Here's why writing retreats work: they allow you to focus on nothing but the story. There's no distraction, no responsibilities, nothing. Just the chance to sit and write. For me, because I was there to write (and I was paying for it), that was all I wanted to do. There was never a time where I thought about turning on Netflix or wished I could do something else. If anything, it boosted my creativity and my productivity. It was magical. That being said, you do have to actually... write. ...