Off Campus Writers' Workshop

Welcome to Off Campus Writers Workshop (OCWW), the oldest continuously running writing workshop in the country.

Established in 1946, OCWW continues to serve writers of all genres in the greater metropolitan Chicago area. Each Thursday morning between September and May, OCWW speakers address writers on topics ranging from craft to publishing options to the business of writing. Due to the COVID-19 crisis we are working on switching over to remote learning. Join our mailing list for the latest updates. Many of our speakers offer professional manuscript critiques for a reasonable fee. Achieve your individual writing goals while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow writers. Join us.

Become a Member

Membership to OCWW is just $35 per year. While you do not need to be a member to attend season programs, OCWW membership offers outstanding privileges.

Not ready to become a member? Subscribe to receive emails about OCWW events.

Become a Speaker

OCWW speakers offer programs and workshops on a wide variety of topics related to writing of all kinds, from craft to markets to publishing. Contact us if you are an expert and would like to present at OCWW.

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Upcoming events

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Past events

May 28, 2020	Abby Geni - First Chapter-Remote Session
May 21, 2020	Amy Hassinger - Voice: The Solo Symphony- Remote Session
May 14, 2020	Just Added: Ellen Bass - From Detail to Discovery
May 07, 2020	Joanna Mackenzie/Marcy Posner - Finding Your Agent 101- Remote Session
April 30, 2020	Jane Hertenstein - The Memoir/Fiction Hybrid: Writing that Doesn’t Fit a Category- Remote Session
April 23, 2020	Brian Turner: 10 Tools from the Writer's Rucksack
April 16, 2020	Jennifer Solheim - Sounds and Silences Remote Session
April 02, 2020	Ben Hoffman - Strangeness and Originality -Special Remote Evening Session
March 26, 2020	Mark Belden-Writing From Abundance Remote Session
March 19, 2020	Abby Saul - What You Should Know About Genre and Comparative Titles( Remote Session)
March 12, 2020	Frances de Pontes Peebles - The 23rd Draft: The Art and Logic of Revision
March 05, 2020	Ines Bellina - Social Media for Your Writing Life
February 27, 2020	Rachel Jamison Webster - The Inner Argument
February 20, 2020	John McCarthy - Transcending the Narrative: reimagining how we write emotions in poetry and prose
February 13, 2020	Kate Hannigan - Tapping Your Inner Ten-Year-Old: Writing Fiction and Nonfiction for Young Readers
February 06, 2020	Sophie Lucido Johnson - It's Kind of Funny, Actually: The Basics of Humor Writing
January 30, 2020	Mary Ruth Clarke - The Scene's The Thing: Compelling Scene Workshop and Contest
January 23, 2020	Stuart Dybek- Poetry for Fiction Writers: What Fiction Writers Can Learn from Poems
January 16, 2020	Eric Rampson - Give as Good as You Get: The Workshop Workshop
January 09, 2020	Eileen Favorite - Writing the Novel Synopsis
January 02, 2020	Goldie Goldbloom - The Poetics of Place: Making Landscape Essential to Fiction (rather than a boring digression)
December 19, 2019	Rebecca Makkai - Researching Into the Void
December 12, 2019	David Berner - Don’t Think; Just Write: How to Stop Overanalyzing and Simply Tell a Good Story
December 05, 2019	Patricia McNair - In Love and Kissing in the Dark: A Short Story Workshop
November 21, 2019	Nadine Kenney Johnstone - Write Your Truth
November 14, 2019	Will Boast - Play It Another Way: Experimenting with Tone
