Who We Are
CWA’s diverse membership ranges from professional freelancers and published authors, to writers aspiring to be published and those who write as a creative outlet. Our members write both fiction and non-fiction, including novels, short stories, poetry, plays, feature articles and essays. Others work in specific genres such as romance, history, religious, horror, science fiction, biography, or memoirs.
Most members live in Chicago or surrounding areas, though some choose to participate from afar via the CWA online discussion group.
CWA History
The Chicago Writers Association is a creative writing community of dedicated writers from Chicagoland founded in 2003 and organized as a not-for-profit organization in 2006. In 2008, CWA obtained federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
CWA members are both professional, published authors and those committed to joining their ranks. We focus our efforts on both necessary aspects of the professional writer:
- Perfecting our craft
- Getting our work into the stream of commerce
We span many genres and styles. Our purpose is to share information, experience and encouragement. We are a welcoming community of those for whom written expression is an integral part of our lives.
Our Vision
The Chicago Writers Association (CWA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the 4 C’s of writing: creativity, commerce, craft and community. CWA strives to:
- Foster a visible, supportive writing community
- Provide genuine, constructive feedback and access to resources
- Assist writers at all levels achieve their writing goals
- Build a bridge to unite all facets of Chicago’s diverse literary culture
- Promote Chicago as a place of literary distinction

CWA BOARD AND OFFICERS
President: Randy Richardson
VP and Secretary: Samantha Hoffman
Treasurer: Dan Burns
DIRECTORS:
Sandra Colbert
Marcie Hill
Rick Kaempfer
Kristin Oakley
Charles Monte Verde
Christina Denise Rodriguez
Becky Sarwate
Shawn Shiflett
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Chicago Writers Association
info@chicagowrites.org
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