From the well-known Honors Novel Writing Workshop taught by Professor Gills to being a published author, students have the opportunity to showcase their original work in publications that are recognized nationwide.

Scribendi National Literary Magazine

The Scribendi is an annual print publication that hand-selects work from Honors students across more than 200 institutions to publish original projects.

This year, out of the 509 submissions ranging from short stories, poetry, visual art, photographs, and foreign language pieces, approximately 30% of the University of Utah Novel Writing class was represented in the Scribendi selections for the 2025 publication!

Learn more about the authors’ individual writing processes, background, and stories they will be publishing in the upcoming year.

Melissa Schmuck

Melissa Schmuck was born and raised in Utah, and ever since she could remember she loved writing, reading, and creating unique stories. This passion was further cultivated while at the University of Utah where she took both Professor Gill’s Travel writing class and Novel Writing class, where she was given advice and received guidance to advance her writing.

“He is good at giving feedback and guiding in the right direction. Small classes were also helpful to get to know your peers as well as gather one on one feedback. It was definitely more productive than other classes that I have seen,” explained Melissa.

One of the most challenging aspects that she learned to enjoy about the course was waking up at 4:30am everyday to write a section of their novel. It was difficult to wake up, but as it became a routine it became more familiar and easier. “The routine was nice to have because you have the rest of the day,” said Melissa.

This year, Melissa was able to publish an original story that discusses the consequences that an individual has from the people that raised them through the lens of mental health and generational travel.

Through writing this piece, she was able to witness great improvements in her writing, which she attributes to becoming exposed to a wider variety of art and literature. She recommends aspiring writers to read: Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Biggest Little Girl by Jodi Angel, and any Pulitzer Prize winning novel to help expand their range.

The last piece of advice that she wanted to give to writers is to celebrate their accomplishments, “When you get published you have to celebrate” said Melissa.

Ali Woodward

Ali Woodward is a non-traditional first generation student at the University of Utah, and despite the challenges she had faced while pursuing her degree in English and Writing Literary Studies, she was driven to continue pursuing her passion of writing.

“As a first generation student, I did not know that it was a possibility to go,” explained Ali. When she was in high school, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and had dreams of becoming a radiologist in order to help advance the medical field. Unfortunately, she had passed at the age of 44 years old, which helped Ali reflect on how fleeting life is. Ali is currently 42 years old, and she explained, “What was I waiting for, I can do this now.”

With this understanding, Ali wanted to pursue higher education. She enjoyed being in school and being surrounded by the college atmosphere. She took the Honors Travel Writing Course with Michael Gills where she enjoyed the small class sizes and tight-knit community.

“In this course, we became a community very quickly because we are able to share the intimate details of our lives,” said Ali.

The story that she was able to publish within the Scribendi was a series of letters from a mothers perspective to her daughter. Within the story, it is clear that something has gone very wrong, and they will never see each other again.

“This is the first creative writing piece that I had written at the U, and as a parent I was able to sympathize and connect to what it would feel like to lose your child,” explained Ali.

In the future, Ali plans on continuing her education with both a masters and PHD at the University of Utah with the goal of becoming an English and Writing Professor. She wants to encourage people to feel unafraid to begin writing and continue creating.

“It is uncomfortable, scary, and personal to share your work, but the work that you do is worth reading,” said Ali.

Jonah Stirling

Jonah is a sophomore at the U and is pursuing an English degree with the hopes of becoming a novel writer or English professor.

While at the U, one of the most valuable lessons he has learned is the importance of managing time effectively, not only by focusing on academics but also by investing in meaningful relationships with others. In his free time, he is a part of several clubs including the Storytime Improv Club, Fencing Club, and Swing Dancing Club.

“There is a big difference between high school and college. In high school, I was a driven student academically; however, in college, although I still value academics, I also prioritize the value of spending time with other people,” said Jonah.

This understanding of time was one of the inspirations for the novel he published with Scribendi, which discusses the idea that everyday of our lives we take risks and toe the line between life and death. Within this piece, Jonah is able to express the change in perspective over time and what we value.

“It’s titled, ‘Micromort,’ which describes the statistical concept of one-in-a-million chance of death… This was partially influenced by my Grandpa passing away in my Senior year of high school, and I reflect on both my thought process at the time and how I will be in his position at some point in my life,” said Jonah.

Similar to many other skills, Jonah advises people who are interested in writing to practice, “Writing is not an inborn ability, it is a skill,” said Jonah.

If You are Interested in Learning How to Write or How to Publish a Novel, Consider Taking Professor Gill’s Travel Writing & Novel Workshop Courses!

Aspen Delis | Journalism Intern, University of Utah Honors College