writing program.
$39.95 is about $3.30 a month, folks. That's about the price of a coffee at Starbucks! So if you're serious about your writing. If you want to take things to the next level. If you want the possibility of being published and starting a career. Or, if you're simply looking for some feedback from your peers, then come give us a visit.
Please go vote on my short film 'ICE CREAM!'
for the FilmmakingFrenzy.com contest!:::
I'M GONNA WIN!!!
Just kidding. I'm glad you specified it wasn't a contest it's a benefit. And I didn’t know the opinion had on rewrites for the anthology. (Makes sense. That’s what editors are for, right?)
You guys are awesome, keep up the communication and hard work.
Love,
D
I only joined the Workshop in March. I had no idea about the anthology (bonus!), I just wanted somewhere to thrash out some ideas and I certainly found the right place for that.
I've never been published online or in print. This month a story I wrote made the final six. I have no idea if it'll make the anthology or not (to be honest i doubt it, but you never know). What I do know is that Chuck Palahniuk will read my story. He will write down his thoughts/advice and then he will pass them on to me via this site. I just typed that and I still don't believe it, but it's going to happen.
I've read the stuff he's written in his critiques of previous nominated submissions and it is not of the "Nice try, tiger. Keep on trucking" variety. It's specific, detailed criticism that's stunningly insightful and constructive.
If you are serious about writing, about exploring your ability and pushing yourself to be better I would suggest you join the workshop. Even without the Special Bonus Feature, it's easily the best site of its kind around.
"Some people have a way with words, some people not have way."
thank you very much for really drawing out the lines here, den.
.
and, that about killed me, damon haha
..
I'm a real nice guy, loyal to his family and friends, like to help old people and I play well with children, but there is a very dark side to the moon. A predilection for the psychopathic, I have a history of violence I would like to herald always as ancient history. But some guys just wont listen, just wont let go.
This sounds like a lot of fun, and long-term fun at that. My big question is how much story-reading do you do? How much do you do to be able to submit your own stories and how much will you do just to keep up with all the submissions as the months go by? Not that I don't have a gargantuan reading habit anyhow...
Assuming you are writing helpful critiques for your fellow writers, you only need to read 3-5 submissions for each submission you wish to make. Most of the active members have no problem reading and critiquing that much work, and most of them read way more than that.
Remember it is a community effort, the more people you help out, the more feedback you're likely to receive for your own submissions.
S you in your A's. Don't wear a C and J all over your B's
Assuming you are writing helpful critiques for your fellow writers, you only need to read 3-5 submissions for each submission you wish to make. Most of the active members have no problem reading and critiquing that much work, and most of them read way more than that.
Remember it is a community effort, the more people you help out, the more feedback you're likely to receive for your own submissions.
3 to 5 is super-reasonable. I'd probably want to read more of the hot stuff just to do it. I'll have to check this out in the next couple weeks. Sounds like a good activity for me to get into at this stage in my existence.
Also - remember the law of unintended consequences. Print the stories and critique them in a patio bar where the hot girls go. If you're anything like me (and trust me, I ain't much), you'll have a lot more hunnies coming up to you, asking what you're doing than any given douche in a muscle shirt, watching The Game on TV, or any Persian-Fail-Man (PFM) in a silk shirt, could ever hope for.
I suppose this also works for women 'cause I'll always buy a drink for a chick who's writing in a bar. Might not sleep with them but it's still a free drink.
Either way, the Cult gets you laid, at a very reasonable price.
Good authors who once knew more clever words,
Now only use four letter words,
Writing prose.
Anything Goes.
-Cole Porter
The cult does NOT get you laid.
I've noticed a spike in new members; not sure how I feel about this yet. On one hand it's great for the website, on the other hand, there's just an over saturation of stories being posted. I'll be honest, whenever I get a really good critique from someone, I label them as a friend and keep track of what they post so I can review their work just as thoroughly. But this also means I've been ignoring other writers, at least I will be if my friends keep consistently posting work (I'm still six stories behind).
So, if you join, just be aware that valuable critique is expected, not a simple "I liked this". And make friends too. Eventually you'll have a group of people that you work with on a weekly basis. I find this much easier than randomly critiquing every single story- I really don't have the time and I'd never get anything new written if I did this. Instead I focus on a group of about ten people who I look forward to getting critiques from.
And don't just rush out your story! Most likely the veterans around here will groan at all the spelling mistakes and move on to reviewing other veterans' stories and you'll end up just getting critiques from other new people that won't know how to properly review your work with a critical eye.
And finally, again- this will NOT get you laid. Alcohol does fine enough job getting people laid. Save the writing for the next day.
Beer, beer, beer, bed, bed, bed.
You know, I love my coffee and reading. I love my coffee and writing. But I can't bring my self to hang around a coffee shop with a laptop for the reasons mentioned above. I went to school out in Berkeley, which is loaded with wifi coffee shops and bohemian types all packed in there with their laptops, just begging for someone to approach them and ask what they're writing.
Me, I'd bring in a Nintendo DS and start destroying Japanese kids at Mario Kart online. Saying stuff like, "Yeah, Luigi, that's RIGHT! You got pwned!" and "That's the problem with sucka emcees like you, Peach, always tryin to step up!"
Oh, and make no mistake about it, this kind of behavior did NOT get me laid. But it was laughs. 
The cult does NOT get you laid.
