Balkan+
Balkan+ Forum happened! September 14-16, 2023. Twenty-nine enthusiastic Christian writers and content creators from Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, UK, and US got together in the heart of the Bulgarian Balkan Mountains in the Christian Centre, run by Mission Possible (Bulgaria). This cosy retreat place was built in a tiny village, called Dobromirka – 'Good Peace' in Bulgarian. No wonder that Dobromirka welcomed us with hot summer weather!
Dream came true
The idea to organise a forum for the content creators of the Balkan region emerged in Hungary in 2022 when Balkan participants of the MAI Littworld conference gathered during dinner time. Instead of savouring their goulash, they began to dream! What if we meet in Bulgaria to learn from each other, to discuss our challenges and share our accomplishments? In a year and a half, the dream came true! Christian writers, editors, translators, poets, songwriters, and video content creators came to Dobromirka.
Why now?
The theme of the Forum – “God’s story – your story: ‘my tongue is a pen of a ready writer’” – suggests that in these times of change, we hoped to explore the personal dimension of the creative process. Among the participants were published authors and creators of Christian content who are still striving to get published and get their message to a larger audience. Some of them felt discouraged: manuscripts kept piling up, and they are tired of waiting for their publisher in shining armour… Some felt threatened: is AI going to overpower live storytellers? Some felt lonely: how can we cope with such a solitary nature of writer's journey?
Personal inventory
Thus, Day 1 was devoted to personal inventory. 'Words from Psalm 45, “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer…” became the motto of the Bulgarian Christian Writers Club,' said Svetlana Karoleva (Bulgaria), who opened the Forum. She reminded the participants that in these challenging times, they are called to be ready writers for the Lord, maintaining a strong relationship with Him, possessing spiritual discernment, and daring to stand on the Word of God, even if others refuse to do so. At the next session, Anna Shirochenskaya (Spain) suggested using the concept of 'Decluttering and debubbling' to free up space for creative writing and address the questions that people are asking today.
Investigating & learning
Day 2 was set aside for investigating and learning. Janet Wilson (UK) delved into crucial aspects for content creators: identifying the purpose of writing, understanding one's audience, choosing the right category, and selecting a format that would effectively convey their message. Vlady Raichinov (Bulgaria), in his session 'Writing is a lonely business,' addressed the psychological challenges authors often encounter, such as grappling with perfectionism, managing anxiety, dealing with overwhelm, and overcoming procrastination.
AI & evolution of the story
The discussion on the role of AI in the content creation process, as well as integrating AI resources with traditional techniques, prompted numerous questions. However, we unanimously agreed that a series of workshops would be necessary to explore all our 'what ifs' regarding this matter and to leverage the new opportunities emerging for individual content creators.
future challenge
Day 3 reached its peak with a heated discussion about the challenges of writing for children, teenagers, and young adults—who represent the church of tomorrow. In an era of deception and propaganda, the youth yearn for the truth. However, reaching them is a difficult task, as the younger generation has significantly different information consumption habits and may have shifted away from traditional reading.
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creativity
An important segment of the event was led by Ramon Rocha (US). Each participant had the opportunity to present their work. We could not only encourage each other, but also suggest how best promote each other’s content. An exhibition table was arranged, showcasing the works of publishers, translators, and authors. But that's not all! One evening featured an impromptu recital with musical and poetic performances, including original songs, poetry, and prose.
What next?
Unexpectedly, the Dobromirka Forum turned into a creative laboratory where content creators could come together to search for the right questions and look for the right answers. Over the course of three days, the walls of Dobromirka were filled with music, songs, poetry, and conversations about how ready writers can share the message of their Lord with the world. Throughout these three days, new friendships were forged, and some old ones were rekindled. We all felt that Dobromirka would call us back again.