Who We Are

Beckett & Co. is a creative writers’ collective in Chicago and online. Most classes are led by Nancy Beckett, Founder of Lakeside Studio, and comedy-writing doyenne of The Second City Training Center and Columbia College Chicago. Now, beckettandco.org holds weekly workshops comprised of memoirists, comedians, and genre writers — all compiling fresh drafts for publication and performance. Our classes are LGBTQ friendly and available via Zoom.

Nancy’s classes are useful, insightful, & incredibly fun for writers of all skill levels—from, Family Legacy stories to advanced Essays, Fiction and Performance works. Everybody writes to discover their next, best project. 

We all begin with a trigger—an “ah-ha” moment, of a strong sense memory, an image, or a feeling. First-drafts are based on following that moment’s connections and seeing, hearing, and smelling your way down the rabbit hole. In other words, writing is not thinking.

Thinking is crucial to the writing process however; and thinking positively about writing down connections becomes the basis of drafting and writing-to-discover. Think before you write, think about your writing after you write—just try to avoid thinking while you write. Let’s face it, writers love ideas and writers want their words to mean something. Some writers want their writing to work with a purpose.

Maybe you want to launch a business that involves writing. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story can make all the difference. First, get your material out in front of you and get the first 300 pages or so out of the way.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites (never mind books) out there, but your story is what’s going to separate you from the rest. When reading pages aloud, if you can’t hear your own voice, that’s probably a sign you have more writing to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it will continue to evolve as your style evolves with it. Make your goal to feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.