Illinois Writing Groups, Workshops, and Creative Writing Classes
Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Illinois, from conferences to local critique groups, workshops, and creative writing classes. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, a workshop or class, a place to connect with other writers, or somewhere to submit your work, these Illinois writing resources are worth checking out.
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Writing Organizations & Groups
A literary publication and community organization featuring reviews, interviews, essays, and Chicago-focused literary coverage, while also hosting author showcases, events, and resources connecting writers and readers with the city’s literary community. (Chicago / Online)
A nonprofit literary organization offering workshops, contests, publication opportunities, retreats, readings, networking, and the annual Let’s Just Write! writing conference for writers across genres and experience levels. (Chicago / Chicagoland)
Downers Grove Writers’ Workshop
A long-running critique group meeting twice monthly at the Downers Grove Public Library, welcoming adult writers working in poetry, fiction, essays, and other genres. (Downers Grove)
A Chicago nonprofit providing legal assistance and educational programs to writers, artists, and arts organizations on issues involving contracts, copyright, business formation, intellectual property, and other arts-related legal matters. (Chicago)
A community writing organization offering regular meetings, critique and discussion opportunities, readings, and literary programs for writers working in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. (Naperville)
A long-running Chicago-area writing organization offering weekly hybrid seminars on the craft and business of writing, with guest speakers, workshops, and programs for writers across genres. (Winnetka / Online)
A literary arts organization offering creative writing classes, workshops, intensives, coaching, and community programs for writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other genres. (Chicago)
Conferences, Retreats & Residencies
An annual literary festival featuring author conversations, readings, panel discussions, and other public programming celebrating contemporary writers and American literature. (Chicago)
Chicago Writers Association Winter Retreat
An annual small-group writing retreat offering several days of dedicated writing time, hosted writing sessions, guest speakers, and community with fellow writers at Allerton Park and Retreat Center. (Monticello)
An annual writing conference featuring craft and publishing sessions, keynote conversations, networking, and optional pitch meetings with literary agents and publishing professionals. (Chicago)
Spring Fling Writers’ Conference
A biennial writing conference featuring craft and publishing workshops, panels, networking, and pitch opportunities for romance writers and other fiction writers seeking to improve their work and connect with industry professionals. (Chicago Area)
StoryBoard Conference & Festival
An annual StoryStudio Chicago program combining an application-based weeklong writing conference with a public festival featuring craft classes, panels, workshops, and community events for writers. (Chicago)
Literary Magazines & Publishers
An independent online literary magazine publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translations, reviews, interviews, art, and other work engaging with contemporary culture and society. (Chicago / Online)
A long-running literary journal publishing contemporary poetry, fiction, literary criticism, reviews, and other nonfiction in print and online. (Chicago)
An independent publisher specializing in general nonfiction on subjects including history, music, film, pop culture, feminism, LGBTQ+ interest, and true crime, accepting proposals from both agents and unagented authors. (Chicago)
A literary journal published at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, featuring fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and experimental work in semiannual print issues and online editions. (Urbana / Online)
A long-running poetry journal publishing work by emerging and established poets, along with reviews, contests, readings, workshops, and other programming connected to Chicago’s literary community. (Evanston)
The literary journal of Northwestern University, publishing fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, hybrid work, short drama, video essays, interviews, and craft writing by emerging and established writers. (Evanston)
A major scholarly and literary press publishing books in literature, criticism, poetry, history, the humanities, and other fields, with direct submissions accepted from authors in many subject areas and an annual open submission period for its Phoenix Poets series. (Chicago)
Help us add to this list, Illinois writers! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or an Illinois literary journal or publisher we should be aware of? Let us know here. We periodically review these listings for broken links and outdated information.