J.A. Marlow

In Remembrance of Holly Lisle: Writer, Teacher, and Inspiration It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of Holly Lisle, a beloved figure in the writing community. Holly was a prolific author and teacher who dedicated her life to crafting great stories as well as the supporting and empowering of fellow writers. Holly founded Forward Motion for Writers as a place for writers to connect, share resources, and support one another. Today, Forward Motion continues the legacy of encouragement, teaching, and camaraderie under the guidance of Lazette Gifford and J.A. Marlow in the forms of the website and an active Discord server. In addition to Forward Motion, HollyLisle.com offered workshops, classes, and a vibrant online forum. Both sites stand as a testament to Holly’s passion for the craft and her unwavering belief in the potential of every writer (even when she threatened to hit you with your own manuscript). Holly Lisle is also remembered for her many articles, Writer’s Digest mail writing courses, as well as a large body of fiction across multiple genres. Many writers credit Holly’s teachings and mentorship as pivotal moments in their own writing journeys. Though Holly is no longer with us, her legacy lives on through the countless writers whose lives she touched. Her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to the writing community will never be forgotten. Holly made an indelible mark, and her impact will continue to be felt for years to come. As we mourn the loss of this remarkable woman, let us also celebrate the profound influence she had on the writing world. Holly’s dedication to supporting and uplifting fellow authors is a shining example of the power of community and mentorship. She will be deeply missed, but her spirit will continue to inspire us all to keep writing, keep learning, and keep supporting one another. Rest in peace, Holly Lisle. Your legacy will live on in the hearts and works of all the writers you inspired. WeRead more

Open for SubmissionsBaffling Magazine “We’ll be open next in June, from the 1st to the 15th, reading on the tRead more

Pirates of FM – First of Month The Pirates of FM: Blank Pages Tell No Tales has been active for a little over a month now. Congrats to everyone who earned badges and Pirate Gold during the past month! It’s been wonderful seeing so many make progress on their projects. The beginning of the month is a great time to set new goals for your creativity. See the “Pirates of FM” menu above for all the juicy details. Register in the forum or in theRead more

New Challenge: Pirates of FM: Blank Pages Tell No Tales …we really shouldn’t be left alone in chat unsupervised… Ahoy ye maties! Yes, you heard that right. We have a new writing challenge! Inspired by C.E. Backstrom, who said, “…the 6yo in me needed a reward based system to keep me motivated. in American schools (and possibly overseas) teachers use these “Treasure Chests/Bags” with goodies in them that you have to earn points to spend to get a goodie from the chest/bag.” Mooseythehut introduced the name of the challenge, which turned it pirate-themed, NeciaPhoenix mentioned loving the badges in the old FM forum… and the rest is history! LOL We wanted to make this challenge accessible to a wide variety of people who work and write in different ways. You can do one challenge and never do anything again or you can do lots of things all the time and rack up tons of rewards. This is about goals with deadlines, not numbers of words, hours, scenes, chapter, or so on. This way the challenge works for anyone at any level of effort and commitment. After a lot of brainstorming with FM members in our Discord server we finally ironed out (most) of the details. The challenge is now live!  Here are quick links to the information pages: Pirates of FM Introduction PoFM Rules (how it works) Take a look in the new drop-down menu up above for yet more pages including how to earn Pirate Gold, what to spend it on (Badges on FM are back!), and a list ofRead more