The Chicago Writer’s Association is currently hosting a number of events which bring published writers, freelancers, and those who have a passion for writing together to share their work and meet others in the Chicagoland area. A number of speakers, discussion panels, and presentations are lined up for Summer 2014.

Their upcoming event, on July 31st, is a free networking mixer hosted by the CWA and the Illinois Women’s Press Association. It includes guest speaker Heidi Stevens, a reporter and columnist from the Chicago Tribune.

Writer and author of three titles, Jill Pollack, branched her love of reading and writing into a project called StoryStudio Chicago. StoryStudio provides the opportunity for eager writers of all ages to hone their craft through a series of workshops and classes geared towards those in the Chicagoland area. Pollack teaches both business and creative writing classes and manages to lead the Chicago Literary Alliance and continue her own writing in her spare time. 

Pollack’s three works include, Shirley Chisholm, Lesbian and Gay Families: Redefining Parenting in America, and Women on the Hill, a History of Women in Congress. She has also written for various magazines and newspapers.

The mission of the studio, to develop their students’ written voices, has resulted in courses such as “Real World Grammar”, “Live Lit Bootcamp”, and “Novel In A Year”. Pollack and StoryStudio’s work in Chicago has formed an uplifting and encouraging community of aspiring writers.