“If I were a rich man! Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum! All day long, I’d biddy biddy bum…” Alexander sang with a well-trained voice. We only hope he won’t forsake his writing dreams for the musical stage. Yet, young people often have enough energy and courage to pursue multiple creative opportunities simultaneously.
Three full days of learning, writing, discussing creative plans, asking questions, and finding answers—reflecting on both themselves and their future—marked the joint IFES Serbia and MAI-Europe Writers Conference, held in the beautiful seaside town of Bar.
The conference brought together 25 participants from Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Albania, Romania, and Bulgaria. While the median age of the European population is 44.5 years, this gathering was decidedly youthful, with an average participant age of 33. So no wonder that between workshops and during devotions, participants were often found singing and playing the guitar.
Excellent speakers and curious, investigative participants is a formula for an engaging conference. The program began with a professional inventory of the participants, followed by workshops on writing fiction and non-fiction, reflecting on legacy, and exploring both the benefits and risks of AI for writers. Every evening, our “walk-and-talk” strolls sparked even more discussions.
While even the most enthusiastic “biddy-biddy-bumming” might not make these young aspiring writers rich, a conference like this one can certainly enrich their writing and help them grow as content creators.
When we were parting, four words were often heard: “Next year in…” Why not? “So, next year in…” Writer training should be an ongoing process. It should never stop! Till next year, then!