A Fort McMurray writer is asking for submissions from local residents in order to write a book about the recent wildfire and evacuation. Dee Bentley is also a published author, and she wants to create a book to give something back to the community that she calls home and loves so much. “As a writer, it just really struck me that we have so many amazing stories that have come out of this experience. I thought ‘wouldn’t it be great to collect all these stories?’” Bentley already has a title in mind, “Muscle & Heart-Fort McMurray Fire Stories”, and she has met plenty of people willing to share their courageous stories with her so far. Bentley explained “It was a therapeutic healing kind of experience. The more we’re able to talk about it, the more it helped us process what had happened.”

Bentley needs about 40 submissions from Fort McMurray residents, and each submission must meet certain criteria. The story must be approximately 1,500 words, and it must contain all of the essentials and answer the basic questions. Residents must identify who, what, when, where, why, and how in their submission in order for it to be accepted. The topic of the submission can cover everything from fleeing the fire to tales of loss, kindness, compassion, or generosity. Bentley said “I just don’t want it to be my show by conducting formal interviews. I know there are a lot of talented writers in Fort McMurray. It seems like a great opportunity for Fort McMurray to shine.” Stories can be submitted to mrs.d.bentley@gmail.com and they must be submitted by August 31.