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.