Balikpapan, 8 March 2023 — “Anyone can become a literary writer, from any educational background,” said Pandu Pratama Putra, the short story writer, in front of high school students in Balikpapan City. He added the main key to becoming a writer is write, write, and write. “Don’t be afraid to produce bad writing in consequences of all writers must have produced a bad one at the beginning of their creative process,” he continued.
He, also known as a language instructor at Regional Office for Language in the East Kalimantan Province, became a trainer in the Literary Workshop for Poetry and Short Story Writing for High School Students in Balikpapan City. The workshop was held on 7 and 8 March 2023 and took place at the hall of SMA Negeri 1 Balikpapan.
The workshop was opened by the Head of the Vocational School Section who represented the Branch Head 1 of the Education and Culture Agency of East Kalimantan Province. Accompanying Pandu Pratama Putra as the trainer for short story writing, Fitriani Um Salva, a poet whose her poetry has been published in several national mass media and joint anthologies, was invited as a trainer.
Kamsiah, S.Pd., as the committee, hoped that this activity would refresh the knowledge and be the best practice in the creative process of writing poetry and short stories for the younger. This literary workshop has been conducted almost every year by the Regional Office for Language in East Kalimantan Province in terms of Indonesian language and literature cultivation in the region. (aw)
Translated by Muhammad Erwin Darma