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The Cult Master's Program is an unparalled opportunity to spend 6 weeks on our forums, learning from the leading writers in their field.  Enrollment is limited, and students gain up-front teachings from authors, journalists and professors of literature. 

The classes are hosted by our Writer's Workshop Administrator, Mark Vanderpool.  We have an extensive Frequently Asked Questions section below, but if you have any further questions, you can email Mark at: workshop@chuckpalahniuk.net.

For updates, check out our Newsletter below!

Stay Informed: Join Our Newsletter!

For everyone who wants to stay informed, you can send a blank email to mastersclassnews@awriterscult.com with "Subscribe Me" in the subject line. And I will send you regular updates. This will give you the inside track on what's coming next in the Master's Program. Note: This is no substitute for the two important links above.

IMPORTANT: Make sure to click on 'Options' in your preferred email account and add mastersclassnews@awriterscult.com to your 'Safe List' or 'White List' right away. Otherwise, the Master's Class Newsletter will end up in the 'Junk Mail' folder where you won't see it.

This is vital for those enrolled in the current intensive. I will be sending a special Inside Track edition of the Master's Class News that goes only to students enrolled in the current course. If you don't see this email, you won't get the password for the private forum we'll be setting up. And I'll be using a bulk email sender so that I can write the email and send it only once, to the whole list. It's guaranteed that the message will be hiding in your Junk Mail folder if you don't whitelist my sending address.

This is just as important for those not enrolled in the current class, who are sending "SUBSCRIBE ME" messages to the Master's Class News address. Besides making the request, you must also whitelist (in Hotmail it's called "Safe List") the address, or you won't see the regular edition of the Master's Class Newsletter that contains sneak previews and reminders on upcoming events.

Best regards,

Mark Vanderpool
Master's Class Facilitator
workshop@chuckpalahniuk.net

Writer's Workshop F.A.Q.

Q: What is The Cult 'Masters Program'?

A: The 'Masters Program' is a feature we added to our Writers Workshop in 2006 whereby leading authors in the literary field teach a 4-6 week online course on our website.

Q: Wait, back up. Chuck Palahniuk's official site (The Cult) has a writer's workshop?

A: Yes.

Q: And does Chuck actually lead this workshop? I heard he's big into workshops.

A: Chuck is indeed, very big into workshops. But the workshop you hear him talk about on tour and in interviews all the time is his regular Thursday night session he does with close writer friends (Monica Drake, author of 'Clown Girl') being one of them.

Q: Oh, so Chuck has nothing to do with your workshops then? But then why are they hosted on his site?

A: Chuck and I (Dennis, the webmaster) came up with the idea for the Workshop back in 2003. This all stemmed out of the idea that Chuck and I both didn't want people coming to the website primarily to lounge around on the discussion forum. We wanted people actively participating and shaping their future. We wanted to help turn readers into writers. So the workshops were set up to work on a 'peer' system, meaning, you sign up for a Premium Membership on the site, which grants you full access to a database of submitted fiction, poems, even screenplays. Before you can submit your own work though, you have to read and critique five other stories. If this sounds familiar, it's because it's a proven system that sites such as Zoetrope, Project Greenlight, and Triggerstreet have implemented.

Q: And Chuck? He had nothing to do with this?

A: Well, here is where I break your heart. Because, starting in January of 2004, Chuck actively participated in this online workshop. We created a sub-section of the workshop nicknamed 'The Chuckshop' whereby, every month, Chuck submitted an Essay to the site, detailing one of the many tools of the trade he's learned during his career. At the end of each essay, Chuck would hand out lessons or 'homework assignments' to the writers in the workshop. At that same time, students would be allowed to submit questions to Chuck on writing, which I would screen for the ten best. Then I'd email those ten questions to Chuck for his answers. Throughout the month, students would submit their homework assignments to the workshop for peer review. And at the end of the month, I would post Chuck's answers to the ten best writing questions. The next month, the process would start all over again. This went on for a total of three years three years (2004-2006 & 2008).

Q: So the essays are gone, gone, gone?

A: No.  In fact, all 36 of Chuck's exclusive writing essays are now archived on our site!  You can view them all here!  (you'll need to be a Premium Member!)

Q: Okay, so one last question about this Workshop Chuck taught, and then I promise, Dennis, I'll let you continue. What's the deal then with this book on writing Chuck is doing with Tom Spanbauer?

A: It's been a few years now since Chuck announced his plans to co-author a 'How To' book with Tom, and since then, the project seems to be on hold.

Q: Wow, I can't stand it. Brain overload. So what can I do in the meantime?

A: Well, you can become a Premium Member on our site. It's $39.95 for the entire year. This will get you an all access pass to the forums and to the Writers Workshop. You'll be able qualify to have your work read and reviewed by Chuck, read all 36 of Chuck's essays, view our 'Writers Resource' page (bustling with a ton of links on writing, publishing, getting an agent, and even some choice essays by top writers, written exclusively for our site). But most importantly, you'll be able to submit your own work and see it be reviewed by your peers. At the end of the day, this is what counts. Getting someone to read and respond about your work.

