If I Don’t Make It, I Love You, an upcoming anthology on school shootings will build a new chorus of voices: those touched by school shootings. It is our hope that by sharing your narratives of survival, including the pain, healing, acceptance, and anger, that we can help bring awareness to the light and darkness of school shootings in America, especially what it leaves the living in its aftermath.

If I Don't Make It, I Love You, will be an historical archive of what it is like to live in this time, through these tragedies, and to survive. 

The editors are actively collecting firsthand accounts of what it was like to survive a mass school shooting. They are interested in stories from students, teachers, parents, close family members, friends, faith leaders, first responders, medical professionals, and reporters covering these events.

The editors are also collecting archives to be preserved in this collection. Archives might include, but are not limited to: Text messages exchanged at the time of the shooting, reporter's notes, primary interviews, handwritten journals, or any other similar items. If you have something you're not sure will work, please send it anyway and they will get back to you.

*The editors have pledged to donate proceeds from this project to survivor groups and networks that support victims and survivors of gun violence.*

The Details:

1. Essays should be around 1,000 words, but no longer than 2,500. (We are flexible here, so send what you have and we will make an editorial decision.)
2. Essays should not be a political editorial. Please approach this from an historical perspective. You can certainly address the current debate happening in the country, and you may certainly include your perspective as part of your reflection, but we ask that you don't focus your piece on politics.
3. Upon acceptance, you will be asked to sign an editorial agreement.

These are examples of the kind of writing and detail in story we’re looking for in a personal essay for this project. 

1. Here is an example of a narrative written by Lisa Hamp via VICE, Virginia Tech Survivor, called “No One Survives a School Shooting without Scars.” 
2. Here is a piece via VICE written by Zachary Cartaya, Columbine Survivor, called “Recovery After a School Shooting Isn’t A Race, It’s a Marathon.”
3. Here is one by student survivor Isabelle Robinson called “I Tried to Befriend Nikolas Cruz. He Still Killed My Friends.” 

More detail on the project at our site:  https://www.ifidontmakeitthebook.com

Any questions about the process, email us at info@ifidontmakeitthebook.com

**Please note that we will be happy to help you edit your story, we want to work with you to make it as strong as possible. You will not be alone in this process unless you want to be!

Want to tell your story, but not sure where to start?

Here are some ideas/prompts to help get you started:

1.  If you could write a letter to a survivor who witnessed/experienced a school shooting other than your own, what would you tell them about healing? What would you tell them about moving on?  

2.  Described sounds, smells, touch that remind you of someone you lost, or how you survived.  

3. Use photos, text messages, emails to tell the story of your survival.

4. How are you feeling now? Are there any ways you still feel unsafe or controlled by your pain? What will it take for you to feel totally safe?

5. What does your support system look like? What kinds of things are you doing to take care of yourself as you’re healing?

6. Write about what you learned from the experience, whether it's good or bad.

7. How did your experience impact others? This could be either others that were involved or the people in your life now.

8. Is there anything you wish you had really taken the time to appreciate before the experience or that you'd give anything to have back?

9. How have you used your experience to help others? 

10. Who was the first person you told about your trauma? What were the first words you spoke? What were the last?