Alumni Voices with Molly Burnham: Thoughts on Writing: Love and Letting Go

In the final part of author and MFAC alumna Molly Burnham’s top six Thoughts on Writing and Mindfulness we end on a positive note. 

In this post Molly shares why loving what you do and letting go of it when you’re done is an essential part of the writing process.  Like the rest of her wonderful points, these last two are something every writer should take the time to reflect upon next time you’re worried about an agent rejecting a manuscript or even what a young reader will think when they crack open the front cover of your next book. 

5. Love
I like to spend time loving what I do and reminding myself that I do love it. I’m in awe that I live during a time of peace, that I learned a craft, and that I have the time to write. It’s easy to get down-hearted and sad. I get that. I feel that way, and then I remember that I just love writing. And I’d do it no matter what.

Why should anyone else decide for me my experience with art? I’m the only one who gets to decide that. It might be one of the only things I have control of.

Speaking of which…

6. Letting Go
Seriously hard, but I practice letting go every day-even with a book sold.  I let go of thinking that I have control over anything. My books might do well, or they might not, I might have a difficult day writing, or I might have a smooth day, there’s so little I can control.

So let go of control and see where the adventure takes you.

Thanks again to Molly for sharing these helpful tips to help us sustain the writing life. If you missed either of Molly’s previous posts you can read part one Connecting and Routine and part two Demons and Distractions here.

Molly B. Burnham graduated from Hamline in 2010. Her first book, Teddy Mars Almost a World Record Breaker came out March 2015. It will be followed by two more Teddy Mars books. She lives in Northampton, MA with her husband, two kids, and a dog. She tries to be mindful, but is remarkably unsuccessful most of the time. Luckily she learns a lot from her failures. To learn more about Molly and her writing please visit her website.