The most productive time of my writing life was spent on a rural island in Greece called Thassos. It was literary magic. But when I returned home, my writing suffered. I needed to find a way to recreate the amazing writing productivity in my own backyard. I thought I needed the island, but I really needed a structured freedom to write, a life inspiring enough to write about, time to let my brain be free, good books to study, and a community to guide and inspire me. These are the necessary ingredients to a productive writing life. And these are what YOU need if you want to make a productive writing life for yourself.