Over the past year, one student embarked on a deeply personal and creative research journey—one that took place not in a lab or archive, but in the world of words and imagination. As part of her honors thesis project, she challenged herself to write, edit, format, and hand-bind an entire novel within a year. What began as a dream slowly took form, resulting in an 83,000-word science fiction and fantasy novel exploring themes of love, empathy, and learning to accept what we don’t understand rather than fear it.
Though she originally outlined each chapter, her writing process was anything but rigid. She allowed inspiration to lead the way—writing the scenes that called to her first, and then filling in the gaps later. With support from her thesis mentor, Louis, she underwent five intense rounds of editing, fine-tuning everything from spelling and repetition to tone, atmosphere, and style. She even read every single line aloud, cutting anything that didn’t serve the story.
Once the manuscript was complete, she dove into the technical challenge of formatting the book to industry standards—paying close attention to margins, gutters, and layout to ensure it was publisher-ready. She didn’t stop there. Determined to hold her story in her hands, she printed the signatures, sewed them together, and created a hardcover binding using cardboard, fabric, and glue. The result: a hand-bound novel she could proudly share with friends and mentors.
Though this project was deeply personal, it involved extensive research—both into the structure of compelling sci-fi narratives and the practical details of book production. It all began with her desire to write stories and became a stepping stone toward her dream of being a published author.
Having a physical copy of her first completed novel has been life-changing. It gave her the confidence to begin submitting queries to literary agents and publishers, and to take the next steps in her writing career. Reflecting on her journey, she encourages other students to follow their curiosity: “Start with what you love. The rest will follow—and it might just become something unforgettable.”
