Chicago Writers Conference is thrilled to be hosting a panel at this year’s Printers Row Lit Fest! Local writers William Shunn, Holly McDowell, and Wesley Chu will discuss their writing processes, why it works, where they find support, and how writers can create good habits around their own writing.

William Shunn is a Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated author of over thirty works of short fiction, which have appeared since 1993 everywhere from Asimov’s Science Fiction to Salon. A collaboration with Derryl Murphy, Cast a Cold Eye, came out from PS Publishing in 2009. He co-hosts Tuesday Funk, an eclectic monthly reading series in Chicago, and occasionally writes in the guise of Perry Slaughter.

Holly McDowell is the author of  King Solomon’s Wives, a digital, interactive, serialized thriller about the women alive today who descended from King Solomon’s ancient harem. Episode 1 and 2 are available now for Kindle, PC, Mac, Nook, and Android.

Wesley Chu is an avid gamer and a contributing writer for the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. His debut novel, The Lives of Tao, was published by Angry Robot Books on April 30. It follows an out-of-shape loser and IT technician called Roen who finds his world turned inside out when a friendly alien hitches a ride inside his mind.

The panel will take place on Sunday, June 9 at 10:00 am. For more information about the event, please check the Printers Row Lit Fest website.

We hope to see you there!

CWC at Printers Row Lit Fest

This week, author Samantha Hoffman shares her insights on grieving, writing, and inspiration. 

Life events often provide inspiration for our writing. The year after my father died is the jumping off point for my novel What More Could You Wish For.

My father was my biggest fan and greatest supporter. He told me I could do whatever I put my mind to and he taught me to finish what I started, so I know how proud he would be that I never gave up on my dream of being a published writer. And here I am, a debut author when I’m old enough to be a grandmother.

When I was fifty my father was nearly ninety, still vital and healthy. But one day when I went to see him he’d been having hallucinations during the night – he said men had come into his room and wrote all over the walls. There was no writing, of course, and I feared he’d had a stroke so I took him to the emergency room. While we waited for the doctor I took his hand and said, “Daddy, do you know how much I love you?” and he said, “However much that is, honey, I love you a hundred times more.”

He died less than a month later, shortly after his 90th birthday. I know how lucky I am to have had him for so long but it just wasn’t long enough. It never is, is it? It was hard to fathom a world without my dad in it.

Ask any psychologist and they will tell you not to make major life decisions for at least a year after a loss or trauma. Well, I’m the poster child for what not to do when you’re grieving: I sold my house, quit my job, moved, and got married. I married a friend, someone I had known for about ten years and someone I loved dearly, though I had never been in love with him. But after losing my father it seemed like the right thing to do and so we were married within the year on my father’s birthday. It doesn’t take Freud to understand what was going on there but I didn’t see it then. I probably don’t have to explain how that marriage turned out. When it ended, I regretted deeply how much I hurt my husband.

Writing is a way to entertain, which is no small accomplishment, but it’s also an opportunity to imagine life events with an altered outcome, to create a story with a different perspective and perhaps to resonate with someone in a similar situation. Sometimes we wish there was a replay button in life. Well, writing is sort of that replay button.

Our lives inspire our writing – our writing inspires our life.

Samantha Hoffman is a writer, runner, reader, film buff, tech geek, blogging queen, personal assistant, chef, wine enthusiast, and volunteer. Her stories have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Dieter’s Soul, The Corner Magazine (London), and numerous other print and online publications. Her novel, What More Could You Wish For, was released by St. Martin’s Press in 2012. You can find out more about Samantha  at www.samanthahoffman.com. 

Guest Blogger: Samantha Hoffman

We’re gearing up for this year’s Chicago Writers Conference by catching up with some of our past speakers. First up is Robert K.  Elder, author of It Was Love When: Tales from the Beginning of  Love, It Was Over When: Tales of Romantic Dead Ends, The Film That Changed My Life and Last Words of the Executed. Robert is also a  journalist, film columnist and the founder of Internet company Odd Hours Media, LLC. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and many other publications.

