Swimming with the Sharks

I just returned from a fun weekend with my family in Las Vegas for a soccer tournament. While there, we walked through the Golden Nugget hotel on our way to the Fremont Street Experience. The hotel has an amazing swimming pool.  The pool surrounds a huge 200,000 gallon aquarium and has a 3-story waterslide that goes right through the tank full of exotic fish and sharks.

The kids thought it was totally cool, and I wanted to share a picture. If you are ever in Vegas, you should check it out.

So to relate this to writing--

The LDS writing community is very unique. As a new struggling writer, trying to learn the craft, I associate with many established writers at conferences, through online communities, and critique groups.   I definitely feel like a little fish in a big pond, but they are all unbelievably supportive.  Through classes, one-on-one help, and informative blogs, I have been taught by people who have already succeeded.  They are more than willing to share their knowledge and are the first to celebrate in a new author's success.  I may be swimming with the sharks, but I'm not getting eaten alive.  Without the help of all the writing friends I've made, I wouldn't be where I am today--looking forward to the release of my first novel.

For all of you who are interested, the most helpful conference I've attended is the LDStorymakers Conference.  It's being held in April this year, in Provo, Utah.  For more information, check it out here.