"To fail to embrace my dreams now would be a disgrace so great that sin itself would not be able to find a name for it." - Werner Herzog
(...and before y'all get too pervy, of course I'm ONLY referring to the upcoming Cultie nuptials...)
"To fail to embrace my dreams now would be a disgrace so great that sin itself would not be able to find a name for it." - Werner Herzog
How cool is this???
I've received so much helpful feedback on my first story ... you guys and dolls are so great for making this work and Chuck's so generous.
Seriously, I write more because of this forum and I just joined at the end of February ... I'm cranking some mad words because of you.
Cheers 
Get the sugar. Get the sugar. Get the sugar.
I joined as well because of this story. After a hiatus from writing much for a couple years I've wanted to write again. I enjoy making games, but I'm still a peon so the freedom of authorship that writing offers is intoxicating.
This also seems like a good place to find sardonic and/or crass people (a good thing).
Andrew Dobbs
http://bit.ly/CK0zM
I joined as well because of this story. After a hiatus from writing much for a couple years I've wanted to write again. I enjoy making games, but I'm still a peon so the freedom of authorship that writing offers is intoxicating.
This also seems like a good place to find sardonic and/or crass people (a good thing).
nathanial. you seek nathanial..
I'm a real nice guy, loyal to his family and friends, like to help old people and I play well with children, but there is a very dark side to the moon. A predilection for the psychopathic, I have a history of violence I would like to herald always as ancient history. But some guys just wont listen, just wont let go.
I remember when I was sixteen years old. I had been up all night on Ritalin and I was out of my mind crazy. As the sun came up the birds chirped- all I could think was "Curse these morning birds!"
But it was Saturday, I had Saturday detention, I brought survivor and read it and in my lack of sleep I was enthralled and touched by the story- so much so, almost to the the point of tears. I wrote Chuck a letter when I was sixteen, just to tell him that he had touched me, and that I felt bad because I was a punk ass kid and I had stolen all of his books for the sheer fun of shoplifting.
Abby Hoffman's partially to blame for that.
But I got his address when he was still accepting fan mail. And I wrote him a letter apologizing for stealing his books, and telling him that I was genuinely touched. I expected nothing. But months later I received a care package. He made me a necklace, and he autographed a copy of fight club for me. Since then, I knew that writing is good and writing is strong and I'm on a mission, I would love to read what everyone has to say, because I know that there are brilliant burning minds out there searching for an outlet.
I still have the necklace- I keep it next to my bed. And when my friends (whether they be musicians, writers, painters, sculptors,whatever)come to me in dismay because they are terrified that they do not have what it takes to achieve their goals, I take out that necklace, and I say "People will help you, you just have to make yourself known, and have something to offer."
And as a genuine humble motion once we're lifted on high we should do the most of what is humanly possible to lift others. Which is what this is. I only pray that I can reach him, because I've been building ever since he reassured me that I should follow my dream. And now I have a plethora of stories. I only hope that one may reach him and that he may laugh with me as I've laughed with him.
mt_hope88:
You have the natural ability to tell a story. I'm glad you decided to join I believe in lifting people up- it's my only form of religion.
Cheers,
Nikki
Get the sugar. Get the sugar. Get the sugar.
Forty dollars is three days of baby formula.
i'll put it like this:
as brother damon pointed out hahahah, this "contest" clearly isnt a contest. you should always strive to bring your best work.
or work something you want to massage into your best work.
there was this one story, i've been working on it for a few years now. i brought it to the workshop back in march. i received many critiques on it. mood jumped in immediately. the man is voracious and has no fear. he offered thoughts on what parts of the story lulled him. (and i thought i had the story strong.) samstod dipped in with his thoughts. i received comprehensive thoughts from BH, brother mdevito, gayle, laura, aj, and the wickerman. that was back in march and time is funny. i've worked on a few things since then. for the workshop and for myself. the point is, i just started my redraft and those comments have become invaluable to me. the workshop anthology will happen, but workshop anthology or nay, the workshop is what is golden here if you value improving your writing craft. chuck's essays are the tools he provided to give you a jumpstart. what you do with the tools, though, is up to you.
I'm a real nice guy, loyal to his family and friends, like to help old people and I play well with children, but there is a very dark side to the moon. A predilection for the psychopathic, I have a history of violence I would like to herald always as ancient history. But some guys just wont listen, just wont let go.
I couldn't agree with JKabol more. The feedback I have received is priceless. I'm giddy when I clip another piece of feedback to a story. It's energizing and makes the writing/revising process less lonely too.
I can't say how grateful I am for the workshop and its participants.
Thank you!
Get the sugar. Get the sugar. Get the sugar.
Forty dollars is three days of baby formula.
just have the kid breast-feed from the titty for those three days. He'll thank you for it later.
We should all get together and have group sex- there's so much love here.
I'll bring the music.
*mod edited to an attachment of "not safe for work" for those cultists who read the threads while at work*
I like the cut of this guy's jib.
"To fail to embrace my dreams now would be a disgrace so great that sin itself would not be able to find a name for it." - Werner Herzog
Oopsie-daises
I forgot that people tend to lie to themselves.
Are you saying he doesn't like the cut of your jib?
Thanks Dennis, great stuff, appreciate the post. As a mod for the workshop I can honestly say that there are a lot of talented people here, and yet, I find new names each month that stand out. It's never too late, and we are all learning and honing our craft, and improving as writers.
Peace,
Richard
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