Chicago Writers Conference: Sept. 27-28, 2013

Writers, not traveling out of town for a conference this year? Don't miss this chance, right in town...

Get Ready for CWC 2013! 1. Get inspired: Read more on what to expect. Our blog showcases past speakers, CWC 2012 success stories, and interviews with this year's panelists. 2. Get details: Our website has information on how to get to the conference, hotels, and nearby conveniences. 3. Get organized: With over thirty speakers, twenty sessions, and several events, CWC will keep you busy all weekend long. Explore our Speakers Page and Schedule to see what sparks your interest. Attend the talks and panels that will help your writing career the most. 4. Get registered: Regular registration is open until September 13. Signing up for the conference is as easy as clicking on this button:

Chicago-area Writing Groups

Chicago-area writing groups

Chicago Women in Publishing (cwip.org)

Chicago Writers Association (chicagowrites.org)

Illinois Women's Press Assn. (iwpa.org)

Independent Writers of Chicago, (iwoc.org)

Midwest Writers Association (midwestwriters.com)

Off-Campus Writers Workshop  (ocww.bizland.com)

Story Studio.com (storystudio.com)




By loose definition, these are groups who charge an annual membership fee and/or charge per-session for events held year-round. There are also many writing groups in our area, but these are the main ones that offer public events, and guest speakers,  Some national organizations such as ASJA.org have local chapters. There are many powerful and rewarding online writing organization too. One I belong to is Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network at spawn.org. I also recommend all writers join the free online groups:
SheWrites.com and RedRoom.com.  Take a look at them and see what you're missing.

If I missed a group you like, add it below by leaving a comment. Let's keep the Chicago-area a vibrant writing community.
By 2015, we'll welcome the new American Writer's Museum to Chicago as well.

See you online,
Helen

Chicago event: "Pen to Press"

Lawyers for the Creative Arts and The John Marshall Law school are hosting this one-day workshop “Pen to Press": The fine print in self-publishing.” Deadline to sign up is September 12. The event is Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. Cost for the full day workshop is only $75.

I’ll be an exhibitor there, so please stop by and say Hello if you’re there.

A Chicago Tribute to Frank McCourt

Frank McCourt, we will miss you. Thank you for your friendship.

Gather with us at The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, 811 Elm in Winnetka, for a special reading of selections from Mr. McCourt’s books on Monday, July 27, 2009, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Friends of The Book Stall (with deep Irish roots) will read from Frank McCourt’s memoirs Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, and Teacher Man.

Irish readers so far will include:

Helen Gallagher
Carol LaChapelle
Bill McGrane
Marguerite O'Connor
and more.

Those who'd like are welcome to join us following the reading at a nearby pub to lift a pint or two in Frank's honor.

Upcoming Chicago-area event

You're welcome to attend, invite friends, or pass along this timely workshop notice.

Helen




You're welcome to attend, invite friends, or pass along this timely workshop notice.

Helen

Writers write... Even when they are on the force!

My favorite moment at the Printer's Row Lit Fest this weekend...


No, he's not writing a ticket, but he is a writer, and purchased Release Your Writing to get motivated. The festival was terrific, and packed! Hope you got downtown to enjoy it. Don't take these Chicago resources for granted, folks. We are incredibly lucky to live in a city that supports the Arts.

Chicago: City of Big Writers

The writing community in Chicago is best described as a self-propelled engine of change.

From Chicago's earliest writers: Nelson Algren, Theodore Dreiser, Stuart Dybek, James T. Farrell, and Studs Terkel our path was set. They made it easy for us to rest on their shoulders. We're a city of big writers and boast this weekend's Printer's Row Lit Fest, the autumn Humanities Festival, and dozens of powerhouse writing groups around the city and suburbs.

We even have a writing style manual to call our own: The Chicago Manual of Style. So write well in the history of our city, but get out and support writing groups and events too. You never know, you might meet one of our local celebs.

The incredible Encyclopedia of Chicago has marvelous research on Chicago's Literary Cultures.

Dear Reader

Suzanne Beecher is a writer and the founder of DearReader.com, an online book club where over 365,000 people read together. Sign up for the free service and Monday to Friday you'll receive a 5-minute portion of the featured book of the week.

