Join Marcia for a New year’s writing retreat in 2025!

Women’s Creative Writing Workshop Retreat with Marcia Meier, in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico, Jan. 2-8, 2025

Seven days, six nights of writing inspiration!

An immersive generative workshop using prompts, poems, and art modalities as inspiration. Join us as we use music, dance, painting, drawing, clay, and body movement to create new work, share and offer gentle feedback (encouragement!), and enjoy the wonderful camaraderie that naturally happens when women writers gather.

It will be the start of a new year! What are our hopes, dreams, wishes, aspirations? What memories come up that bring us gratitude, joy, or sadness? Let’s gather and explore ways can we generate new and revised work that touches deep places—that sings!

New and seasoned writers are welcome. Come to kindle and rekindle the writer’s life. A $500 deposit secures your reservation. The cost is $2,095 for a shared room, and $2,595 for a private room. Space is limited to 10 writers. Includes everything but travel to and from the retreat and two lunches on your own, including one in Teotitlan del Valle.

Teotitlan del Valle is an ancient weaving village about thirty minutes beyond the hubbub of the city of Oaxaca. It is where ancient rituals are practiced much as they were hundreds of years ago. Our location provides a source of inspiration and spiritual connection. We will also schedule visits to local artisans to see how they make their work. 

There will be optional daily activities in our schedule: afternoon walks, and mini-seminars on writing topics such as writing effective description and dialogue, or submitting creative work for publication. Each person will have a private coaching session with Marcia, as well.

Our Preliminary Schedule

Wednesday, January 2—Arrive to Oaxaca, travel to and settle into our Teotitlan del Valle retreat center by 4 p.m. Transportation from the airport to the village is at your own expense. Welcome dinner at 6 p.m. Introductions, schedule, and questions. Sign-ups for consultations.

Thursday, January 3—Breakfast is at 8 a.m. Writing workshop (including group feedback) with Marcia from 9 a.m. to noon; lunch from noon to 1:30; free writing time and individual 45-minute consultations 1:30-4:30 p.m. (consultations will be scheduled with Marcia during the welcome dinner on January 2; local artisan visit 4-30-6 p.m.; dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, January 4—Breakfast is at 8 a.m. Workshop from 9 a.m.-noon with Marcia; lunch is noon to 1:30 p.m. Special topic “Crafting Your Project,” from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Free writing time and individual consultations 2:15-5:30. Dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 5—Breakfast is at 8 a.m. Workshop from 9 a.m.-noon with Marcia. Lunch is on your own in the village. From noon to 4 p.m. you have free time to either explore the village or to continue to write on your own. We will schedule individual consultations from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 6— Breakfast at 8 a.m. Special topic, “Getting Published” 9-10 a.m. We will depart by van to the famous outdoor Tlacolula Market to explore local culture. Lunch will be with a traditional cook whose comedor is near the market. Workshop session will be held from 3-6 p.m. Light supper at 7 p.m.

Monday, January 7— Breakfast at 8 a.m. Workshop from 9 a.m.-noon with Marcia. Lunch on your own. Free writing time and individual consultations 1:30-5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m. we’ll have a final reading of work created during the week, followed by a Grand Finale Dinner.

Tuesday, January 8—Breakfast at 8 a.m. Goodbyes and departure. We will help you arrange transportation to the airport or the city by private taxi at your own expense. We can also recommend lodging if you want to extend your stay in Oaxaca City — come a few days early or stay later!

We reserve the right to make itinerary changes and substitutions as necessary. For more information, contact Marcia at marcia@marciameier.com or Norma Schafer, retreat organizer, at norma.schafer@icloud.com.

Website:  https://oaxacaculture.com/2024/01/2025-womens-creative-writing-workshop-retreat-inspirations-for-a-new-year/

Upcoming Writing and Water Coloring Retreats with Helena Hill

Join Marcia and Helena as we return to Casa Ana in the south of Spain (Oct. 4-10, 2025) and Tuscany (Sept.  27-Oct. 3, 2026) for a week of writing, painting and exploring these inspiring country-scapes.

Helena and I took a group of women writers and painters to Tuscany in 2019, and we are excited to return to the little town of Lucca and the extraordinary hospitality of Karolina and Dawid!

 For more information, email us.

Our bios: 

Marcia Meier, MFA, is an award-winning journalist, publisher, and author of seven books, including the award-winning Face, A Memoir.  (See her bio here.) Marcia is also an editor and writing coach who has taught writing for more than twenty years. Her publishing company, Weeping Willow Books, has published more than a dozen books over the past 12 years. She is an adventurous spirit who loves to travel and inspire and encourage other writers.

Helena Hill is a writer, watercolorist, and world traveler who lived with her family in Peru during her childhood. (See her bio here.) She has returned to Peru four times to rediscover her childhood home while writing her memoir. As a Spanish teacher, she led groups of students to Mexico, and most recently has led groups to Peru, Italy and Spain for watercolor and writing retreats. She has traveled extensively in Italy, and has studied and painted the landscapes of Tuscany and Umbria. Helena's passion is teaching and inspiring beginning watercolorists. She speaks fluent Spanish, is a student of Italian, and is an exceptional guide and teacher.

Want to go with us? Send us an email!