Welcome! I'm Laura Davis.
I write books that change people’s lives and help people tell stories that matter.
For more than 25 years, I've helped people find their voices, tell their stories, and hone their craft. I love creating supportive, intimate writing communities online, in person, and internationally.
Subscribe to my mailing list and I will immediately give you a beautiful eBook: Writing Toward Courage: A Thirty Day Practice.
Featured Retreat
Flourishing as We Age: A Writing Retreat for Women
Cultivating Resilience, Navigating Change, and Embracing Life
IN-PERSON: Villa Maria del Mar, Santa Cruz, CA
Monday, May 5 - Friday, May 10, 2025
To flourish as we age, we shed our younger selves and open to new ways of living and interacting with the world. This six-day writing workshop at a beautiful oceanfront retreat in Santa Cruz, California, will support you on this journey, while enriching your capacity to manage change, build resilience, and hold grief and gratitude simultaneously. You will be supported by four master teachers and a vibrant, courageous community of women who will join you in using story, ritual, and deep listening to discover the inner freedom and wisdom available to you now.
Classes and Retreats
Experience the incredible power of finding your voice and honing your craft in a supportive circle of your peers. My fall classes are registering now. Click the "classes" button below for more information.
I also run writing retreats online, around the US, and internationally, from daylong and weekend workshops to weeklong retreats on writing through grief and uncertainty, to international travel adventures that combine writing with ecotourism in beautiful places around the world. To learn more, click on the link below.

LAURA'S AWARD-WINNING MEMOIR:
The Burning Light of Two Stars
A Mother-Daughter Story
This riveting memoir by The Courage to Heal author Laura Davis examines the endurance of mother-daughter love, how memory protects and betrays us, and the determination it takes to fulfill a promise when ghosts from the past come knocking.
Upcoming Events with Laura Davis
How to Write About What You Cannot Remember
A 5-Week Masterclass for Memoir Writers
Sponsored by Woodstock Bookfest-to-Go!
ONLINE via Zoom
Five Mondays, May 12 - June 9, 2025
6:30 to 9:00 p.m. ET | 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. PT
Many of us believe that writing memoir requires us to accurately remember our past and then transcribe our memories. This belief stops us before we begin because we are appalled at how much we don’t remember. Sometimes it feels as if whole years of our lives have been wiped out. And so, we believe our writing is doomed because there is so much that we don’t remember.
This interactive workshop will teach you how to transform scraps of memory into a rich written legacy. You’ll learn to capture the memories you do have, enhance recollections that are vague or unclear, and write effectively and powerfully about the parts of your history it is impossible to know for sure. You will walk away with five versatile strategies for writing vividly and evocatively about parts of your history is it impossible to know for sure.
Flourishing as We Age: A Writing Retreat for Women
Cultivating Resilience, Navigating Change, and Embracing Life
Villa Maria del Mar, Santa Cruz, CA
Monday, May 5 - Friday, May 10, 2025
To flourish as we age, we shed our younger selves and open to new ways of living and interacting with the world. This six-day writing workshop at a beautiful oceanfront retreat in Santa Cruz, California, will support you on this journey, while enriching your capacity to manage change, build resilience, and hold grief and gratitude simultaneously. You will be supported by four master teachers and a vibrant, courageous community of women who will join you in using story, ritual, and deep listening to discover the inner freedom and wisdom available to you now.
The Healing Heart of Bali: A Writer’s Journey of Renewal for Body, Mind, and Spirit
Sunday, August 10 - Monday, August 25, 2025
EARLY BIRD RATE: $500 OFF IF YOU REGISTER BY FEBRUARY 28.
If you’re longing for a restorative creative journey to one of the most beautiful, welcoming, deeply spiritual places on earth, join master writing teacher Laura Davis, high priest Made Surya, Bali scholar Judy Slattum, and a supportive community of fellow writers for a deep dive into the healing arts of Bali.It is impossible to visit this enchanting island without being aware of the devotion the Balinese show every day in the practice of their religion. Our exploration into Balinese healing arts will include the history of traditional herbal medicine, the art of making temple offerings, and the importance of purification ceremonies. This retreat also includes daily writing workshops, providing participants with the perfect opportunity to record their experiences and integrate their learning while benefiting from the transformative power of a safe, intimate writing circle.