November 07, 2019	Zoe Zolbrod - Deeper than the Sum of its Parts -SPECIAL OFF-SITE EVENING SESSION
October 31, 2019	Sara Connell - Every Story is a Ghost Story
October 24, 2019	Vu Tran - What's In a Character
October 17, 2019	Randy Nichols - Find Yourself on the Write Side of the Law
October 10, 2019	Jac Jemc - The Unifying Power of Motif
October 03, 2019	Joe Scapellatto - Prose Poetics: Letting Your Sentences Sing
September 26, 2019	Fred Shafer - The Two Plots - Session 4
September 19, 2019	Fred Shafer - The Two Plots - Session 3
September 12, 2019	Fred Shafer - The Two Plots - Session 2
September 05, 2019	Fred Shafer - The Two Plots - 4 PACK
September 05, 2019	Fred Shafer - The Two Plots - Session 1
May 30, 2019	Abby Geni- Writing a Literary Thriller
May 23, 2019	Matthew Bird- Crafting Compelling Scenes and Meaningful Themes
May 16, 2019	Emily Clark Victorson, Andrea Hall, and Anna Michels- Meet the Editors
May 09, 2019	Michelle Fallkoff-Dialogue Tips for Young Adult and Adult Fiction
May 02, 2019	Sharon Darrow-Emotion and Revision: Finding the "Emotional Core" of Character in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
April 25, 2019	Jennifer Solheim-Want to Improve your Writing? Rx: Read Like a Writer
April 18, 2019	Jay Rehak- Publishing Cohort-Written Fiction: Putting it Together
April 11, 2019	Mary Anne Mohanraj- Writing the Taboo
April 04, 2019	Kelly McNees- Create Conflict that Propels your Plot
March 28, 2019	Eric Rampson-An Arc of Arcs or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Story Structure
March 21, 2019	Abby Saul and Tina Schwartz-The Agent Challenge
March 14, 2019	Joseph Scapellato-Finding Shape and “Stepping Up”: Practical Alternatives to Plotting Fiction
March 07, 2019	Mary Robinette Kowal - Conceptualizing the Modern Short Story
February 28, 2019	Rachel Swearingen - The Magic and Mechanics of Imagery
February 21, 2019	Jay Bonansinga - Storytelling Fundamentals for the Digital Era
February 14, 2019	John S. Green - Book Readings That Sell Your Book
February 07, 2019	Rebecca Makkai - We Need To Talk
January 24, 2019	Stuart Dybek- Closure
January 17, 2019	Richard Thomas - Writing Short Stories: The Art, The Structure, and Why You Should
January 10, 2019	Sara Connell - 21 Ways to Get Published
January 03, 2019	Jay Rehak -Team-Writing an Episodic Novel
December 27, 2018	Rebekah Frumkin - Writing Humor
December 20, 2018	Jane Hertenstein - Holiday Flash
December 13, 2018	Emily Tedrowe– Taking Character Development to the Next Level
December 06, 2018	Mary Ruth Clark - Writing Cinematic Scenes
November 29, 2018	Patricia McNair - Is it Hot in Here or Is It Just My Writing? How to Handle Sex on the Page
November 15, 2018	Steven Trumpeter - Radical Revision
November 08, 2018	Goldie Goldbloom - When All the World Was Green: the Deep Mystery of Gorgeous Fiction
November 01, 2018	Rebecca Johns - Diving Deep into Three Act Structure
October 25, 2018	Vu Tran - What Movies Can Teach Us As Writers
October 18, 2018	Kelly McNees - Muscle Up a Sagging Middle:How to Build and Sustain Page-Turning Momentum
October 11, 2018	Hannah Gamble - Resistance in Writing
October 04, 2018	Amanda Goldblatt - Associative Structures: Making Relationships & Resonance
September 27, 2018	Fred Shafer- The Music of Sentences #4
September 20, 2018	Fred Shafer- The Music of Sentences #3
September 13, 2018	Fred Shafer- The Music of Sentences #2
September 06, 2018	Fred Shafer- The Music of Sentences #1
September 06, 2018	Fred Shafer-The Music of Sentences 4 Pack 2018-2019 Members Only