At last year’s conference, Robert was part of the panel “Chicago Authors on Publishing” and he gave a talk titled “Blackmail Yourself into Success.”

CWC: What exciting new projects are you currently working on?

Robert: My last four books have been about pop culture, so I’m looking to return to a weighty topic, much like I did with Last Words of the Executed. That said, I’m looking into sex research and social trends. It’s only natural that after you write about sex that death should be the next topic. Or maybe I have it backward.

CWC: What makes Chicago’s writing community great?

Robert: A complete lack of snootiness. I feel like we have a community that’s accessible and supportive and rich in talent.

CWC: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Robert: ”Finish” — Neil Gaiman told me that years ago, that it’s OK to fail, but you must finish a project to learn from it. Thanks, Neil.

CWC: What is the number one trick you use to motivate yourself to write?

Robert:  I look at my wife and kids, then my mortgage. That’s all the inspiration I need.

The 2013 Chicago Writers Conference will be held September 27-29. Registration will open in May.

Speaker Spotlight: Robert K. Elder

Chicago Writers Conference 2013 Dates Announced

Mark your calendar, we have dates! The 2013 Chicago Writers Conference will take place September 27-29, 2013.

The conference gets off to a roaring start with a kick-off party on Friday, September 27 at Open Books bookstore.

Events on Saturday and Sunday will be held at Harold Washington Library, the largest public library building in the world.

Registration will open in May; stay tuned to the blog for updates, or be the first to know by signing up for our mailing list, or follow us on facebook and twitter.

World Book Night 2013

Our founder Mare Swallow was selected as a World Book Night Book Giver. On April 23, not even the rain could stop her from spreading the Joy of Bossypants. More pictures are here.

Conference dates announced, World Book Night

April 23 is World Book Night, an annual celebration of reading. Every year, half a million books are given away by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. The event’s goal is to inspire and encourage reading in the adult population by the old-fashioned method of word-of-mouth.

An independent panel of booksellers and librarians compile a varied list of books to be handed out on World Book Night. This year’s selections include sci-fi classics, recently-published YA, and prize-winning crime fiction, among other great titles. Authors who have called Chicago their home are well represented: Waukegan born Ray Bradbury, Chicago native Sandra Cisneros, Second City alum Tina Fey, former WBEZ contributor John Green, and School of the Art Institute graduate David Sedaris are some of the writers who have been selected.

Mare Swallow, our founder and Executive Director, is one of 25,000 book givers this year. On April 23, you can find Mare in the Andersonville neighborhood, where she will gladly tell you why you should read Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants-and then hand you a copy.

World Book Night 2013

Chicago is still mourning the loss of Pulitzer-prize winning film critic, Roger Ebert.

The Urbana native and long-time Chicagoan, wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death though many will also remember him for his syndicated commercial television show, Siskel and Ebert and the Movies. When he lost his ability to speak, one of the devastating effects of the cancer that ended up taking his life, Ebert became an active presence in social media, delighting readers on Twitter and using his blog to write about such topics as his favorite bar, his Aunt Martha, and his obsession with The New Yorker cartoon caption contest. The prolific author also published several books including a memoir (Life Itself), a collections of essays (The Great Movies; I Hated, Hated, Hated this Movie), and even a cookbook (The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker).

It goes without saying that Ebert knew a great deal about movies. However, his career also demonstrates that he knew a great deal about being a writer and he often wrote about his craft. Here are five of our favorite Roger Ebert quotes on writing:

-“The Muse visits during the process of creation, not before.” (“I Think I’m Musing My Mind.” Roger Ebert’s Journal, October 24, 20008.)

