The Chat Room Returns!
Posted By: Dennis - 09-06-2005 04:00 PM - Replies (18)
Update: The lobby screen that tells you who's in the Chat Room, is now back. Thanks, Kareem!
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No, it's not the Chat Room you all grew to love over the months, but it IS a chat room... a damn GOOD chat room at that. For one thing, it has no lag.... which was probably the worst feature of our old chat room. Another reason is quite simple: Turn the volume up on your computer speakers and then type *evil*.
Never in your life may you experience a thrill as great as this.... (well, maybe you will.)
So go check out the new Chat Room!
It's only been up a couple of days, but we need all of you to test it out as much as possible. The annoying problem I'll warn you about, that I've seen on my end (on both Macs and PCs) is that, the chat room window seems to injest all other browser windows you may have open at the time. So that if you're using something like Firefox, and you open a new Tab... whatever you type in that new window gets swallowed up and ends up being typed into the chat room box. The best way around this is to completely open up a second browser window.... not a window within a window.
Also, you'll notice that we don't have a lobby screen anymore that tells you who's in the room before you join it. Well, rest assured.... we're working on that and it will be up and running with the chat very soon.
Now go chat already and quit reading this News update!
September Essay - Now Up!
Posted By: Dennis - 09-01-2005 03:17 PM - Replies (12)
Hey everyone,
Thanks for being patient. This month's essay is now up!
For September, Chuck writes one of my favorite essays in a long time, tackling the idea of the 'cycle' story. To do this, he further displays his love for classic horror movies by showing how films such as 'Burnt Offerings', 'The Stepford Wives' and 'The Sentinel' use this method to tell their story. He also offers a very awesome homework assignment for you all.
Remember, these essays are a gift... with a time limit. They've been a great feature on our site for close to two years now, and if you're a Premium Member, you can find them all archived in our Workshops section. But remember that, according to Chuck's wishes, in 2006 they will be pulled from the website in order to make room for Chuck's tentatively, long-planned 'How To' book on writing.
So if you haven't already done so... what the hell are you waiting for!? Sign up today to become a Premium Member and get as much use out of these unique and helpful essays as you can!
Also, I want to officially mention that I have brought on the Mark Vanderpool, aka VigorousPuppy, as a co-editor in our upcoming 'Writers Workshop Anthology' book which we have been developing over the course of the past year, based on submissions to our Workshop that pass a Graduation process. Mark is one of the hardest workers on this site and his loyalty and dedication always shine through.
If you're an upcoming writer who would like to learn more about this awesome publishing opportunity, check out The Anthology Project page here!
New Fan Art Renderings
Posted By: Dennis - 08-25-2005 03:07 PM - Replies (5)
It's been a while since I did an art update. Back in the early days of the website, these were a very big deal. I would do one every few months... but they would be huge and would take me hours upon hours to even set up. We used to get so many banner submissions back then that I couldn't even post them all. Now, I'm happy to say the submissions have lessened, but the talent has risen.
Check out these awesome new fan renderings I've been sent over the past few months.
Then be sure to check out our Fan Submissions section where we have an entire page devoted to more of these portraits.
And remember, if you have something you'd like to submit to The Cult, after checking out the above section, you may do so by sending an email to submissions@chuckpalahniuk.net.
How About Some Chuck Video Media?
Posted By: Dennis - 08-23-2005 03:03 PM - Replies (4)
Hey everyone,
Well, Bret Easton Ellis had a nice run as our top runner this past week, but 'Lunar Park' is now out and in stores, and you should definitely go order it. Now, let's get back to some good old fashioned Chuck news.
Today, we have some media goodies that have been sitting in my Bookmarks folder, collecting dust, just waiting to be seen by all you good folks.
The first is an email interview Chuck did with Staci Wilson while he was out in Los Angeles this past summer at that Horror convention.
Click here for the video interview!
Then, we also have an awesome link that contains two video clips of Chuck reading up in Toronto during this past tour.
Check out the two Toronto reading clips here!
Enjoy the week!
Author Exclusive - Bret Easton Ellis Interview!
Posted By: Dennis - 08-15-2005 04:39 AM - Replies (17)
Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Pscyho, The Informers and Glamorama... do these titles sound familiar? Of course they do. You're on Chuck Palahniuk website, so you know who the hell Bret Easton Ellis is. His novel American Psycho made the term "transgression" a literary household item a full five years before Fight Club was even published. Now he returns, after six years, with his latest novel Lunar Park, a pseudo memoir about fatherhood, a failed marriage and the attempted redemption that comes after a career of drugs, booze, women and men.
In Lunar Park, Ellis tackles these topics... and somehow, also includes everything from creepy stuffed animals, a haunted house, and an obsessed fan who poses as Patrick Bateman and recreates the murders from American Psycho.
After reading an advanced reader's copy of Lunar Park last month, I had the awesome opportunity to conduct an email interview with Bret. I fired 11 questions his way and he fielded every one.
Read the Bret Easton Ellis interview here!
'Lullaby' Comic by Gabor - 12 New Pages!
Posted By: Dennis - 08-07-2005 10:14 PM - Replies (3)
Hey everyone,
Kissgz returns with 12 new pages to his awesome adaptation comic of Chuck's Lullaby.
Read the new pages here!
Remember, this comic is for Basic Members and up only. But if you'd like an awesome sample, we offer Kissgz's original adaptation of Invisible Monsters for all Members.
Enjoy the new pages!
Chuck's August Essay Arrives!
Posted By: mirkah - 08-01-2005 05:56 PM - Replies (4)
Hey everyone,
Dennis is busy directing his first feature so I get the honor of announcing the August Workshop essay from Chuck. So read his latest: Talking Shapes: The Thumbnail here!
Remember that our Workshop is available only for Premium Members. So if you haven't yet signed up or upgraded your current account, you're missing one of the best features this site offers.
I want to take a moment though, to just explain to all our Premium Members, that you should really covet these essays. Not just for the instructional merit they have in hopefully making you all better writers, but also for the fact that Chuck plans to release his 'How To' book on Minimalism after all. So starting in January 2006, we will be removing the essays from the site, per Chuck's wishes.
In return, we are working on ideas with Chuck to hopefully cook something up just as good for all our site members. There's also the Anthology Book we plan on publishing in 2006 that will contain all the best stories from our Workshops. This awesome opportunity is going on right this minute on our website, and you can find out more by clicking here! Don't forget that Chuck himself has also pledged to not only read all the selected stories for the Anthology, but to provide an Introduction for the finished book, and also to invite the winning writers up on stage with him during his current 2006 tour to read their story before his crowd of eager fans.
So what the hell are you waiting for! Sign up for our Workshops today! Premium Membership is $8 a month, but only $5 a month if you sign up for a yearly rate.
Join The Cult today!
