Anyone willing to give a thoughtful, honest, yet respectful, critique is welcome.  Many topics, genres and forms are welcome (Ex. chapter of a novel, short story, play, poem, article, essay, etc.).  While publishing is a worthy goal, the focus of this group is helping writers fine tune works, which either have literary value or are otherwise substantive (i.e. scholarly).  All such works are welcome. Those concerned with poverty, and / or human and animal rights and welfare, and similar issues (i …

The Lakeshore Drawing & Painting Group offers an environment for artists of all levels to converge and find their way creatively. You don't have to call yourself an artist to join usand enjoy making art and playing with art materials! We hope to offer community, training, information and other resources that guide the artist to self-improvement and challenge in areas they can share passion and learning. Artists We have a wide range of artists, print-makers, painters, models, performers, poets an …

Songsalive! is a non profit organization supporting and promoting songwriters and composers worldwide. In Chicago IL, we have songwriting critique workshops with guest speakers the second Saturday of each month. We also have a songwriters showcase on the fourth Thursday of every other month.  www.songsalive.org/group/chicago for more details. Our official website is www.songsalive.org.

First and foremost: We are not a critique group. We are not a workshop group. We are a group of writers who get together to...just write. This is a group that meets to WRITE, to socialize, and to offer encouragement and inspiration to others as we practice our craft. We're focused on the process, not the product.  Writing can be a solitary activity...but it doesn't have to be. This is a group where the focus is actually on DOING the work as opposed to critiquing already finished works. I found s …

This group is dedicated to an exploration of the ideas informing educational philosophy, policy-making and planning - including investigation, analysis and critique of educational design at the local, state, national and international levels. I hope to open an erudite and broad-minded conversation about the underlying purpose(s) of public education from an eclectic, multi-angled perspective (i.e., classical Western, Eastern, post-modern, traditionalist, etc.). I am interested in what are the m …

CWN is a group of serious writers who are committed to furthering their work through a workshop-style critique process. We meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Please be sure to read CWN's Critique Guidelines under the Pages tab before you submit your first piece for critique.

This is a group designed for writer's in the area. The best way to improve the craft is through practice, so why not have a writer's circle where we can share our work and offer positive criticism? This is for anyone who loves to write, whether it's your vocation or just a hobby. All writing is welcome, fiction and non-fiction.  Anyone who loves to put pen to paper, or more accurately fingers to keyboard, this is the group for you.

You are not alone.  You are a part of a multitude of free thinkers, purveyors of the eccentric, odd and out of sorts.  You are bohemian, you are insufferable, you are difficult, you are creative... and you are meticulous.  You my friend, you are a writer.  You were born this way.  You were observing, criticizing, organizing, partitioning, petitioning, complimenting, hiding for years and no one saw it and you didn't see it.  But there you were, writing in some notebook at 2 in the morning laughin …

If you like to write and want a supportive environment in which to write join us! Each week, a member volunteers to provide writing prompts to spark our creativity. It can be a first line, an object, a picture, a situation. For about 10-15 minutes we write and if we feel like sharing we read our creation aloud. This is not a critique group - only positive feedback is encouraged. We usually fit in 3-4 prompts in an evening. Member ages range from young adults to octagenarians. You do not h …

Hello and welcome to Critique This, a Meetup group for serious writers with serious goals. If you're looking for encouragement, direction, interesting discussions and writing support, you've found it! When a writers' group really works, it can be the highlight of your week. I belonged to another writers' group for five years. Having others read and critique my work has contributed more to my growth as an author than any class or workshop. Reading and critiquing others' work, and the camaraderie …

This group is for anyone who has an interest in photography and enjoys going to photography themed events such as gallery openings, museum exhibits, photographer lectures, portfolio reviews and group photo-shoots. This group also participates in the monthly wine and critique offered by our main sponsor, The Chicago Photography Center, every third Friday of the month.

This group was inspired by the hundreds of workshops I have given all over the US. Photographers were asking for ways to build their portfolios with high quality images and unique concepts. They were running out of ideas / did not have ideas, could not find models, locations or sets and were hitting a wall. After all a photography web-site filled with photos of your dog or your own children might not say "professional" in a way you want it to. This is what we will do here. The instructors will a …

Are you a serious home cook who loves to perfect your technique? Would you like to meet with other passionate cooks for a kind of cook's circle? Do you enjoy reading or commenting on food blogs but wish there were in-person cooking communities? The structure of this group may take on a different form, but to begin, we would meet and share our attempts at a specific dish or technique, savory and sweet. The critique would be much like a writer's or artist's circle where members give feedback. As w …

Let's get together for photo walks around the Naperville town and surrounding areas. We can offer each other support and also critique our work. The group is open and flexible to new ideas. Post your work on this site for sharing and feedback. We have meet ups during the weekdays, nights and weekends to practice our craft at various lighting conditions.

Want a few dedicated novelists who want to critique their novel on a regular basis, once a month. I have finished a historical fiction novel that I want advice on.

meet once a month to share original poetry and discuss. very relaxed. all poets welcome. invite critiques from your peers or don't, your choice. coffee and donuts will probably be a part of this.

What is Off Campus Writers’ Workshop? Ever since 1946, OCWW has encouraged and inspired Chicago-area writers in developing their writing avocations. OCWW meets every Thursday morning from September to May. A variety of speakers will elevate your writing technique with a diversity of topics, amongst which can be genre fiction, nonfiction, children’s lit, contemporary simmerings of romance fiction, poetry, publishing and the implication of ebooks. Here, you will achieve your individual writing goa …

We hope to critique each other's drafts of all sorts in a mutually supportive and awesome environment. This group is invite-only to ensure that we stay tiny (hence the name). We meet about twice a month and share drafts to read a few days in advance. We're into all sorts of writing styles, from humorous to serious to abstract. Many of us are sex-positive feminists; if you're not down with that please don't apply.

Our group is made up of published and unpublished writers of all types and genres. We meet two times a month, usually on Thursdays. We meet at the Algonquin Public Library’s main (Harnish) branch to read and critique each others work, as well as for “Creativity Cafe,” which will include write-in nights or special workshops. Our goal is to not only to keep the creative juices flowing, but to bring them to fruition by getting our work published. We are an open group – no dues to pay, no obligatio …

Do you make comics (or want to make comics)? Webcomics, indie comics, superhero comics, mini comics, comic strips, graphic novels, zines, whatever? Do you draw, write, or both? Then this might be the meetup for you! Group critiques, workshops, work days, field trips are all things we will probably be doing, so keep an eye on upcoming meetups!

Writers space, individual studio spaces with Internet access , writers and creatives in a collaborative space, On the new Bloomingdale bike trail at Kimball. Auto parking lot and bike racks. This is new so I'm looking for input.