Immerse yourself in the ideas, techniques and craft of memoir writing on a ten-day retreat in Paris, with acclaimed life-writing mentor Patti Miller.
Presented by award-winning author and Australia’s leading life-writing mentor, Patti Miller, Memoir Writing in Paris is more than just a retreat or literary tour. Across ten days of exploring Paris and seven structured writing workshops, you’ll experience a deep immersion in the ideas, techniques and craft of writing memoir. This course has been designed to extend and enrich all levels of experience.
Through expert instruction and the support of a small group of like-minded travellers and writers, Memoir Writing in Paris is a transformative experience. Each morning you'll devote time to your project in workshops held in a central Parisian apartment, and in the afternoons you'll be free to explore the city that inspired history’s greatest revolutionaries, poets, writers and artists with the help of our erudite local guides.
Whether you’ve always dreamed of writing but don’t know where to start; have a story to tell but want guidance on form and technique; or have a well-established writing practice and seek new frontiers of inspiration – our writing sojourn in Paris is for you.
Memoir Writing in Paris
- Tour Highlights -
In the city where Proust penned In Search of Lost Time and Anaïs Nin kept her revolutionary diary, your own stories will find their voice. Set during Autumn, the season of memories and recollection - of ‘mellow fruitfulness’ as Keats once put it – our retreat is designed to make you feel like a local Parisian writer and find meaning where the past meets the present on the page.
In the workshops you’ll write and share ideas in a creative, supportive and encouraging environment, learning about the art and craft of memoir writing. In a one-on-one consultation with Patti, you’ll be able to discuss your project in detail and receive personalised writing guidance.
In the afternoons and evenings, you’re free to explore the city made famous by Balzac, Flaubert, Hemingway, Stein, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Sand, and de Beauvoir. Perhaps you’ll sit and write on a café terrace with a coffee or a glass of wine, or ask your dedicated local guide, Mélissa – a Parisian jazz chanteuse and writer - for some insider tips about where to find inspiration.
You’ll also receive a lecture on the history and culture of Paris and a ‘literary ramble’ tour with an expert on French literary history. On your day off, you’ll take the train with Mélissa to Provins, a UNESCO world heritage site and fortified medieval town, where you’ll enjoy lunch after a morning of exploring.
You will visit some local literary haunts and engage in stimulating discussions over drinks, as great thinkers have always done in Paris. For our Welcome Lunch and Farewell Dinner we’ll dine in some of Paris’ most historic belle époque bistros which have hosted generations of writers before us.
The Writing Course
France is the birthplace of modern memoir, the country where Montaigne wrote his Essays about the nature of Self, and where Rousseau lived most of the extraordinary life he describes in Confessions. Through the combination of structured workshops, one-on-one consultation, and personal exploration, you too will discover your voice and story.
Across seven mornings, you’ll attend your writing workshop with Patti in a charming, centrally located apartment. Here you’ll learn about topics such as Beginning Again, Original Memory, Texture and Detail, the Narrator, Narrative Structure, the Difficulties of Truth Telling, Organising Your Material, Structural Trouble-Shooting, the Borderlands with Fiction, Travel Memoir, and many others. Each day will follow a rhythmic pattern with classes, shaped around Patti’s updated edition of Writing True Stories, and a curated selection of readings which will be provided before you depart for Paris.
You’ll be given daily writing exercises and prompts based on the course content which provide you with ample opportunities for development and growth. These are designed to help you tap into your memories and get to the core of what it is you want to write about. You will also share your work with the group, in a warm and encouraging environment.
Parisian-style morning teas, with tea coffee and treats from the local pâtisserie, will be provided in each workshop.
You’ll also have the opportunity to schedule an individual writing consultation with Patti. During this time you can discuss your personal writing project in-depth without interruption. This is an invaluable opportunity to sort through and solve those writing blocks with a memoir-writing expert, all in the unique ambience of a Parisian café.
The Writer’s Life in a Parisian Apartment
This is a writing sojourn for independent-minded travellers rather than those seeking a fully escorted tour. At the same time, it is for people who enjoy stimulating conversations with like-minded company, who share a love of writing, travel and literature.
During the retreat you’ll be staying in a well-appointed, one-bedroom apartment in the centre of Paris so you can live as a writer in your own independent space. The studios are located together in a central ‘apartment hotel’, which means you will easily be able to connect with your fellow writers or enjoy your own private space and independence. You’ll have a double bed (or single, if you have opted for twin-share), desk, kitchenette and WIFI along with all other 4-star amenities including access to a laundering service and a 24-hr concierge. A thoughtful welcome pack will be in your room on arrival providing you with tea, coffee and other essentials to make you feel at home. Breakfast in the restaurant downstairs is included in your package.
You will walk a few minutes to the class venue, using one of our maps as a guide. As you settle into your daily routines of the writer’s life, you’ll have the pleasure of getting to know your own local neighbourhood – from the boulangerie where you buy your baguettes, to the café or bar where you’ll sit with a coffee or apéro and scribble observations in your notebook.
PATTI MILLER
Patti Miller is a best-selling author and Australia’s leading memoir-writing mentor. She has written ten books, including six memoir/creative non-fiction works and the writing manual, Writing True Stories.
Patti holds a BA and MA in writing from the UTS and has more than 30 years’ teaching experience in Australia, Fiji, Bali, London and France. She spent a year writing in Paris, and currently teaches at the Faber Academy in Sydney and London. Patti regularly returns to France to write and is thus familiar with the joys and rewards it offers.
Patti has helped over 60 other writers turn their life stories into successful, commercially published books. These include, amongst others: The Erratics, by Vicky Laveau-Harvie; Only, by Caroline Baum; Rosetta, by Alexandra Joel; and Is This My Beautiful Life? By Jessica Rowe. Visit Patti’s website for a comprehensive list of clients: https://lifestories.com.au/
"Patti is the writing whisperer! She taught me how to stop daydreaming and to get writing. I couldn’t have written my memoir without her!"
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Jessica Rowe - journalist, author and television presenter.
Price
Price is $10,650 for single accommodation, and $8,160 for twin share.
To secure your booking, a deposit of 30% is required within 7 days of receiving your booking form. All prices in $AUD. Get in touch with us at tours@betterread.com.au for payment terms and installment dates.
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PACKAGE DETAILS
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What is included in the cost?
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Seven workshops with Australia’s leading memoir writing mentor, Patti Miller
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30min one-on-one consultation with Patti in a Paris café
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Dedicated tour manager and local Parisian guide, Mélissa Lesnie
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Curated reading guide selected by Patti
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4-star accommodation in a central Parisian one-bedroom apartment, including daily breakfast (8 nights)
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Lecture with a local expert on French culture and literary history*
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Walking tour of Paris with expert on French culture and literary history*
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Full escorted day tour to Provins, a UNESCO heritage protected medieval town*
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All entrance fees on tours and experiences (as listed in itinerary)
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All meals and drinks (as listed in itinerary) including exclusive dining experiences for Welcome Lunch and Farewell Dinner
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Welcome pack on arrival essential items and maps
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Navigo métro pass for the duration of your stay
*Subject to amendment pending availability.
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What is not included in the cost?
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Airfares to and from France
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Any transfers not mentioned in itinerary
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Any visas you may require
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Travel Insurance (this is compulsory)
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Meals, services, drinks or gratuities not mentioned in the itinerary
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Incidentals and expenditures of a personal nature
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Covid-19 testing, medication or medical expense
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​Download the 2025 tour brochure for the full tour itinerary
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