# Flash and Flow Writing Retreat with Editor Allison K Williams and Literary Agent Jessica Berg in Morocco Building an audience isn’t separate from your craft; it helps you explore, grow as a writer, and publish on your own terms, without waiting for permission.Join editor Allison K Williams and literary agent Jessica Berg for a meaningful week of writing in the moment, developing your creative practice, and publishing with joy. The retreat is open to all levels of experience and all writing genres. You’ll get the most out of it if you’re curious about the publishing world, eager to connect with readers, and already familiar with Allison’s or Jessica’s work and style of teaching. From high-concept novels to voice-driven memoirs, from literary essays to social posts and even thoughtful videos, learn how to create spontaneously, revise quickly, and publish powerfully. Whether or not you have already published, Allison and Jessica will help you chart your course and level up. You will create new writing every day, and if you’ve got a work in progress, you are warmly encouraged to bring your draft on the retreat. Stay at a tranquil, traditional Kasbah eco-lodge, and draw inspiration from the trips to the lively Medina of Taroudant, the bustling Souk El Had of Agadir (the largest urban market in Africa), and the sunny coastal village of Taghazout, where you will have a 2-hour writing session in a private seaside café. Immerse yourself in breathtaking scenery, local culture, and authentic Moroccan flavors. You are invited to grant yourself permission to write freely, share widely, and speak to the readers who need your work. So step out of the chaos and into the literary community! ## Details - **Dates:** October 23 - 30, 2026 - **Location:** Agadir, Morocco - **Starting Price:** $3,700 - **Category:** Painting ## Program ### Flash and Flow Writing Retreat Some weeks are meant for momentum. "Flash and Flow" is a chance to step away from routine, reconnect with your creative voice, and write with presence and purpose.Join editor Allison K Williams and literary agent Jessica Berg for a meaningful week of writing in the moment, refining your process, and developing a joyful, sustainable path to publication.What You’ll Experience at "Flash and Flow"Through guided sessions on craft, creative real-time practice, and publishing insider information, you’ll learn to move between quick inspiration and sustained progress and understand what it means to capture the flash of an idea and harness the flow that carries it forward.The retreat is open to all experience levels and writing genres. You’ll get the most out of it if you’re curious about how publishing really works, eager to connect with writers, and interested in learning from Allison’s and Jessica’s unique perspectives on both craft and career.Across the week, you will:Create new writing daily through short prompts, guided exercises, and flash assignments that help you generate fresh materialStrengthen your storytelling instincts with feedback and discussion that blend creative technique and editorial insightClarify your next steps in revision, submission, or platform-building, so you leave with direction and momentumBuild community and confidence in a small, supportive group of peers who share your goals and energyWrite new material most days, and if you’ve got a work in progress, bring your draftNo matter what you’re writing, from high-concept novels to voice-driven memoirs, from literary essays to online storytelling, you’ll learn to create spontaneously, revise decisively, and share your work with power and purpose.Where You’ll StayYour home for the week is a serene eco-lodge in a restored Kasbah, nestled among palms and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Mornings begin with quiet writing and fresh local breakfasts, while your evenings end with tranquil conversations under wide desert skies.Between sessions, you’ll explore Morocco’s creative and cultural heart. Wander the lively Medina of Taroudant, trade inspiration in the spice-scented Souk El Had of Agadir, and spend an afternoon in Taghazout, a bright coastal village where you’ll enjoy a private, two-hour writing session in a seaside café. Each trip is designed to refill your senses, giving you new color, texture, and rhythm to bring back to the page.Throughout the week, enjoy seasonal Moroccan cuisine, warm hospitality, and time to reflect, connect, and rest."Flash and Flow" invites you to grant yourself permission to write freely, share openly, and reconnect with the joy of being part of a literary community. ### Day 1: Arrival Arrive at Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) in time for the 1:00 PM transfer to the retreat venue. Upon arrival, settle into your room before meeting Allison K Williams and Jessica Berg. Start your retreat with a charming tour of the venue, exploring its stunning terraces, lush gardens, and cozy living areas. As the evening unfolds, get to know your fellow creatives and check in on your writing goals and challenges with the group. Enjoy a delicious three-course welcome dinner prepared by the in-house chef, complemented