Q: That was a lot to take in. But at least I have a brief history now on everything that led up to this. Now, where were we?

A: The Masters Program.

Q: Right, right. The Masters Program. So… what's so special about it?

A: Umm, hello? We don't call it The Masters Program for nothing, ya knuckle head.

Q: Okay… but-

A: Let me put it like this. Have you ever heard of an MFA ("Master of Fine Arts')? MFA's are available in numerous art forms, but for our purposes, we mean a master's degree in creative writing. This differs from an academic MA in English as an MFA in creative writing has more emphasis on workshop and studio time and working on your own creative composition. Some MFA's put about an equal balance on literary theory and the study of literature. But programs vary. Some can be completed in two years, like a traditional MA. Many take 3 years. It's considered a terminal degree. Meaning, it isn't a step toward a Ph.D. Rather, it's a finishing degree for someone who intends to be a working artist.

Acquiring an MFA would generally cost you 10-20K a year… for three years. One of Chuck's favorite writers, Mark Richard (The Ice at the Bottom of the World) acquired his MFA at Columbia University (30-40K a year… for three years).

Now, what would you say if I told you that you could acquire the same hands-on experience and rigorous workshopping in our Masters Course as you would in an MFA program? You'd probably say I was exaggerating, right?

Well, I'm not. I couldn't be more serious right now. We don't hand out degrees, but we don't charge you for an expensive piece of wallpaper, either. What we offer instead is the chance to work directly with renowned published authors who've proven their stuff where it counts. Some have higher academic degrees in writing and some don't. But all are published and respected for their skills. With no emphasis on grades or filling the requirements of an academic review committee, these authors are free to take you deep inside their own working methods and deliver the hard-won lessons of real life, the learnings and skills that have made the difference in their own published work, and meant the most to them personally. Instead of school, this is an apprenticeship: the oldest and most honored tradition for learning any trade, craft, or profession.

Q: You've got my attention. But why would I spend that much money to spend three years online learning what I could instead learn in person at a university.

A: (sighs) You're not hearing me, are ya? This class lasts 4-6 weeks!

Q: I ain't gonna spend me no ten thousand dollars for only 4-6 weeks!

A: It doesn't cost ten thousand dollars. In fact, it costs less than $300!

Q: Wait…am I missing something here?

A: No. In 4-6 weeks, the Author/Teacher of the intensive leads an online class, hosted on our websites forums. The forum itself is password protected, so that only the registered students of the class have access. Every day, they have the authors full attention as work is submitted and reviewed.

Q: Slow down, pal. I'm listening now. Completely. So why don't you tell me how this all breaks down.

A: Okay. After you register, and just prior to the start date, you will receive an email with some preliminary info, including the password and directions for finding and logging into the private forum. Once inside, you'll find an Introductions section for getting to know your classmates, and letting them know something about yourself. You'll also find an exclusive interview that Mark Vanderpool, our Workshop Administrator and Master's Class Facilitator, has conducted with the author who is teaching. From there, you take things one step at a time, with lectures, question and answer sessions, assignments, and clear directions on how to fulfill and submit each assignment for review. All of your assignments will receive peer review from your assigned group, many of them very smart and skilled, workshop veterans with a great eye for detail. At least two of your submissions will receive direct and extensive feedback from your instructor.

In addition to all of this, you have an added convenience over the traditional classroom: you can study the informative lectures and forum posts, work on your stories/ assignments, and submit them at any time of the day or night that suits your schedule, just making the effort to achieve each posted deadline for submissions.

Mark will also host at least one conference call--usually three of them in a six-week offering. These calls are not mandatory, and are the only part of the class that--should you choose to participate--require synchronizing your schedule, rather than simply meeting deadlines. On the calls, Mark will interview the leading author, turn things over to student questions, and moderate so as to make the experience easy, painless, and fun. You'll get even more exclusive information about the author and the lessons of craft, plus that great added feeling of personal contact. If you can't match your schedule or your nerves to make the calls, Mark makes every effort to record them, and to upload those recordings and post links. You can pull down the recording of each call and listen to it as many times as you like.

Q: Sweet Jesus. And you said that published authors teach these classes?

A: Yes, so far the following authors have taught classes in our Masters Program:

Will Clarke (Lord Vishnu's Love Handles, The Worthy: A Ghost Story): Will's two books are both in development to be adapted into motion pictures . He was also featured in Rolling Stone magazine's top authors to look out for in 2006. Will's class focused on character development and the author's log catalog of innovative methods for getting to know your characters as real people.

Stephen Graham Jones (Demon Theory, All The Beautiful Sinners): Stephen has several books published and holds a Ph.D. in creative writing, teaching at Texas Tech University His course, 'Enter the Slipstream', focused on crafting Stephen's particular blend of genre bending fiction, incorporating elements of fantasy, sci fi, magical realism, horror, thriller, and noir. With his academic experience and relentless perfectionism, he carried all the extraordinary blessings of a close but kind critical eye, checking under the hood, then taking each student submission all the way around the block and back again, listening close, and delivering a sound diagnosis. You can visit him online at www.stephengrahamjones.net.