May 31, 2018	Kelly McNees- Writing Great Endings
May 24, 2018	Keir Graff - Book Reviews and the Library Market
May 17, 2018	David W. Berner — Writing Great Beginnings
May 10, 2018	Sarah Terez Rosenblum - Writing Sex - Off-Site Evening Event
May 03, 2018	Jac Jemc — Haunting as Narrative Driver and Resonance Builder - Evening Event
April 26, 2018	Abby Saul & Tina P. Schwartz - Agent Hunting 101
April 19, 2018	Mary Anne Mohanraj - Writing Complex Identities
April 12, 2018	Barbara Barnett and Richard Davidson - The Path to Publishing Success
April 05, 2018	Amy Hassinger - What is Creative Non-Fiction and Why is it the Next Big Thing in Your Writing Life?
March 29, 2018	Abby Geni - Making Revision Manageable
March 22, 2018	Peter Ferry - Never Give Up: The Writing, Resting, Shopping, Despairing, Evolution and Redemption of a Short Story
March 15, 2018	Matt Bird - Writing for Strangers
March 08, 2018	Susanna Calkins - Bringing in Research While Telling a Compelling Tale
March 01, 2018	Nadine Kenney Johnstone - Make Your Story Meaningful
February 22, 2018	Mary Ruth Clarke-Adapting Fiction for the Performing Arts: Is It a Play? TV Show? Movie?
February 15, 2018	Jay Bonansinga - Writing the Modern Page-Turner
February 08, 2018	Stuart Dybek - Rewriting Is Telling Yourself The Story Again and Again and Again
February 01, 2018	Natasha Tarpley - Writing For and About Children of Color
January 25, 2018	Goldie Goldbloom - Meet Your Conflicts Head On!
January 18, 2018	Hannah Gamble - "Moves" to Spice Up Your Writing: Using the Absurd to Convey Emotional Truths
January 11, 2018	Richard Thomas - What Editors Look for in Short Fiction: Key Elements Paired with Your Unique Voice
January 04, 2018	Amy Jo Cousins - Hot Romance on a Cold Winter Day
December 14, 2017	Jennifer Solheim - Shake Up your Thinking with the Tools of Oulipo: Generate New Work or Reenvision Character, Scene, Plot and More in Works-in Progress
December 07, 2017	Eric Rampson - Go Do The Voodoo That You Do So Well: Finding (and Using) the Fun in Your Writing
November 30, 2017	Zoe Zolbrod - Using Your Personal Life to Enrich Your Writing
November 16, 2017	Kelly McNees - Five Elements Essential to Snagging an Editor's Interest
November 09, 2017	Esther Hershenhorn - Children’s Book Writing Group 101: The WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOW!
November 02, 2017	Rebecca Johns - Creating Characters- Off-Site Evening Event
October 26, 2017	Christine Sneed - The Writer's Voice
October 19, 2017	Jamie Freveletti - Tips from an International Best-Selling Author
October 12, 2017	Rebecca Makkai - I'm Stuck
October 05, 2017	Lori Rader-Day - Point of View, Your Story's Foundation
September 28, 2017	Fred Shafer 30th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon
September 28, 2017	Fred Shafer - Showing vs Telling Revisited Session 4
September 21, 2017	Fred Shafer - Showing vs Telling Revisited Session 3
September 14, 2017	Fred Shafer - Showing vs Telling Revisited Session 2
September 07, 2017	Fred Shafer - Showing vs Telling Revisited
September 07, 2017	Fred Shafer - Showing vs Telling Revisited Member 4 Pack
May 25, 2017	Rebecca Makkai - Making a Scene
May 18, 2017	Abby Geni - Setting & Description
May 11, 2017	Lori Rader Day - Using Mystery Tools for Any Story
May 04, 2017	Christine Sneed - Breaking Into the Literary Fiction Market
April 27, 2017	Ellen T. McKnight - Best of Both: Plot and Pace with Depth
April 20, 2017	Ellen T. McKnight - Best of Both: Depth and Artistry with Plot