-“Of what use is freedom of speech to those who fear to offend?” (Roger Ebert’s Movie Home Companion)

-“…the most useful advice I have ever received as a writer: ‘One, don’t wait for inspiration, just start the damn thing. Two, once you begin, keep on until the end. How do you know how the story should begin until you find out where it’s going? These rules saved me half a career’s worth of time and gained me a reputation as the faster writer in town. I”m not faster. I spend less time not writing.” (Life Itself: A Memoir)

-“I find that when I’m actually writing, I enter a zone of concentration too small to admit my troubles.” (Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert)

-“Just write, get better, keep writing, keep getting better. It’s the only thing you can control.” (“My Roger Ebert Story.” Deadspin, March 1, 2010.)

Roger Ebert on Writing

In light of the Chicago Improv Festival that is already in full swing, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite laugh-out-loud books. Though they range from memoirs to socio-cultural critiques, all of the items in our top five have one thing in common: At one point or another, every single author has called our beloved city their home.

I Am America (and So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

The host of The Colbert Report expands his satiric rants in this bestseller. Prepare to read about the war on Christmas, the Hollywood Blacklist, and the evils of the Kashi brand breakfast cereals.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Second City alum and current media darling, Tina Fey writes about her formative years in the Philadelphia suburbs, her unrequited romance during college, and her love affair with the improv community in Chicago.

The Onion Book of Known Knowledge: A Definitive Encyclopaedia of Existing Information by The Onion

After a decade in New York City, the best fake newspaper you’ll ever read decided to go back to its Midwestern roots and set up shop in Chicago. Entries include “crumbs,” “Steve Jobs” and “the life stages of an Aunt.”

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

Not quite sure how to kick out an inebriated guest from your home? Let comedian Amy Sedaris guide you through that and other sticky hosting situations in this how-to book filled with recipes and jokes.

Assasination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

Frequent NPR contributor Sarah Vowell takes the reader on a rip-roaring road trip to the infamous spots where president Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley were killed. We only wish our history teachers had Vowell’s witty and irreverent voice.

What are some of your favorite comedy books?

A Sample of Our Favorite Comedy Books

It’s time again for Writers Night Out, our workshop series where you can learn some real-world skills to further your writing career.

Our next workshop, Novel Submission 101, takes place April 22 and 29. This two-week workshop will walk you through the dos and don’ts of preparing and submitting your novel for publication. Author Holly McDowell will share her experiences and practical advice, and give you guidance on the road to publication.

Holly McDowell, author of King Solomon’s Wives, reads her work at Open Books.

Sign up here.

Novel Submission 101 Registration Open

The Chicago Writers Conference is looking for a college intern for the spring/summer! We need a bright, energetic soul to help us with the work we do. Our intern will work with social media, help with programming, contribute to the blog, and pitch in for event planning (we promise it won’t be anything like this). We’ve got all the details up on our post at the Chicago Artists Resource. Applicants must be enrolled in a college program where s/he will receive credit for this internship.

We’ve also got pictures from the spectacular Soup and Bread last week, where guests raised $565 for the Benton House Food Pantry. Here’s Mare Swallow, our Executive Director, with local author (and friend to CWC) Maggie Kast. See the rest at our Flickr page!

Call for an Intern and Pictures from Soup and Bread

We’re keeping busy at CWC with more events this week and in the month to come.

First off, remember to come out to The Hideout for Soup and Bread tonight. Our Executive Director, Mare Swallow, will be a guest chef! For more information, check out our blog from last week.

If you can’t make it, don’t fret, because we already have another great event coming up next month. We’re excited to announce our next workshop, Submission 101, hosted by local author (and Speculative Fiction reader) Holly McDowell.  Holly has experience in the submission process both with traditional publishers and new media, and will bring her expertise to bear with a workshop about the dos and don’ts of getting your work out of the slush pile. More info to come!

Thanks again to everyone stopped by to say “Hi” at the Creative Chicago Expo. We’ve got some photos up on our flickr page!

Events This Week and Beyond