Just who is Lazette Gifford, Zette, to most who know or are acquainted with her? Forward Motion (FM) site owner, managing editor for Vision, photographer, artist, prolific writer, animal lover, and wife are a few of the vestments that adorn Zette.

She gives unselfishly of her time, knowledge, livelihood, and more than a little soul to ensure nearly all writers have a place to share craft, learn more about the profession, and hang out with other writers. I cannot say all writers are welcome there, because there are a few rules one must agree to follow to be welcomed at Forward Motion, and, surprisingly, there are always a few who cannot follow those simple rules based upon mutual respect and respect for another’s copyright.

When things don’t go quite as a member expects, Zette, as site owner, is where “the buck stops.” She manages most of the ugliness disgruntled members are able to generate. Normally, she does this with good humor and compassionate understanding. Sometimes, that just isn’t enough, and she must adopt a blunt, no-nonsense approach. She seems thick-skinned at times like this, but it’s not easy for her to adopt that persona.

We (the moderators and Zette) have recently reached the conclusion that, while we try to make Forward Motion as easy to navigate as possible, it, by nature and sheer size, will never be a point and click site. And we’re ok with that. Professional publication is not an easy path to follow. People who don’t have the persistence to look through a largely well-categorized site (and Zette recently overhauled the layout to make it even easier to use) may not have the persistence to make it through the publishing wickets — or maybe FM just isn’t for them.

One of those publishing possibilities is Vision: A Resource for Writers. Vision is an electronic magazine published bi-monthly since 2001. If you want access to all the back issues, they are hosted on Forward Motion. Vision is always looking for writing-related articles, writing-related book reviews, reviews of websites suitable for a writer’s resource, and writing workshops. Want to submit an article? Check the guidelines. In most cases, you can find the call for submissions on the Forward Motion’s Main Community Discussion Board. But if you have a great idea, feel free to run it by Zette or MarFisk anytime. There’s no stuffiness in the leadership of Vision — but professional quality work is required for this award-winning magazine.

I came to Forward Motion because of my personal friendship with Holly Lisle. I stay at Forward Motion because Zette has taken over and run it with a steady, guiding hand. I was pleasantly surprised in January, 2006, when Zette emailed me out of the blue and asked if I would become a moderator for the site. I was honored to accept the responsibility.

I admire Zette for her photographic skills. She has wonderful zoo and wildlife photography.

I’ve mentioned Zette’s selfless gift of her time and knowledge. In 2004, she began teaching a Two Year Novel course at Forward Motion. The course runs (not surprisingly, given the name) for two years, and she’s working the third and fourth classes simultaneously this year. Class participants don’t have to like her way of writing a novel, but they need to try it for the purposes of the course. Zette opens the course to all takers in late December of each year for a January start. Dozens of people begin the course. Many drop out. But I also know several people who are taking the course for the second time after completing the first course. Zette refined the course and compiled the most recent complete edition into a two volume e-book available on HollyShop.com. While you’re there, check out her fiction — Muse and Ruins. Muse is excellent. Ruins is in my ToBeRead pile, and I’m anxious to give it a read. If you prefer non-fiction, don’t hesitate to give her collaboration with Holly Lisle a read. Vision: The Writing Workshops, is a collection of Vision Writing Workshops, just like the title says.

The local feline population knows what a soft touch Zette and her husband, Russ, are for cats. They have adopted numerous wonderful kitties over the last couple of dozen years they’ve been together, and they’ve shared the pleasure and pain of those kitties in their lives. They’ve had at least one lonely dog who died last year. In addition to the indoor cats, they look after several outdoor kitties too wild to be house cats but who secretly long for human interaction or food. In fact, sometimes those kitties look surprisingly like a raccoon. Edmond and Zaphod captured our hearts last summer as the two surviving members of an orphaned litter. They’re healthy adult kitties these days, but it was touch and go a year ago.

I’ve only mentioned a small portion of what makes Zette Zette. One constant: Zette writes. As a prolific writer — she changed her blog title to Joyously Prolific this year to reflect her reality — she produces over a million words per year. She’s an inspiration — a couple of years ago, she was in the emergency room for a serious health matter, and it seemed as if all she could thing about what writing ideas.

To top it all off, she’s ridiculously easy to live with. Just ask her. Does it matter that Russ found this statement uproariously funny when the topic came up over a recent dinner when they realized they’ve been together for thirty years? Not at all. I think it illustrates the point:  Zette’s amazingly easy to live with, and Russ is a very tolerant and loving man.

Zette, thank you for being you — for believing in people, for keeping Forward Motion and Vision alive as a solid place for all kinds of writers to gather and learn from each other. We have a growing body of published authors in Forward Motion’s membership. I believe that’s a testament to the good you do.

Forward Motion – www.fmwriters.com
Vision – http://www.lazette.net/Vision/
Zette’s website – www.lazette.net