One of Many

By Keith Fisher

I sat in the grand ballroom, looking out over a sea of humanity. The master of ceremonies asked for a raise of hands to show how many were attending for the first time. The number of raised hands exceeded those who’d been there before.

It was the welcoming session of the LDStorymakers conference, and I was overwhelmed. When I attended my first LDStorymakers conference in 2006, The welcoming session was held in a room almost as big, as some of the classrooms at the 2010 conference. I remember sitting in the front at the 2006 conference and looking back at the mass of people with an interesting thought in mind.

I wrote a blog about it shorlty afterward, and said,

With the increasing numbers of LDS writers and those who write in the LDS market, I wonder if perhaps we’re all standing on a precipice being prepared to help fight a battle. To help people come to the knowledge of Christ. Even if we do no more than keep our content clean.

For want of a better image, remember the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when several people suddenly had the same desire?

I overheard a published author, Saturday morning, and she was saying the same thing about that conference. I don’t think we were the only ones with those impressions either.

Since that first conference, I’ve seen the numbers increase every year. It’s overwhelming. Yes, it equates to more competition, but if what I wrote in 2006 is true, The army is increasing in numbers.

The LDStorymakers conference is like a breath of fresh air. I attended a breakout session, and listened to Joshua J. Perkey bear testimony. He refreshed my desire to help change lives with my writing. I also heard a presentation By Matt and Tristi designed to strengthen the marriages of writers. It confirmed my belief that my writing is an aspiration given to me by a loving Heavenly Father.

Simply put, I could, attend writer’s conferences in some exotic places, but nowhere else, can I network with like minded writers, and listen to a closing prayer after the conference. I am truly blessed.

Good luck with your writing---see you next week.