The Orange Eats Creeps isn't exactly a book that inspires blanket recommendation. That's not a backhanded way of saying it's a bad book, it's just best suited to a certain type of reader. I could throw down the gauntlet of difficult fiction, much like Steve Erickson does in his introduction, but that would be disingenuous. Not that Erickson isn't being sincere when he brands the book as dangerous; I just find that type of build-up inevitably leads to backlash. read more »

Buy The Orange Eats Creeps From Amazon.com

UPDATE: Earlier this week I posted a News update about Fabien Martorell, the man who currently has the film option to adapt Snuff.  He informed me that Daryl Hannah, Thora Birch and Tom Sizemore were on board.

The next day, SlashFilm, a respected and very popular movie site that I frequent, posted this story: 

http://www.slashfilm.com/anticasting-update-scar/?utm_source=feedburner&...

Here was the portion of the story that concerned this bit of casting news Fabien told me:

But Jeff Snieder from Variety was quick to call out the casting as premature via Twitter. (“Absolutely NO TRUTH to THORA BIRCH doing SNUFF. Hasn’t even read a script. Got a vehement denial. THIS IS WHY YOU CHECK IT WHEN TALENT TALKS.”) And Deadline chimed in with an equally vehement denial for Daryl Hannah, relaying that her reps say she’s never heard of the project. Furthermore, given that she speaks out against sex trafficking, she is ‘embarrassed’ by the association. (Now, I haven’t read Snuff, and the plot sounds rather horrifying, but it also sounds like something that would actually make the sex industry in general and porn specifically look pretty bad and damaging. Perhaps I’m wrong.) So: for now, not happening.

Upon seeing this news, I immediatley emailed Fabien to get him to comment on the development.  Today his rep contacted me with this official statement:

Daryl Hannah and Thora Birch's Agent sent us LOIs (Letter of Intent) with his signature to express their interest in Snuff. After mutual consideration, we have decided not to follow up our collaboration. Tom Sizemore is, of course, still on-board.

At this point, Fabien is moving on with other casting, but he assured me again today, that Tom Sizemore is still on board.

Kurt belonged to the world

Warren Zevon probably didn't have Kurt Vonnegut in mind when he coined the phrase, "I'll sleep when I'm dead." Because even though he's no longer with us, the influential writer continues to work as hard as any living author. At least that's the way it seems. Case in point- this past January saw the publication of While Mortals Sleep, the latest offering of the master satirist's unpublished short fiction, as well as the grand opening of The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in his home town of Indianapolis.The term "memorial" aside, this doesn't feel like the posthumous appreciation of a writer's memory to me. It feels more like the recognition afforded a hard-working writer in his prime. read more »

Somehow, this video got past us.  It's a one hour speech Chuck gave at Grub Street's writer's conference last May of 2010. This was a non-public event that actually kicked off Chuck's Tell-All tour that year.

Props to our own Mark Vanderpool for finding this one on Vimeo.

For more information about Grub Street and the conference, check them out here.

This character creation was done by Ned Coker and posted on our Facebook wall.  But the MMORPG game EVE Online has such a big following, I thought it only fitting to share it here too.

To see some more celebrities (including Conan O'Brien) designed, using this same character creation tool, check out:

http://kotaku.com/5744897/celebrity-impersonators-invade-the-virtual-spaceways

For three years, Chuck Palahniuk contributed to our ground breaking online Writers Workshop (which he also helped build, btw) with 36 writing essays.  These were lessons from a best-selling author on how to improve your craft as a writer... the types of lessons they teach in $20,000+ MFA writing programs.  

To look back and celebrate these exclusive essays, each month we are "unlocking" one and offering it for free on the site.  Normally you would need a Workshop Membership on the site to view these essays, but until you're ready to make that important commitment, we'll offer you one of these a month. 

For February, we have Submerging the I, a favorite essay among Chuck's writing fans, which helps you discover the secret for making a first-person narrator less obtrusive.  Enjoy!

Read "Submerging the 'I'"

Check out this short film for the short story Product Placement. This story was featured in Chuck Palahniuk's 2006 novel Haunted.

Link here: http://vimeo.com/17851904

The short was directed and shot by Cailin Yatsko and stars Stewart Kenneth Moore.

Confiscated & Burned: An Interview About 'THE WOMAN'

This year at the Sundance Film Festival our friend Jack Ketchum premiered his new film THE WOMAN to a crowd of unsuspecting press, filmmakers and festival-goers. The Woman was co-written with Lucky McKee, who also directed it.  Lucky is, in my opinion, one of the best horror filmmakers working today. With films such as May, The Woods, Red and what was easily the best entry of the Master's Of Horror anthology, Sick Girl, you could understand how excited I was when I read the news that both he and Ketchum would be teaming up to not only pen the script for The Woman together, but also collaborate on a movie tie-in novel at the same time. read more »

The cover for Chuck Palahniuk's next novel Damned has just surfaced on Amazon.com. 

The books release date was pushed back to October 18, 2011.  More here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385533020/officchuckpalaha/

Thoughts?

Registration Deadline Today!

Craig Clevenger returns for 200 Proof Storytelling - one of our most popular intensive writing classes to date. This class combines the best of his famed Hotseat and Shotgun sessions into a single four-week Master Class. If you missed the chance to study with Craig previously, or you'd like a pure grain refresher course, give yourself the Valentine's Day gift that will keep on giving.

Beyond that load of chocolate, the extra pounds, and the brief romantic buzz, you've got a chance to join us for something substantial and lasting: an early spring commitment that will forever strengthen your prose and refine your storytelling ability.

This class starts up on February 8th.  Seats for this will be limited so...

Enroll Today

Within this course you'll get: read more »