April 13, 2017	Ellen Blum Barish - Identifying Your Writer’s Voice
April 06, 2017	Frances De Pontes Peebles - Keeping The Pace
March 30, 2017	Jamie Freveletti - Writing Action and Conflict
March 23, 2017	Mary Robinette Kowal - The Rest of the Cast
March 16, 2017	Abby Saul - Copy that Sells Your Book
March 09, 2017	Mare Swallow - Building Your Literary Community
March 02, 2017	Zoe Zolbrod - Strategies for Structuring Memoir and Long Narratives
February 23, 2017	Randy Richardson - The Art of Self-Promotion SPECIAL EVENT
February 16, 2017	Patricia McNair - The Writer's Road Trip
February 09, 2017	Rachel Harvith - Make Your Dialogue Work
February 02, 2017	Sarah Hammond - The Big Idea
January 26, 2017	Susanna Calkins - Critiquing and Being Critiqued
January 19, 2017	Shawn Shiflett - Building Characters From Real People
January 12, 2017	Christine Maul Rice - How to develop your unique voice on the page
January 05, 2017	Eric Rampson - Creating and Using Humor
December 15, 2016	Richard Thomas - Neo Noir and the Fiction of Darkness
December 08, 2016	Peter Ferry - Character Devolpment
December 01, 2016	Samantha Hoffman - The Art of Revision
November 17, 2016	Christine Sneed - Conflict in Genre v. Literary Fiction
November 10, 2016	Dana Kaye - Launch Your Own Publicity Campaign
November 03, 2016	Jennifer Day - Reading, Writing and the Value of Literary Criticism SPECIAL EVENT
October 27, 2016	Rebecca Johns - Structuring Your Novel Special Event
October 20, 2016	Jane Hertenstein - Flash Memoir
October 13, 2016	Jennifer Rupp - Book Readings That Sell Your Book
October 06, 2016	Rebecca Makkai - Build It Up
September 29, 2016	9/29 Fred Shafer - The Role of Questions in Fiction Writing
September 22, 2016	9/22 Fred Shafer - The Role of Questions in Fiction Writing
September 15, 2016	9/15 Fred Shafer - The Role of Questions in Fiction Writing
September 08, 2016	Fred Shafer - The Role of Questions in Fiction Writing
August 25, 2016	OCWW Summer Prompt Session
May 26, 2016	Rebecca Makkai — Ending It All
May 19, 2016	David Michael Kaplan — Revising Prose For Power and Punch
May 12, 2016	Stuart Dybek — How To Write Stories That Are Smarter Than You Are
May 05, 2016	James Sherman — Playwrighting
April 28, 2016	Neil Tesser — Seeing The Music
April 21, 2016	Kelly James-Enger—Six-Figure Freelancing
April 14, 2016	Scott Onak — Free Your Writing
April 07, 2016	Ellen T. McKnight—Orchestrating Tension
March 31, 2016	Andy Nathan—Blogging for Your Business
March 24, 2016	Tina Schwartz—Top Five Questions Writers Most Frequently Ask
March 17, 2016	Paul McComas—Stories in the Spotlight
March 10, 2016	Meade Palidofsky — Memoir Theatre
March 03, 2016	Jill Pollack — The Science of Stories
February 25, 2016	Wendy McClure — Craft & Revision
February 18, 2016	Richard Chwedyk—Why Science Fiction Matters
February 11, 2016	Scott Whitehair — Presentation Styles
February 04, 2016	Cheryl Besnjak - Copyright Law
January 28, 2016	Andy Nathan - Internet Marketing
January 14, 2016	Pitch to Your Peers
December 17, 2015	OCWW Holiday Party
December 10, 2015	Esther Hershenhorn: Writing for Children
December 03, 2015	Rick Watkins on Character: The True Essence of Story
November 26, 2015	Thanksgiving
November 19, 2015	Writing the Next Chapter
November 12, 2015	Allie Pleiter: Dynamic Dialogue
November 05, 2015	Jody Nye: Structuring Your Novel
October 29, 2015	Paul McComas: Beginning Hooks
October 22, 2015	Paul McComas: Meaningful Memoir
October 18, 2015	OCWW Meet & Greet

OCWW Anthology

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