Call for Submissions
the 10th annual BODY issue
Cancer changes the body.
Not just in the ways the medical charts record — the surgeries, the ports, the reconstruction, the hair that falls and (maybe) returns. It changes the body you thought you knew. The one you may have lived in without thinking, taking for granted. Or the one you fought with for years, or were just beginning to make peace with when the diagnosis arrived.
Here's the thing: there’s no owner's manual. Not for the body you had before, and certainly not for this one. We were handed these bodies young and without instructions — and left to figure out quirks and the maintenance schedule on our own.
Cancer doesn't just change the body. It makes the absence of that manual impossible to ignore.
This issue of Wildfire — our 10th annual, and our flagship — invites your stories about living in a body after breast cancer. The rewrites and the first drafts. The fine print nobody warned you about and the surprising clauses you've written for yourself. From what you lost to what you discovered you still had. From the scar you've made your peace with to the one you're still negotiating. Tell us the truth of what it means to inhabit this body now — changed, resilient, grieving, surprising, yours. And tell us what you've learned, the hard way and the beautiful way, about how to live inside it.
A Message From Guest Editor Dana Donofree
“Fifteen years into cancer survivorship, I know that my body and I have been in a long, complicated relationship. There have been moments of deep distrust, when my body felt like it had betrayed me, when pain, scars, or fatigue made it feel unfamiliar. There have been moments of anger and grief for the body I once knew. And then there have been moments of appreciation, love, and even joy. These emotions do not replace one another. They cycle and return. Survivorship has taught me that living in a body after cancer is not linear, it is an ongoing negotiation.
Over time, I have learned that my body is not something to conquer or correct, but something to listen to. It speaks a different language now, with new limits, strengths, and needs for rest, touch, pleasure, and care. Learning that language has required honesty, especially when it comes to how cancer reshapes not just our physical selves, but our mental wellbeing and our sexuality. These experiences are deeply connected, yet often left unspoken.
That is why this issue’s theme of writing your personal owner’s manual for your new body matters so deeply to me. An owner’s manual is not about perfection, it is about understanding. What does your body need now? What brings comfort, confidence, or joy? Sharing these insights can be therapeutic, a way of reclaiming authorship over a body that may have felt out of your control.
It is also an act of generosity. When we share our stories, we help someone else feel less alone and remind each other there is no right way to live in a post-cancer body. There is only your way, and it is worth writing down.” ~ Dana
Ready to submit your story?
We accept:
Essays: 650-1200 words
Poems: 50 line maximum
Artwork: high-resolution along with a written Artist Statement
Submission Deadline: April 25, 2026
Need more inspiration to write your story in the Wildfire Journal way? We’ve got you.
✏️Use writing prompts to unlock your story:
The warranty has been voided. Write the new terms and conditions of your body…
Before you panic, read this section first… Write the body information you wish someone had told you at the beginning of your cancer experience or go back to another time in our body's lived experience.
Maintenance required: what this body is asking for right now…
A dedication page: This body has been brought to you by…
What I know now that I didn't know before I lived in this body…
Known issues. Workarounds. Unexpected features…
The moment I realized my body was center stage, whether I wanted that or not...
The person (or experience) who taught me how to live in a body was ___, and what they taught me was...
Before, my body was for…, now my body is for…
When my body changed, what changed between us was...
What I had to unlearn about bodies — mine especially — was...
Tip: Wildfire is focused on memoir, and memoir is about writing your transformation. As you write to these prompts, try ending your piece with a silent "... and nothing was ever the same again," to see if that rings true for you. Keep digging for how your life is has changed since your diagnosis.
Remember, we are looking for cancer-related stories, so no matter where your story begins, don’t forget to include how your experience of cancer has affected you, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Read more writing tips here.