by a glass of wine. ### Day 2: Classes at the venue Begin your day by fueling up with a hearty breakfast before the first class of the retreat. The theme of today is “The Story in the Moment.” Join Allison, Jessica, and the rest of the group for a morning class about finding meaning in a moment and channeling that story into flash writing. Starting from a prompt, you’ll be guided through a repeatable process to generate new essays quickly, reacting to your inspiration in the moment. Discover how exploration becomes meaningful on the page when it includes change and learning by writing your very own essay and fiction, with the help and guidance of Allison and Jessica. Learn how to use revision tools in Live Editing to get through every “next draft” faster.Pause midday for a refreshing lunch before heading into your afternoon class. In the second workshop of the day, you will cover key ways to identify your audience and what social and live venues are your best places to reach them while nurturing your craft. Allison and Jessica will encourage you to bravely put a flash piece into the world, with no gatekeepers in your way. The afternoon also includes Office Hours. Have a one-on-one meeting with Allison or Jessica, with a key question or for writing feedback, or take some leisure time and relax by the pool, stroll through the estate gardens, or do some individual writing if you feel inspired. End the day with a delightful dinner prepared by the private chef. ### Day 3: Trip to Taroudant Fuel up with a nourishing breakfast at the venue, then head out to the imperial city of Taroudant, located a 1-hour drive away from the estate. A city of long-standing history, brimming with culture and heritage, Taroudant has many stories to tell. Pass through its ancient gates into the Medina, where the towering walls and intricate archways have stood watch for centuries. The theme of today is “Postcards to Your Public”. Explore the active souks’ alleys and bustling streets of the city with your eyes open for stories. Allison and Jessica will coach you in thinking about risk, for your characters, and for yourself as a narrator and writer. Delight in a relaxed picnic lunch, soaking in the atmosphere and culture of this historic city. Spend the afternoon scribbling fragments in your journal, or dictating into your phone. Take photos from new angles and with some new composition principles in mind!Return to the venue right before dinner, and gather once more with your mentors and the group to identify the stories that you saw today and think about how to tell them. As the evening settles in, take some time to relax, reflect on what has sparked your curiosity today, or have some individual writing time. Over dinner, enjoy some storytelling from Allison and Jessica’s work, accompanied by a glass of wine. ### Day 4: Classes at the venue and tea ceremony Following a refreshing breakfast, prepare yourself for a day full of writing and creative exploration. The theme of the morning is “Embrace Your Flow.” During the morning workshop, based on the fragments and photos you gathered from your adventures in Taroudant, Allison and Jessica will guide you in creating three new short pieces, then choosing one to revise and share with the rest of the group. You will also spread out what you have worked on so far this week and start looking for patterns. What is this writing saying about your creative style? Where are you stretching your skills, and where can you still level up? These are some of the questions you can reflect on. During revision time, take advantage of some one-on-one Live Editing with Allison and Jessica, who will be offering feedback and insights as you need. After a refreshing lunch, move onto the second class of the day, learning the “Secrets of Structure.” Discover how form guides stories, both small and large, and apply structure to your work-in-progress or a new piece. Meet with Jessica or Allison during Office Hours with a key question or for writing feedback. You may also enjoy some leisure time to relax or do some individual writing. Before dinner, take part in a traditional Moroccan tea ceremony at the estate. Observe the graceful preparation of mint tea and enjoy its refreshing flavors, a symbol of Moroccan hospitality. Use this time to reflect with the group on the writing ritual and on how structure and flow are the intellectual and emotional sides of the same coin. As the day winds down, enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by the in-house chef after a day full of creation, writing, and culture. ### Day 5: Trip to the Atlantic Coast Savor a hearty breakfast and a warm cup of coffee, and jump into the day with a 30-minute drive to the fishing village of Taghazout. A lesser-known gem among Agadir's lively beaches, Taghazout is a lovely village with sprawling beaches and waves perfect for surfing, located on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Bask in the ocean breeze, and let the clash of the waves inspire the setting for your next story. The theme of today is “The Power of Telling Details.” Note the telling details that make a character and