Substacks & Photo Safari: Writing retreat in San Miguel de Allende

Setp. 14-19, 2025.

Come to Substacks & Photo Safari: Writing retreat in San Miguel de Allende! Join us for a week of creativity and inspiration. Immerse yourself in the charming surroundings of San Miguel de Allende as you hone your writing skills and explore the picturesque streets on a photo safari. Create a Substack for your writing, or just explore personal essays.

Monday through Friday we'll gather at the Bird House in the historic Centro for three hours of writing prompts, examples, and feedback. You'll also have a private hour with NYT-bestselling author Laura Fraser to discuss your writing goals or get feedback on a longer piece. Monday there will be a lecture from award-winning photographer Daniel Borris, who will teach your how to take better iPhone pix for your Substack and take you on a photo safarei around town. We'll have an opening reception on the 13th and a closing dinner to read your essays and enjoy your photos. There will be plenty of time and suggestions to explore the wonderful town of San Miguel de Allende, and we'll make informal plans for live music, restaurants, gallery visits, and even salsa dancing.

Two spots available in the Bird House; otherwise lots of nearby lodging.

$895

$795 early bird (by August 15)

$695 San Miguel de Allende residents

(Central Time)

Details & Bios

The week will include:—Five days of writing instruction, Monday through Friday, 10-1. This will be held at the Bird House in the historic Centro of San Miguel de Allende.—One afternoon photo class and photo safari—One evening welcome reception on Sunday, September 14—A one-on-one one-hour writing coaching session with Laura, who will read up to a maximum of 5000 words to critique.—A final meal with a reading and photo show

You will have afternoons to write and explore the town. While we won’t be leading other events, you can explore the nearby hot springs, take a cooking class, go to the botanical gardens, and visit the local art galleries. Laura will give you a list of recommendations (she’s lived in San Miguel de Allende for part of 15 years) and point you to great places where we can enjoy live music or salsa dancing.Not included:—Transportation to San Miguel de Allende (fly to Leon or Queretaro and take the Bajiogo shuttle or take a bus from Mexico City)—Meals other than the reception and final dinner, though we can make some reservations together.—Housing, except for two spots in the Bird House, where we’re holding the seminar (one King bedroom, and one Queen). There are numerous AirBnBs nearby; I’m on 82A Callejon de Loreto.

This seminar is not for beginning writers, but people who have some experience and can put together an 800-1000 word essay in a couple of days. It is also for people who feel comfortable getting around a very friendly town mostly on their own.

The seminar is limited to 8 people.

I recommend you arrive on Saturday to get settled in and explore the town. Sunday there is music in the country we could go to, or you can visit a winery. Afterwards, we’ll have a welcome reception. We’ll start Monday morning.

Accommodations at the Bird House (See CasasArtisticas.com), $450/week, two spots available.I will send out a document with information about other housing options, restaurants, transportation, and things to do for a memorable trip to SMdA!To register: Please send a 500-word sample of your writing to Laura@laurafraser.com.Saludos!

Laura Fraser is a NYT-bestselling memoirist and journalist who has lived part-time in San Miguel de Allende for over 15 years. She has been a keynote speaker at San Miguel's writing conference and taught writing at numerous venues, including Aspen Summer Words, Stanford Continuing Education, Harvard University Narrative Journalism Conference, and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times ("Modern Love"), Sunset, Oprah, Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Salon, Alta, and many others.

Daniel Borris's photos have appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, and Smithsonian, among many others. His work has been shown and collected in the US and Mexico, including the McNay Museum, Blue Start Art Space, and the Instituto Cultural de Mexico. His photography has been honored by Communication Arts, American Photography, the Society of Publication Designers, and the Art Directors Club of New York.