Breaking Through Writer's Block

Family responsibilities, day jobs, the news, self-doubt, perfectionism, external pressures: all of these can take the act of getting words on the page from a basic task to a massive hurdle. If you've been avoiding your writing project or the creative process has started bringing you more dread than joy, you aren't alone. And we'll get through it together.

In this workshop, participants will build a personal toolkit of prompts, tricks, and tactics to shake off a writing slump and get back into your work again. We'll talk honestly about the difficulties of creating in a world that demands your attention from all directions, and we'll practice small, practical shifts that can bring writing back into your life on a regular basis: whether that's finishing your draft, starting a new project, or simply filling up a blank page and seeing what happens.

General admission for the workshop is $25.00. General admission plus a copy of by Jami Attenberg is $45.00. 1,000 Words is a collection of pep talks, tactics, and craft essays from more than 50 writers to help jumpstart your practice on particularly difficult days.

All levels of experience (and all manner of writers' blocks) welcome.

Allison Epstein is a Chicago-based author of three historical fiction novels. Her most recent novel, received the 2026 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction and the American Library Association’s Sophy Brody medal, and was a finalist for the 2026 Edgar Award for Best Novel. Allison holds an MFA in fiction from Northwestern University. A Michigan native, she now lives in Chicago, where she works in consulting and enjoys good theater, bad puns, and fancy jackets.

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