create a setting. Allison and Jessica will guide you through how to watch for “high context” moments, pointing out the details that make readers lean forward and participate in the story in their mind. Enjoy a light packed lunch and a 2-hour writing session at a nearby seaside café in Taghazout. You will generate a new flash piece starting with a reference photo, followed by Live Editing with Allison and Jessica, and then share it online with your growing audience. Together with your mentors, you will look at opportunities to collaborate and at how deliberate online activity can sustain your growing creative connections. As you return to the venue, take some time to relax or enjoy some of the SPA amenities, such as a relaxing Moroccan steam bath called 'hammam' or an argan oil demonstration by local Berber women. Indulge in a three-course flavorful dinner prepared by the private chef, complemented by aromatic wine. ### Day 6: Trip to Souk El Had in Agadir Start your day with a filling breakfast, then head out to the last trip in your retreat: the lively Souk El Had market in Agadir, the largest urban market in Africa. Located only a short 15-minute drive away, Souk El Had’s bustling streets and colorful energy are impossible to match. Wander through the stalls filled to the brim with spices, produce, traditional rugs, and goods crafted by local artisans. This kaleidoscope of color, shape, and texture is an excellent source of inspiration for your writing. The theme of today is “How the Hook Sells Your Book.” Practice seeing the setting as a character and looking with new eyes at the meaning behind your interactions in the environment, spotting stories in the moment. Allison and Jessica will also guide you into paying attention to selling techniques as you observe them and to what makes buying feel compelling. A local English-speaking guide will teach you and the group how to negotiate at the market. Later on, join your group for a cable car ride over Agadir, an excellent way to take in the sweeping coastal landscape. Stop by Agadir Oufla fort, an impressive old fortress that once served as a key hub in regional trade routes and a lookout over the bustling port below. Its ancient walls and commanding views now tell the story of Agadir’s rich history.After a well-deserved lunch at the venue, continue your day with another afternoon class in which things will get practical! Learn how the “hook” can sell your book in today’s publishing market and how knowing your audience makes your work more sellable, even if you’re never online. As the evening comes to an end, you can have one more round of Office Hours for your key question or writing feedback, or spend your free time exploring the Kasbah, relaxing by the pool, or having some individual writing time. Enjoy short readings from your fellow creative colleagues over a delicious three-course dinner paired with a glass of wine. ### Day 7: Classes at the venue Kick off your day with a fueling breakfast, then head into the last day of classes at this retreat. The theme of today is “Your Words in the World.” Join Allison, Jessica, and the rest of the group for a check-in on the goals that you have set for yourself on the first day of the retreat. Set your plan to continue your work from this week and take what you have learned outside the retreat. You will discuss the best ways to continue your Flash and Flow writing and publishing practice and how you can expand your readership back home. Write (and share if you feel like it!) one more piece that connects you with your audience, your goals, and each other. Enjoy a refreshing lunch, and afterwards, attend a talk led by Jessica and Allison on queries, synopses, and the realities of publication. The session will be guided by your questions, as well as the ones you didn’t even know you had. Therefore, you are warmly encouraged to participate, share your curiosities, and engage in the discussion. As the sun sets on the golden Atlas Mountains, delight in a relaxed farewell dinner with the group. A lively Berber folk band will create an enchanting atmosphere, blending music and culture while celebrating the connections and creative progress you have made throughout your Moroccan retreat. ### Day 8: Departure Enjoy breakfast with your group, exchange any last contact details with Allison, Jessica, and your fellow writers, and get ready for your transfer to Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK). Check-out is at 10:00 AM, and you'll arrive at the airport at around 1:30 PM. ## Instructors - **Allison K. Williams** - Author, editor, educator - **Jessica Berg** - Literary Agent, educator ## Accommodation ### Traditional Eco-Lodge ### Shared standard ensuite room ### Shared superior ensuite room (female only) ### Single standard ensuite room ### Single deluxe suite ## Book This Retreat Visit [https://uptrek.com/retreat/flash-flow-writing-retreat-editor-allison-williams-literary-agent-jessica-berg-morocco](https://uptrek.com/retreat/flash-flow-writing-retreat-editor-allison-williams-literary-agent-jessica-berg-morocco) to make a reservation. *Provided by [UpTrek](https://uptrek.com)*