Unbound Writer Paris
May 3 - 6, 2027
Attendee Update #1
August 2026
Welcome to the first of our monthly retreat updates!
Between now and our week together in Paris, we'll use these pages to share everything you need to know as the retreat takes shape. We'll cover programming, travel tips, recommended neighborhoods and hotels, local restaurants and bookstores, and plenty of details to help you feel prepared long before you arrive.
Whether you registered on opening day or just joined us recently, we're thrilled you'll be part of this inaugural international retreat. We can't wait to welcome you to Paris.
Meet Unbound Writer
Unbound Writer was founded on a simple belief: writing is often a solitary pursuit, but becoming a better writer doesn't have to be.
What began as coaching and small workshops has grown into a community of writers from around the world who are committed to improving their craft while supporting one another. Today, Unbound Writer offers coaching, online classes, retreats, and live events designed to give writers practical tools, honest feedback, and meaningful connections.
Our Paris retreat is a natural extension of that mission. By keeping the group intentionally small, we're able to create an experience that's collaborative, interactive, and deeply personal. We hope you'll leave not only with new skills, but with lasting friendships and a renewed excitement for your writing.
Unbound Writer Principals
Carter Wilson, Founder
Jessica Bonosoro, Director of Operations
Meet Your Instructors
One of the things we're most excited about is the amount of time you'll spend learning directly from each instructor. This isn't a conference where you'll watch speakers from the back of a crowded room. With just twenty-five attendees, every instructor will teach, participate in discussions, provide feedback, and be available for conversation throughout the week.
Carter Wilson
As founder of Unbound Writer, Carter will guide the retreat while leading sessions on writing psychology, developing sustainable creative habits, building suspense, publishing, and creating a long-term writing career. He'll also lead panels, writing exercises, and individual feedback sessions.
Alex Finlay
Alex will share his approach to plotting, pacing, commercial storytelling, and writing page-turning suspense. He'll also participate in panels, discussions, and manuscript feedback.
Clémence Michallon
Clémence will lead sessions focused on character development, psychological suspense, atmosphere, and crafting emotionally resonant thrillers. She'll also participate in panels and provide individual feedback.
Riley Sager
We're delighted to welcome Riley as our featured guest. Riley will join us for an extended conversation and audience Q&A about his writing career, creative process, and the business of publishing.
Abby Dunn
@CrimeByTheBook
Abby will bring her unique perspective as one of today's leading voices in the thriller community. She'll discuss connecting books with readers, building an audience, and what she sees from the bookselling and publishing side of the industry.
The Setting
The retreat will be held at Salons d’Arthur in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, one of Paris’s most historic and literary neighborhoods. Tucked inside a former Benedictine convent in the 7th arrondissement, the space feels removed from the noise of the city while still surrounded by the cafés, bookstores, winding streets, and late-night energy that have inspired writers for generations.
Inside, vaulted ceilings, stone architecture, warm light, and centuries-old details create an atmosphere that feels intimate, cinematic, and distinctly Parisian. Rather than a traditional conference setting, the retreat is designed to feel immersive and personal, with conversations unfolding naturally throughout the day between attendees, instructors, and guest speakers.
The schedule intentionally leaves space to experience the city itself. Writing in cafés. Evening walks through Saint-Germain. Conversations over wine after sessions end. Paris becomes part of the creative rhythm of the retreat rather than simply the backdrop.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A $500 deposit is required to reserve your place in the retreat. Because attendance is intentionally limited and space is expected to fill well in advance, registrations cannot be held without a deposit.
Additional payment details and installment options will be provided upon registration.
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The initial $500 deposit is non-refundable.
Cancellations made on or before January 15, 2027, will receive a refund of any payments made beyond the deposit amount. Due to the limited size of the retreat and advance venue commitments, refunds after January 15, 2027, cannot be guaranteed.
If the retreat has a waitlist and a cancelled space can be filled, additional refunds may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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The retreat will take place in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris’s 7th arrondissement, one of the city’s most walkable and atmospheric neighborhoods. The area is filled with independent hotels, historic streets, cafés, bookstores, and restaurants, making it an ideal home base throughout the retreat week.
Rather than partnering with a single hotel, attendees are encouraged to choose accommodations that best fit their personal travel style and budget. Over the coming months, we will provide a curated list of recommended hotels and nearby neighborhoods ranging from boutique stays to more budget-conscious options, all within convenient distance of the retreat venue.
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No. The retreat is open to writers at all stages of their careers, including unpublished authors. The common thread is a serious commitment to storytelling and a desire for meaningful creative and professional conversation.
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Yes. The retreat is intentionally designed around accessibility and interaction rather than large-scale conference separation between attendees and instructors. Conversations, discussions, and informal interactions throughout the week are a central part of the experience. Access to guest speakers will be more limited due to their shorter time at the retreat.
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Each day includes dedicated writing and reflection time, but the retreat is designed less as a silent writing residency and more as an immersive creative and instructional experience. Many attendees will also use their open hours throughout Paris for independent writing and exploration.
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Yes. The retreat will include manuscript workshop sessions in which attendees may submit a limited number of pages in advance for consideration. Selected excerpts will be discussed in a collaborative group setting, with feedback and craft discussion led by retreat instructors.
Because workshop discussions focus on larger storytelling topics such as pacing, tension, characterization, dialogue, and reader engagement, the sessions are designed to provide value to everyone in the room, whether or not they have submitted pages.
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No. Manuscript submission is entirely optional.
Many attendees may choose to participate in workshop sessions by submitting pages, while others may attend primarily for the instruction, discussions, publishing insights, community, and overall retreat experience. Writers at all stages of their journey are welcome.
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Topics throughout the retreat may include suspense, emotional tension, character psychology, pacing, twists, publishing, visibility, creative longevity, and the realities of sustaining a writing career. Sessions are designed to be conversational, practical, and highly interactive.
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Yes, although the application is intentionally simple and informal. The goal is not to evaluate writing ability or require writing samples, but rather to help us get to know attendees, understand where they are in their writing journey, and learn what they hope to gain from the retreat experience.
Because the retreat is intentionally small and highly interactive, the application process also helps us build a thoughtful and collaborative group atmosphere throughout the week.
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No formal transportation will be provided. The retreat venue and literary activities are located within highly walkable areas of Paris and are easily accessible by foot, taxi, or public transportation.
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Yes. Once registration reaches capacity, a waitlist will be opened in the event additional spots become available.
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Yes. While retreat sessions and official events are limited to registered attendees, many participants may choose to travel to Paris with a partner, friend, or spouse and coordinate independent sightseeing and meals outside retreat hours.
Plus-ones are able to attend the cocktail party and literary tour for an additional fee, to be collected at registration.
Spend Four Days Inside the Writing Life
The Unbound Writer Paris Retreat was created for writers who want more than information. It was built around honest conversation, creative momentum, meaningful connection, and direct access to working authors who understand the realities of building a long-term writing career.
For four days, attendees will gather in the heart of Paris for immersive discussions on storytelling, publishing, visibility, suspense, creative longevity, and the emotional realities of sustaining meaningful work over time. The atmosphere is intentionally intimate, collaborative, and highly interactive, creating space for conversations that rarely happen in traditional conference settings.
Attendance is intentionally limited to approximately twenty writers in order to preserve the personal and immersive nature of the experience.
May 3–6, 2027
Paris, France
Applications are now open.
No writing samples required unless applying for the scholarship. Applications include a brief questionnaire designed to help us build a thoughtful and collaborative retreat experience.