Twelve genres to choose from, meet authors, win books, and be one of the four lucky readers each month to receive a batch of Suzanne's homemade chocolate chip cookies. Visit DearReader.com, sign up today, and start reading tomorrow. Go to: www.DearReader.com.

And, if you run out to buy all those great books, please remember to support YOUR local independent booksellers. Some of Chicago's wonderful indie bookstores are:

57th Street Books
The Book Bin
The Book Cellar
The Book Stall at Chestnut Court
Centuries & Sleuths
Women & Children First

2009 Chicago Humanities Festival promises laughs! Oct. 3-Nov16, 2009

One of the richest resources in the nation, The Chicago Humanities Festival, pays tribute to the arts with a city-wide celebration each year. The city is at its peak in autumn and the literary world lives on every corner.

This year, the 19th Chicago Humanities Festival lightens up a bit from the past few years of war and gloom. Now it moves toward The Big Idea, considers the sweep and scale of human ambition: the grand gesture, the great scheme, the Big Idea. Make the most of your Festival right here!

The 2009 schedule is not posted yet. But, if you're not familiar with this rare Chicago gem, click here to view last year's list of programs and presenters.

2009 Printer's Row Lit Fest

It's time! It's here! Chicago's very own 2009 Printer's Row Lit Fest promises to be the biggest and best ever. Don't even think about not going. You know you'll be there, June 6 and 7, 2009.

Some events are already sold out. Check the schedule here. And visit the many vendor booths, Chicago book stores, and free workshops. I'll be at Midwest Writers booth Sunday from 10 a.m. til noon. Stop by for a free publishing consultation.

Helen Gallagher

BlogHer Conference in Chicago: July 23-25, 2009

Here are the details on the BlogHer Conference for Chicago this summer.

BlogHer '09 will be at the The Chicago Sheraton and Towers from July 23-25, 2009. We will kick off on Thursday July 23rd with out third annual BlogHer Business Conference, and will continue with the two-day 5th annual BlogHer Annual Conference on Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.

If you're a semi-pro1 blogger, and you are if you've paid attention to my workshops these last few years!) come and see what the online blogging life does to people once they show up in a group of thousands enjoying all Chicago has to offer. It's a chance to "celebrate blogging, whether personal, professional or political, has brought us real work, real friends, real satisfaction and is most definitely a significant part of our real life!" - Read more on their site.

Cross-posted at CClarity.blogspot.com

Today is Writers Worth Day

Lori Widmer launched the 2nd Annual Writers Worth Day.

Here is her press release promoting fair pay for writers:

United States of America (Press Release) May 6, 2009 --
May 6, 2009 (Valley Forge, PA) – The Second Annual Writers Worth Day has been scheduled for May 15, 2009. This online event, the brainchild of Lori Widmer, a Philadelphia-based writer and editor, is designed to promote the fair market value of writers through education, awareness, and ongoing support.

“Writers Worth Day was established in response to the increasing amount of job postings that offer little, if any, compensation for the amount of work expected,” says Widmer, a veteran writer and editor, who has seen a decline in market rates. “More beginning freelancers accept abominable rates. The message of Writers Worth Day is every writer has marketable skills, and those skills should be compensated fairly and within industry-acceptable standards.”

All this month, Widmer’s weblog – Words on the Page – is highlighting numerous career tips for new writers and extending into the blogging community to inspire other established writers to educate and offer guidance to their followers and all within the writing community. Numerous other bloggers have already joined Writers Worth Day and will be posting their own tips and inspirational posts to extend the reach of the Writers Worth Day message.
source: FPR

“While we cannot change the rates job posters offer, we can educate our ranks to accept no less than we are worth. It hurts all of us when writers devalue themselves and operate on the mistaken notion that they must accept nonpayment or low payment in order to establish a portfolio. It sets an unreal precedent that makes it difficult for professional, educated writers and editors to earn reasonable wages for their skills.”

For more information, please contact Lori Widmer at lwbean AT gmail DOT com.

