Discovering the power of words
Molly Arbuthnott (MA 2010) describes how her route to becoming a successful award-winning children’s author involved Art History at St Andrews, primary teaching in Kenya, Italy and London and a story about a curious cat who went missing on a Hebridean ferry.
I wanted to apply to St Andrews because my cousin had come here and talked highly of the University and I thought it would be a lovely place to study. More than anything I believed in my gut that it was the right place for me – and I’ve learned that it’s always best to go with your gut.
My first application was rejected but, undaunted, I wrote many heartfelt letters to Admissions to encourage them to change their minds. Thankfully, they did! Maybe that’s why I enjoy writing so much now – because I have experienced first-hand the power that words can have.
Once I graduated from St Andrews with my degree in Art History, I decided to train as a primary teacher at Canterbury Christ Church University. I then went on to teach in Kenya, Italy and London. It was during this period that I thought about writing my first story, because I wanted to read a piece of my own work to my classes rather than someone else’s.
The stimulus for the story materialised in an unexpected way. I was on holiday with my family in April 2014 when Oscar – our beloved family cat – went missing on a Caledonian Macbrayne ferry. He had managed to open the car window by stepping on the control before the lock took full effect. Despite weeks of searching, we never found him. I started to imagine the adventures he was having and wrote a book about them as a way of giving me and my family the emotional support we needed to come to terms with his loss.
This book went surprisingly well – in fact so well that I was given a sabbatical from my School to enable me to pursue my writing life.
An M.Ed in children’s literature from Glasgow University and nine books later and I have never looked back! I am thoroughly enjoying my writing and can’t wait to see what the future has in store.
St Andrews helped to prepare me in a number of ways for my writing career. It taught me how to organise my thoughts, gave me the confidence to believe that I was good enough, provided me with a support network in the form of lifelong friends and taught me to never give up. And the beauty of St Andrews has never ceased to inspire me.
Going forward, I plan to write two books a year for the foreseeable future. In addition, I’m writing academic articles as well as leading literary enterprises and running creative writing workshops in schools.
I am also about to launch my tenth book – Simon the Sloth – a tribute to those who keep our traditions alive, which I feel is very appropriate for the University of St Andrews.
And to any aspiring student writers out there I would say go with your gut, write what you feel and don’t worry too much what other people think. Write from your soul, and then your words will always be powerful, authentic and true.
View Molly’s book Oscar the Ferry Cat in Alumni Authors
View Molly’s website