Will Christopher Baer (Kiss Me, Judas, Penny Dreadful, Hell's Half Acre): Easily one of the most exciting authors writing today. Chris Baer moves flawlessly through the terrain of modern noir, delivering vivid character and well-tuned prose that transcends the genre. As an instructor, he delivered masterful insights, especially into the complications of sliding point of view and multiple narrators. Visit Will online at www.willchristopherbaer.com.

James Hannaham: A Yale alumnus and a recent graduate of the Michener Center's MFA Program in creative writing at the University of Texas, Austin. As a relative newcomer on the literary scene, his publication credits extend less to books and more to innovative short fiction and creative non-fiction, published in literary journals and exciting online venues like Nerve.com. The Hannaham intensive took us on a tour of cultural variables, vivid settings, and exploding stereotypes, all the while constructing well-tuned, enticing stories, full of humor and surprise value.

Nick Walker (Blackbox, Helloland): Nick is a novelist with a background in improvisational theater, and a founding member of the performance art group Talking Birds in the U.K. Nick's class focused on finding the right balance in your personal process as a writer and making equal use of imagination and revelation, culminating in a group collaborative project involving recorded audio clips that took life on stage in Birmingham, England in April 2007.

Craig Clevenger (The Contortionist's Handbook, Dermaphoria): Chuck called his debut novel easily one of the best books he's read in over ten years. Craig's class sold out in record time, and he turned things up a notch with the first six week intensive! (the previous ones were only four) His class focused on everything from the often overlooked, yet vital, basics: grammar, syntax, verb agreement, choosing strong nouns and verbs over excess modifiers... to the higher level concerns of dramatic writing: event, change, risk, conflict, status shift, and expectancy versus outcome... to the fine points of Craig's personal layered technique for editing your own manuscript. The intensity and scope of Craig's full working method blew everyone away and Mark later attested that Craig could fill a 'How To' book on writing with the amount of content he packed into those six weeks. The man is generous and held nothing back. Check our Craig's official site at www.craigclevenger.com.

Fan Testimonials

Q: This is all great, Dennis, but I'd like to hear some testimonials from anyone besides you.

A: Fine with me. How about some words from the actual students who participated in our last class with Craig Clevenger.

"Clevenger's Intensive exceeded my (impossibly high) expectations; I have learned everything I hoped to and much more. I will be poring over written lectures as entertaining and at least as informative as his fiction until every useful morsel is burned into my brain. Extensive (and brutally honest) peer reviewing and critiques from Clevenger himself have really helped me to step up my craft and polish my stories. I've met brilliant writers here who I hope to keep in touch with. You just can't get a learning experience like this anywhere else. For me, it was everything that college was not."
- Casey F., Washburn, WI, USA

"For someone struggling inside his own head to figure out how a story works, the Craig Clevenger intensive delivered on every level. Where else are you going to get unfiltered access to the lessons and personalized critique of not only a published author, but a published author you respect? Who could you learn from best, someone who has a lifetime of theory and no practice; or someone who followed their passion, made it work, and created something new and purely theirs? If you missed the Craig Clevenger intensive, you missed an incredible learning experience. Don't miss the next one!"
- Dave H., Dublin, Ireland

"This intensive has been a turning point for my writing. A price cannot be put on the knowledge and confidence I've come away with."
- Gary L., Middletown, CT

"The Will Christopher Baer and Craig Clevenger Intensives provided me with an array of tools to hone and enhance my writing skills. Each week of both workshops were an inside look at not only the common problem areas of writing, but also the mechanics that make up an effective, solid story."
-Chris D., Boston, USA

Q: So who's teaching the next one?

A: Due to the time and energy put into launching the 2009 version of the Writer's Workshop, we currently have no future classes planned. We will, however, update you once something develops. For now, make sure to join our Newsletter.

Still Not Convinced?

Take a look at what some of our recent graduates have to say:

"Craig's workshop taught me more than I'd anticipated. He had things to say about nearly every aspect of the craft, from dialogue to the particulars of revision, and managed to say them without a trace of pretentiousness. Even the basics I thought I'd mastered turned out to be insufficiently mastered for Craig --- dialogue is not just "more to the point" and "less arbitrary" than real life, as a book might tell you; it's a sweet mess of shifting statuses and nonverbal cues that needs to be sorted out by the good writer. With Craig's help, I'm a little closer to being there."
-Phil J., Lisboa, Portugal

"The Craig Clevenger Intensive not only helped me hone my craft by reminding me of the basic components, but also built me up so that I have confidence going forward. I used to HATE the editing process, but with Craig's checklist and education I now know that I am trimming the fat (the weak writing) leaving only the meat (the stuff I did right). All of this has helped me to recognize when I am writing well, and I'm breaking some bad habits as well. Every aspect of my writing has gotten stronger..."
-Richard T., Chicago, USA

"The Will Christopher Baer and Craig Clevenger Intensives provided me with an array of tools to hone and enhance my writing skills. Each week of both workshops were an inside look at not only the common problem areas of writing, but also the mechanics that make up an effective, solid story."
-Chris D., Boston, USA