Interview with Ellie Nan Storck, MALS '20

Ellie Nan Storck, MALS '20, is a seasoned writer and editor with seven years of travel and lifestyle editorial experience. She has held editorial positions at Travel + Leisure, Departures, and Nantucket Magazine, and has extensive freelance writing experience in the travel and lifestyle spaces. She is currently the senior editor for Brides magazine, which reaches over 4 million readers monthly.  

Check out her interview below to learn more about her experience as a graduate student at Dartmouth, how her MALS degree has helped further her career in writing, and what advice she has to offer to current and graduating MALS Students! 

-Which year did you graduate from the program, and what was your concentration?

I graduated in 2020 with a concentration in Creative Writing.

-Describe your current job and how your experience in MALS shaped your career 

I'm currently a senior editor at Brides magazine. Before MALS, I was an editorial assistant at Travel + Leisure magazine and I loved it, but I knew I wanted to continue honing my writing skills. A colleague there attended MALS and suggested that I apply - when I got in, I couldn't believe it. I continued to freelance write for various publications during my time at MALS and taking classes while writing for work was hard,  but immensely helpful in terms of working on the craft of writing. It's shaped my career in that I know I want to be a writer; I recently wrote a book with friend and fellow MALS alumna, Sabine Hoskinson, and it is currently with our agency, Inkwell Management, so stay tuned!

-Important takeaways from the program:

Finish that draft. If you're stuck with a writing project, take time and space. Be patient with and kind to yourself. Read everything, all the time. Never stop reading, never stop writing (even if it's a hand-written page once a day, or ideas typed into a note on your phone). Keep up your relationships with fellow classmates and professors and bounce ideas off of them; the MALS community was pivotal while I was in the program, but has been crucial since leaving the program, too.

-Favorite class or classes/ favorite professors or faculty:

I loved my first fiction class, "Novella," with Alan Lelchuk. I learned so much from him about long-form fiction. Saul Lelchuk was my thesis advisor and continues to be a dedicated supporter of my writing; I'm so grateful to him. I highly recommend his short story course! Barbara Kreiger's travel writing course was also one of my favorites, especially since my career is rooted in travel writing (that was particularly fun and I learned so much). Her reading list was incredible, and I often go back to the authors she introduced me to. 

-Advice to incoming/current/ or graduating MALS students:

Writing something like a novel or a book of short stories is hard work; it feels intimidating—if you feel overwhelmed, that's okay! Try not to think of it as thousands and thousands of words. Try to take it piece by piece. You will get there. Look to the world around you for inspiration, talk about your ideas with your friends and classmates and professors. Ask all the questions—your professors will answer them enthusiastically. Keep writing. When you're stuck, read. Then write more. 

-List of published works:

I currently have a novel (co-written with a MALS alum) being shopped to editors by our agent at Inkwell Management. In my editorial career, you can find my work at Brides, Travel + Leisure, Nantucket Magazine, and Departures, among other publications. Here is the link to a travel series (consisting of 8 articles; 6 of which I wrote, 2 of which I assigned and edited) I recently published on Brides (screenshot of the lead article attached, as well as the cover of the special issue). 

-Anything else of importance that you would like to mention:

I benefited so much from my time in the MALS program. I think the people stand out more than anything; the professors in the program are wonderful, talented, and offer a wealth of knowledge for both new and experienced writers, and the friends I made will last a lifetime. There are so many opportunities to grow as a writer and to show off your work within the program (like The Clamantis!). 

If you are interested in sharing your story, email MALS.Admissions@dartmouth.edu, or, complete and submit our alumni form, here: https://mals.dartmouth.edu/people/mals-alumni/tell-us-your-story