Paris 
Writing 
Adventures

Live Your Writing Dream in the City of Light

September 7-13, 2025

Paris welcomes you!

  In Paris, the creative capital of the world, art, culture, and innovation converge in a vibrant tapestry of inspiration! Lined with iconic landmarks, from the majestic Eiffel Tower to the artistic haven of Montmartre, each corner brims with stories that have shaped the creative landscape.The city has long been a sanctuary for artists, writers, and musicians, drawing visionaries from across the globe. Paris remains a beacon for those seeking to explore the depths of their imagination, making it an eternal muse for dreamers and doers alike. Join us for a week of writing ispired by the rich cultural heritage of Paris, including its world-class museums and cozy cafés buzzing with creativity. Paris offers the ultimate backdrop for new ideas to flourish!

Experience a Paris Writing Adventure
    Once the meeting place of literary giants like Hemingway and Sartre, Paris will be your home for a week as you join a small group of other travelers for morning writing workshops--mais oui, in English! Spend your afternoons wandering the enchanting streets of Paris--sliding into a sidewalk café to journal over a coffee or cocktail, meandering through the Musée du Louvre, or climbing to the top of la Tour Eiffel. 
      The Paris Writing Adventure is limited to eight participants and presents a mixture of structure to guide your creative writing journey and independent time. While some evenings are planned—such as a welcome champagne dinner, a farewell gathering, and a night of jazz—there remains ample time to write or explore the city at your leisure, either solo or with a fellow student. You’ll also have a free day to enjoy as you wish, embarking on a trip to Versailles, Chartres, or Mount St. Michelle or simply soaking in more of the Paris vibe. In the heart of France and back home for years to come, you’ll find inspiration flowing onto your blank pages!
Meet Your Teacher
A traveler in Paris for decades, Leilani Barnett leads the Paris Writing Adventure. She is the author of the book, Sacred Journaling: Ten Ways to Use the Power of Words to Craft Your Ideal Life and holds a Bachelors with a double major in English and journalism, a Masters in literature, and a Masters in educational leadership. Her work has appeared in English Journal, Perceptions, Wanderlust: A Travel Journal, Perceptions, The Westchester Review, Alabama English,  She Speaks, The Raven's Perch, and other publications. 

She is also a career educator with more than 30 years of experience, taking writers at all levels to the next stage, and she is the founder of Write Now, a meetup circle in Dallas, Texas with more than 4,000 members. 

You, however, will be one of only eight writers/travelers, meeting in the salon of  Leilani's favorite Parisian apartment in the Marais district for five writing seminars filled with  lively conversations, techniques, and writing prompts.

Leilani successfully coaches and edits professional writers, but she is also gentle and encouraging to beginners.  You will find yourself writing more and getting better each day! 

Come to Paris. Settle into a hotel or apartment, unpack your notepad or computer, and release your mind.

All are welcome!

Five Writing Seminars

Paris Writing Adventures I focuses introduces you to a writer's Paris, exploring neighborhoods that inspired the Lost Generation and France's most famous authors and artists. You will use what you see and experience, along with innovative exercises from Leilani, to open the floodgates of your own creativity. Paris Writing Adventures II is for writers who also want to explore the artistic side of Paris in more depth and use visual art and other experiences in Paris to prompt writing in ekphrastic poems, stories, travel pieces, or memoirs. Each day begins with a guided tour to one of Paris' amazing museums, where we will focus on no more than five special pieces in the collection. Then, you'll have time to continue your exploration of the museum or gallery on your own and to use one of the focus pieces--or something else that grabs you--as inspiration for a piece of writing. In the evening, we'll join up for a "salon style" workshop in one of Leilani's favorite Marais apartments.

Fabulous Food and Wine

This tour is foodie friendly! Parisian cuisine will be highlighted in your included lunches and dinners. From neighborhood bistros where you can imagine Inspector Maigret, having an evening Calvados to notable, Michelin-starred restaurants where the atmosphere is glamorous and the service impeccable! You can sample the subtle flavors of roasted French chicken, enjoy a hearty and tasty beef bourguignon and tasty, or opt for something more adventurous like escargot! Most lunches and dinners, along with table wines, are included in your fee. For breakfast, you may wish to venture to a cafe near your hotel or apartment or stay in and enjoy the hotel breakfast buffet which at minimum usually provides excellent coffee, tea, fresh orange juice, and fabulous Paris pastries. Many also include a selection of meats and cheeses, boiled eggs, and fruit. For a special breakfast treat on your free day, you may wish to allow some extra morning time to wonder to L'Hotel at 13 rue des Beaux-Arts in the 6th, the now-luxurious hotel in which Oscar Wilde died and Jim Morrison also stayed. It's ample, fancy buffet is delicious. And, as Wilde did, bring your diary so you have "something interesting to read."

