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1 week ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
But this bit of vandalism is on every Lemonade Insurance sign I’ve run across. And, no, I didn’t do it myself. I did snap this picture. It’s currently streaming on Kanopy, and most people can watch it for free thanks to their local libraries. It also appears to be on Amazon Prime. On Kanopy I can revisit the film over the course of seventy-two hours, so — of course — I’ll be watching it at least three times. Divorce court looms.
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2 weeks ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
In 1986 the 24-year-old me (see above) went out drinking after swing shift at Freightliner. Our work haunt was a stripper bar, and once it closed a drinking buddy — she worked for the post office, if memory serves — might invite everyone back to her house for more after-hours socializing. Picture a pure Charles Bukowski night, everyone drinking beer on threadbare sofas until dawn. This once, I was only vaguely aware that our host had invited one man into her bedroom.
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
Here’s the politicking that goes into every publication. With an story anthology the organizers court the “name” writers who can deliver a readership and sales. They include So-and-so who will ensure sales of so many copies. Likewise, So-and-so has a massive social media machine that can generate buzz. Because you want the book to get ink, to perform. To move the needle. The lovely writers-in-garrets fantasy aside, the success of a story collection depends on balancing art and commerce.
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
Fight Club couldn’t hold a candle to Animal House, yet the latter offers a plethora of storytelling lessons. During my time at the University of Oregon the city fathers of Eugene, Oregon agonized over demolishing the building used for the exteriors of the John Landis frat house (Plotspoiler: They tore it down), and everyone in that college town had a story related to the movie shoot.
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
My advice is to write about a character who’s living through your reader’s worst nightmare. Yes, show your reader someone who’s trapped in the worst situation possible… and then show that character surviving. The reason we love those classic sit-coms? Those television shows like The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family and Full House and, well, everything, the reason those shows succeed is because at their secret core is horror. A parent has died.
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
And wow. Two weeks back at Slush Pile we seemed to run shy of stories. After two hours of writers jockeying to read, the stories ran dry. This left us with either an hour of socializing or an early exit, but then the strangest thing took place. A newcomer in blue-collar clothes hesitantly offered to read his work. To judge from his beard and Dickies he might’ve worked on a ferry boat — his story took place on a ferry boat. What shook me was his reluctance to come forward.
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
For the first thirty pages. Captivating and fresh and snarky and uber-clever. Beyond that I was swamped. This book needs a smarter reader than stupid me. A little like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, but far more surreal and meta. Free shipping within the continental United States. First Comment gets it. This is why I prefer short stories when I read a new author (new to me). A story is less of an investment of time.
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1 month ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
Trying to Get The Dog to LookThat was the first dog, “Imp.”
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2 months ago | 
chuckpalahniuk.substack.com | Chuck Palahniuk
For example these stone masks. Twenty-five years ago I interviewed the owner of a Portland Antique store reputed to be haunted. This man, Michael, used to sneak out after midnight to a ruined fountain in a downtown park and dodge police patrols as he smeared the carved stonework with latex molding compound. Just before dawn he’d sneak back, in time to strip off the hardened latex. Thus he’d make a mold and could cast these huge gruesome “green man” plaques.