Consider This cover art

Consider This

Moments in My Writing Life after Which Everything Was Different

 Preview

Audible Standard 1-month free trial

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo + applicable tax after 30-day trial. Cancel Anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

Consider This

Written by: Chuck Palahniuk
Narrated by: Chuck Palahniuk, Edoardo Ballerini
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.99

Buy Now for $32.99

In this spellbinding blend of memoir and insight, bestselling author Chuck Palahniuk shares stories and generous advice on what makes for powerful writing.

With advice grounded in years of careful study and a keenly observed life, Palahniuk combines practical advice and concrete examples from beloved classics, his own books, and a "kitchen-table MFA" culled from an evolving circle of beloved authors and artists, with anecdotes, postcards from the road, and much more.

Clear-eyed, sensitive, illuminating, and knowledgeable, Consider This is Palahniuk's love letter to stories and storytellers, booksellers and books themselves. Consider it a classic in the making. Writing, Research & Publishing Guides Fiction Classics
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

What the critics say

Praise for CONSIDER THIS
 "Reminiscent of Stephen King's On Writing in never failing to entertain while imparting wisdom, this is an indispensable resource for writers."
—Publishers Weekly
"[Palahniuk] reveals surprising humility [with] fresh and accessible ideas. Fans will appreciate the insight into his own work, especially Fight Club (1996), his tributes to friends and forebears, and how he delivers gracious and encouraging wisdom in his characteristically conversational style."—Booklist
"For that author who wants to expand his or her horizons and try something new, Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk is the book to pick up. Laugh-out-loud funny[...]there is a world of information in this small book."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}New York Journal of Books
"A book for those who want to learn to write dangerously, or perhaps just learn about the man who pioneered 'dangerous writing.' [It'll] inspire you try take a stab at telling your story."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Booktrib
"Tried-and-true practical advice for aspiring writers."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}USA Today
"A savvy teacher. [Palahniuk's] advice is highly detailed and practical."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Kirkus
"Grade-A prime Chuck Palahniuk."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Publishers Weekly
This book from Palahniuk is insightful."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Dallas Morning News
PRAISE FOR CHUCK PALAHNIUK:

"Chuck Palahniuk's stories don't unfold. They hurtle headlong, changing lanes in threes and banging off the guard rails of modern fiction... With his love of contemporary fairytales that are gritty and dirty rather than pretty, Palahniuk is the likeliest inheritor of Vonnegut's place in American writing."—San Francisco Chronicle
"One of the most feverish imaginations in American letters."
—The Washington Post
"Like Edgar Allen Poe, Palahniuk is a bracingly toxic purveyor of dread and mounting horror. He makes nihilism fun."—Vanity Fair
"Dark riffing on modernity is the reason people read Palahniuk. His books are not so much novels as jagged fables, cautionary tales about the creeping peril represented by almost everything."—Time
All stars
Most Relevant
A masterful work from someone who has put in the work over the years... I highly recommend it

Held me in it's Grip.... a masterful work from a g

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Some people like to watch cooking shows although they don't cook. I like to read writing books although I don't write. I've read/listened to a number of books, courses, and essays on writing and being a writer. I'll admit I've never read anything of Chuck Palahniuk's, but I couldn't resist downloading this book anyway. And I'm really glad that I did.

The nuggets of wisdom (I don't know what else to call them - tips? tricks? lessons?) provided in this book are great. I hadn't thought of, or heard of some of them before, which is quite rare if you read these types of books often. Many of them made me think about what I've read, or want to re-watch movies or re-read books to find more examples of what Chuck is talking about.

I don't want to drag this review on, I only want to say that if you're a fan of Mr. Palahniuk, then I'm sure you'll enjoy his writing style, humour, biographical stories and other pearls in this book too. If you're not a fan of the author but consider yourself a writer (or a would-be writer), definitely listen to this - there's some great stuff.

I wish I were your student.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Every book about creative writing that I've personally read has been decent motivation, and some interesting advice, but almost never has it deeply changed my approach, thought process, or writing process.

Maybe it affected a technique or specific area positively, but only marginally. Usually that's all it even attempts. Most books on writing aren't systematic at all, it's just a bunch of individual chapters with individual "tips."

Well, this book is a little different. I still have yet to find the book on writing which affects my work more than just reading great literature, but this is among the best attempts. About a third of the book is like others, just tips that don't change much. Another third are really interesting ideas that, if applied, will really change and improve your fiction. I was very impressed.

The final third are snapshot stories from Paluhniuk's life. All of them are interesting, and they act as good examples of his writing approach come to life. Only drawback of this book, other than the third of it which is just "meh" advice, is that Chuck is a bit of a shock jock, and so his examples can get a little explicit. User discretion is advised.

Regardless, an above average book on fiction writing.

Finally, a Book on Writing that's Actually Useful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I have listened to this audiobook numerous times over the last year. It offers practical advice for any creative person as well as the kind of insane, darkly comical stories that you can always find in Palahniuk's work, all wrapped up in the punchy, journalistic prose that he is known for. The aforementioned crazy stories are well balanced with plenty of beautiful writing describing the author's open perspective and generally positive approach to life. All of this is to say nothing of Edoardo Ballerini delivering clean and expressive narration which is well matched to the material.
If you need some inspiration and you welcome some gory details then this book will please you.

Very Satisfying for Fans

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is hands down my favourite book on the craft of writing. Insightful of not just the arts but the world surrounding art and artists who write and delivering that insight with passion, humour, commitment and humble resolve. Palaniuk not only writes well he does from a heart as deep as a well.

Splendid.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.