A Night of Jazz

Taste the Paris jazz scene, a cultural and artistic essential in Paris, often symbolizing freedom, sophistication, and cosmopolitanism. Since the 1920s, when American jazz musicians like Sidney Bechet and American expatriates found a welcoming audience in the city, jazz became intertwined with Parisian nightlife, especially in areas like Saint-Germain-des-Prés where you'll still find grooving musicians and singers doing their thing most nights of the week. And, as Americans we can be proud of the role played in the origins of jazz in Paris. In WWI, African-American soldiers, then stationed in France with the US army, came together to play ragtime and jazz in the city's music halls. Facing segregation at home, performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, and Louis Armstrong found the music venues of Paris more welcoming. Soon, the French musical masters were hooked and Parisian and American jazz became intertwined. What is not included in your PWA Tour: airfare, hotel, incidentals.

For first-timers to Paris, I warn you that this city is addictive! You might well find yourself wanting to return again and again as I have. You have so much to see and experience! If you are a long-time lover of Paris, you already know that one could spend a lifetime here and never exhaust beauty to explore and magic to capture.

Paris enchants with an effortless blend of beauty, history, and romance. Its streets are alive with a timeless elegance, from the iconic architecture of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame to the artistic charm of Montmartre’s narrow, winding lanes. 

The city’s cafés invite you to sit, sip, and watch the world go by with your pen and notebooks in hand, offering a chance to soak in the leisurely rhythm of Parisian life. Along the Seine, grand bridges and tree-lined promenades add to the city's allure, especially at sunset when the city glows with a golden hue. 

Paris also delights the senses with its renowned cuisine, where everything from a morning croissant to an evening glass of wine feels like a small celebration. Every corner, every sidewalk, and every café radiates a sense of romance and mystery, making Paris a place that’s as inspiring as it is unforgettable. 
      








Hôtel Du Vieux Saule

Warm Lobby & Dining Room

Set in a 16th-century building in the Marais district of Paris, Hôtel Du Vieux Saule is a five-minute walk from Place de la République. It offers free WiFi and air-conditioned rooms. A flat-screen TV and a telephone are provided in each guest room. Some of the rooms include a mini-bar, so make sure you ask for one if a cold soft drink or water is important to you. Each room has a hairdryer in the bathroom, and all of the rooms are serviced by a elevator. You can enjoy a buffet breakfast every morning in the arched stone cellar at Hôtel Du Vieux Saule. This is a favorite among our Paris writers, especially those who prefer a tub bath to a shower. It provides walkable access to our seminar location, and is a good value for a three-star hotel with no-frills, clean rooms.

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Villa Beaumarchais

Most Convenient to Seminars

Located on a quiet street in the Marais district quite near the location of our salon-style writing seminars, Villa Beaumarchais is 1,476 feet from Carnavalet Museum and a six-minute walk to lovely Place des Vosges, a favorite writing spot for many guests. The hotel's rooms overlook the central patio, and include a mini-bar and satellite flat-screen TV, air-conditioning, and a refined, classic décor. Some feature a seating area. Enjoy a continental breakfast in the hotel's dining room, which features a glass roof, fountains, and trees. Later, guests can relax with a drink from the bar at Villa Beaumarchais. This hotel is a bit more expensive than other choices, but is the shortest walk to the seminar location for 2025.

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Grand Hôtel Amelot

Bargain Price

Located in the 11th district of Paris, a five-minute walk from the Marais district and Place des Vosges Park, Grand Hôtel Amelot offers a 24-hour reception, concierge service, and luggage storage. All rooms are air-conditioned and feature a flat-screen TV, safety deposit box, and wardrobe. The private bathroom includes a bathtub or shower. A breakfast is available each morning at Grand Hôtel Amelot. Guests can also dine in restaurants located within walking distance of the property. Free WiFi access is available throughout, and Chemin Vert Metro Station is 787 feet away and offers direct access to the Eiffel Tower and Opéra Garnier. If you want a comfortable, clean room with private bath at a bargain price, this hotel might be your best option.

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Private Apartments

Live Like a Local

If you want to free your inner-Emily, you may wish to opt for an apartment. There are also dozens of apartments to fit most budgets, which you can rent for the week. Select one within easy walking of our seminar location, and call Leilani at 214-620-7275 if you have questions. Apartments in the Marais (in the third and fourth arrondissements) are available on the Booking.com link below as well as other apartment rental platforms. Also, note whether the apartment you wish to rent has "a lift" -- a European elevator often big enough for just one person. And, note that a "second floor" apartment means three staircases to climb, not two.

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