Come With Us To a Writing Workshop in Wells, England

I'd love to have you join us. And early-bird access ends soon!

Views of Wells, from left, Vicar's Close, Bishop's Palace, swans

Let’s Go Write

Those of you who’ve been with me for awhile (some of you for quite awhile—thank you) have read my posts on our adventures in England and France and Italy while teaching writing workshops. I’ve listed a bunch of links to posts about these past workshops at the end of this missive if you’d like more specifics.

But it occurred to me this week that I’ve never actually written a post that was dedicated solely to the workshops themselves. I’ve never sat down and explained to you, my Substack peoples, how the workshops run, what you can expect if you decide to come, and more about the locations themselves.

We regularly teach workshops in England in May and Céret, France, in September. In 2024 we also taught in Italy and we keep murmuring that we might do that again if we can find the right location.

But up next on the roster is England and our early-bird pricing for that workshop expires November 1, so let’s have a look.

Writing Retreat in Wells, England, May 9-16, 2026

Wouldn’t it just be the best thing in the world if, come May, you were heading to England for a writing workshop? A chance to mix and mingle with other writers,¹ workshop your writing in a supportive and helpful atmosphere, and enjoy the delights of Wells, England. There’s just something about getting away to write that makes you see things in a different way and sets your creative inhibitions free.

Allow me to set the scene.

Wells is located in Somerset, a few miles from the town of Glastonbury, famous for its New Age residents and crystal shops. Oh and you may have heard of this wee² music festival that’s held there every year. We love Wells for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is decidedly un-touristy. (A quality that is harder and harder to find anywhere in Europe these days.) But also because it exemplifies the spirit of a small town with all the conveniences and attractions of a city. (12,000 people live there, and it is designated as a city by virtue of a cathedral being located there. More on said cathedral below.)

Left to right: Wells Cathedral, the town crier, a typica street in town.

The city

One of the traditional main attractions of the place is the Wells Cathedral. It’s a thing. A thing to behold, even if you aren’t the least bit religious. It’s gorgeous, for one thing (see above photo) and is said to be the first English cathedral built in the Gothic style. It’s presence is what makes this 12,000 population place that feels like a town into a city. One of my favorite things to do is attend Evensong at the cathedral, listening to the sweet voices of the children’s choir, while sitting in a pew where people have sat before me for literally hundreds of years.

There’s also the Bishop’s Palace, with its stunning serene gardens and resident swans who swim around the moat. In May, there are always cygnets to watch grow up, too! And close by both is the Vicar’s Close, the oldest intact residential street in Europe. It was built in the 14th century to house the musicians of the cathedral and still does today. Stroll by and you might hear them practicing.

Wonderful as those historic sites are, for my money it’s the town itself that is most appealing. The main drag (which the Brits call “the high street”) has coffee shops, pubs, frock shops, charity shops (Brit speak for thrift stores), a terrific bookstore, a butcher and a baker, lively foot traffic, with people of all ages parading past. Many dogs. Everyone has a dog! Shopkeepers, servers and baristas who greet you with an enthusiastic “Hiya!” and address you as “love” or “my darling.” We love sitting in our favorite coffeeshop or restaurant, watching the world walk by.

Market day in the main square happens twice a week and attracts people from surrounding towns and villages. Its town crier (see photo above) will let you photograph him – if you promise to treat him “gently.” In late afternoon the school kids appear in their uniforms and contribute visual interest as well as giggles and chatter. For the energetic – or curious – guided and self-guided walks will acquaint you with the area.

The workshop

But, oh wait, what about, um, the writing?

Here’s a rundown of how the week will go.

Each morning the workshop meets from 9:30 to 12:30. We follow a format of mini-lectures, in-class writing exercises, and discussion of the pieces each of you will submit. (Yes, we will give you writing assignments at the end of class each day.) We also always assign a book or two for you to read ahead of time. In class we’ll discuss how the assigned books relate to our writing. While we always have a sturdy idea of what we want to cover, we also plan each workshop on a daily basis so that we can really speak to the needs of each student.

Your afternoon is free for you to wander, soak in the atmosphere, enjoy lunch at a pub, whatever your heart desires. And there’s also plenty of time to write. We meet again for a group cocktail hour (with wine and other beverages and optional writerly talk) each day at around 6:00, so from 12:30 till then you are on your own. We provide four dinners for the group, and on other nights you’re free to eat as you wish, although most often everyone goes out together.

Writers at work during workshop, afternoon writing session, group dinner out

Your writing

You can come with specific ideas of what you want to work on, maybe even a goal of how much you’d like to get done on your WIP. Or you can come with nothing in mind and start fresh. We’ve had numerous students come up with ideas that turned into full-fledged novels. We work with writers of all levels and all genres.³

Your teachers

My business partner and co-workshop leader Debbie and I are both experienced teachers. Debbie taught a popular writing class at Clark College for twenty years, and continues to teach privately. After earning my MFA back in the dark ages, I have taught continuously in the Write program at Middle Tennessee State University. And, as most of you know, I also teach classes through this Substack and offer private book coaching services. You can read more about us here.

We’ve been running these Let’s Go Write writing workshops since 2011, with a brief break during the pandemic, so you can rest assured that we know what we’re doing. (Although things do happen. But that’s part of the adventure.)

So that’s all about our writing workhop in Wells. Questions? Interested? Hit reply to this email and let us know.

And if England is not your cup of tea⁴ maybe France would be more to your liking? Read more about that option here.

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Read more about the workshops

At a Writing Workshop in England

On Not Knowing What to Write

Holding Two Things in Your Heart at Once

What Writers Don’t Know

A Day in the Life of a Writing Workshop in France

It’ll Be Fun, They Said

Now We Are Here Doing This

1. A participant in our just-ended France workshop said, “I’ve finally found my tribe.”f

2. Sarcasm.

3. Though do realize that the workshop magic may make you change your mind. Also in France, a writer came wanting to write a business book and left determined to start writing fiction.

4. Sorry, I had to.