Have you seen BookTour.com lately? WOW

Take another look at BookTour.com. A major surprise overhaul has it looking fantastic. As a reminder, BookTour.com is where you find out all the author events coming up in Chicago, where you can follow you favorite author and of course, where you can keep up with my events...

ObamaRama debuts on BlogCritics.org new site

BlogCritics Magazine launched a new site yesterday, loaded with great reviews and commentary on books, music, movies, culture and more.

BlogCritics publisher, Eric Olsen, compiled an long, thoughtful article here, with contributions from many of the BlogCritics.org team, looking at the relationship between President Obama and our popular culture. It's a fascinating article, including an analysis on how Obama affects book sales, contributed by Tim Gebhart. It's astonishing!

Especially for you writers, I'm pointing out my own contribution to the article here:
The Power of Words, Helen Gallagher

How shall I blog thee? Let me click the ways...

Today is Shakespeare's 445th birthday, and here in Chicago, our Mayor Daley wants everyone to talk like The Bard today.

Here is a resource to give you the complete works of Shakespeare's 38 plays on your Windows computer: Follow link thusly, to New York Times article.

Spring Writing Reminder

Reminder - get out from behind your keyboard and desk. Join fellow writers at some of Chicago's fantastic writing resource groups:

Chicago Women in Publishing
International Women's Writing Guild (Chicago critique groups)
Independent Writers of Chicago
Midwest Writers Association
Off-Campus Writer's Workshop

Book Review: One Year to a Writing Life: Twelve Lessons to Deepen Every Writer's Art and Craft

Susan Tiberghien returns to Chicago for a day-long writing workshop, sponsored by the Intl. Women Writers Guild (iwwg.org) on April 25, 2009. She'll also be appearing at The Book Stall at Chestnut Court that evening.



If you haven't read One Year to a Writing Life, here's an excerpt from my recent review.

In One Year to a Writing Life, you might dive into the section that piques your interest, and enhance your skill at your genre, or begin as many of us do, with journal writing - meaningful journal writing, which Tiberghien calls "the most natural opening into a writing life."

Tiberghien invites readers to work through One Year to a Writing Life at their own pace. The "year" metaphor can keep you motivated, delving into one chapter each month, or like me, you can buzz through the book and the generous resources, come up for air, and be a better writer, on the fast track.

Full review

Susan Tiberghien's works

Creative Chicago Expo: April 4, 2009

Several members of Midwest Writers will be manning the MWA booth at the Creative Chicago Expo held at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Street, on Saturday, April 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.



The Expo is a free event that connects writers, artists, musicians, actors, dancers, and other individuals and organizations that are part of Chicago’s arts community. More than 3,500 artists attended last year.

Support independent artists & writers. Stop by and say hello.

Online Journaling Class from UIC

The University of Illinois at Chicago is offering an online Journal Writing course. Topics include areas that take you far beyond ordinary journal writing, including:

* Understanding Your Journaling Goals
* The Basics of Modern Journaling
* Discovering the inner you through "Letters That Can't Be Delivered"
* Naikan, a Japanese practice that blends meditation and gratitude
* Haibun, a Japanese practice that blends journaling with poetry
* Keeping a "DiVinci" Notebook, a multi-purpose journal and scrapbook
* Theme Journals, keep a separate journal to track a special occasion, situation or hobby
* Future Journaling, turning your journal entries into something more

Registration information is here. Let me know if you want the full invitation, with more information. Cost of $260 includes a $65 discount, and runs March 9 through April 10, 2009.

View a preview of "Letters That Can't Be Delivered" an online lecture by instructor Cynthia Gallaher.

Speaking of turning journals into something more, (unrelated to UIC), Susan Tiberghein will be speaking April 25 for the IWWG on this topic. Her workshops are always amazing.

Taking Obama's "Yes We Can" to new heights

MediaBistro.com reports Obama Campaign Photo Book Is Pre-Sale Hit
The first printing of Yes We Can: Barack Obama's History-Making Presidential Campaign, the book of Scout Tufankjian's campaign trail photos, is a pre-publication hit for powerHouse Books. The publisher reports that it has sold out the 55,000-copy first edition of the book nearly a month before its scheduled mid-December release date. A second printing of 25,000 copies has been ordered to arrive at the same time.