I truly believe that every forensic nurse has a story to tell-a manuscript to write. I also know that many forensic nurses shudder at the thought of writing for publication. Common responses to my queries often include some version of "I can't write," "You don't want me writing for your journal," or "If only I could write." Writing, contrary to the beliefs of many, is not some innate skill that we are born with; rather, it is one that requires nurturance, perseverance, and stick-to-itiveness-skills that are honed over time. I will be the first to admit that writing and getting published is hard work. Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), American poet, writer, and humorist, is well known for her pensive quotes and one-liners. One in particular resonates with me: "I hate writing, I love having written." This brief statement describes my somewhat tumultuous love-hate relationship that I have with writing. I doubt that I am alone. Facing a blank page can be particularly unnerving for novice and experienced writers alike. Couple this with imposter syndrome, writer's block, and life, I am sometimes amazed that I get any writing done at all!

Confessions aside, I am writing this editorial in hopes of inspiring you, our readers, to think of yourselves as writers and to invite you to write for the Journal of Forensic Nursing. There are lots of reasons to write for publication including knowledge transfer and dissemination, professional discourse and debate, sharing clinical expertise and innovations in nursing practice, and influencing healthcare agendas (Oermann & Hays, 2019; Roush, 2017). The inclusion of a forensic nursing "voice" in the development of health policy is critical. In short, "sharing the wisdom of nursing" (Bingham, 2014, p. 523) through writing for publication influences the science underpinning our specialty and provides a foundation for evidence-informed practice.

For those of you pondering this invitation, your motivation to write for publication may be as diverse as our specialty. Is it fame and notoriety that you seek? Or perhaps you are hoping for an academic position? And for those of you already in academe, it might well be to secure promotion and tenure. Your intentions may be related to professional recognition and career advancement, or your reasons may be more altruistic and reflect the personal satisfaction that comes from a job well done and being able to share your expertise and innovations so that others may also benefit. Regardless of your motivation, which may reflect some or all of these intentions (or some other reason altogether), before beginning, it is important to consider what you hope to accomplish through writing, as your rationale may well be the catalyst that takes you to the finish line. Know this, regardless of your rationale for writing in the first place, we do want your manuscripts. Your voice is important to advancing the science and practice of forensic nursing.

Granted there are several reasons why forensic nurses, like other nurses, don't write. Or said another way, why aren't you writing for publication? As I alluded to earlier, writing is hard work. For some, it might be scary; for others, it is time consuming, particularly for nurses in practice, whose attempts at writing may not be expected of their employment, thereby leaving them to write on their own time, outside regularly scheduled work hours. When you are being pulled in multiple directions, juggling competing personal and work life demands, it is hard to make writing a priority. Coupled with a lack of confidence, fear of failure and rejections, and a lack of support and resources, you may be left wondering "Why should I write anyway?" Those of you who have written for publication know the high that comes from seeing one's name in print and being able to influence practice through your work and make connections with other forensic nurses throughout the world; there is nothing like it. Kennedy (2014) laments that "if nursing is to take its rightful place at policy tables, in boardrooms, and on research teams, we need to present ourselves-in person and on the page-as the competent, thoughtful leaders we are" (p. 7).

The Journal of Forensic Nursing, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal, is the official journal of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Opportunities for writing in the journal fall into the following categories:

* Original articles including research articles (quantitative and qualitative) and nonresearch articles (theoretical, methodological, and conceptual). Original articles between 3,000 and 5,000 words will be considered.

* Review articles including systematic, narrative, and integrative reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-syntheses of domains of inquiry relevant to forensic nursing. Review articles should be limited to 5,000 words.

* Case reports which are embedded in clinical practice, present unique forensic situations, and are designed to educate and inform the readership. Concise, well-written manuscripts between 1,000 and 2,000 words are welcome.

* Letters to the editor are written in response to previously published articles to raise questions and stimulate further discourse. Letters should be limited to 500-1,000 words.

Full instructions for authors can be found at http://edmgr.ovid.com/jfn/accounts/ifauth.htm.

Although digging deep into the writing process is beyond the scope of this editorial, I do want to take the opportunity to introduce readers to writing resources available through our publisher. See http://authors.lww.com/. Here you will find a number of resources to simplify your writing journey including how to prepare, write, and submit your manuscript. Furthermore, please remember that you can always reach out to me and to members of the Editorial Board for further guidance. If you aren't quite sure where to start, or if you are wondering if your proposed paper is a good fit with the journal, please send a query letter, so we can discuss your ideas further. I will conclude with a well-known epigram "Keep calm and take a chance!"

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