Ruth Wade
Ruth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com
Events by this organizer
Day
All
Friday
Monday
Saturday
Sunday
Thursday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Subject
All
Art & Crafts
Computing
Computing and Photography
English & Maths
English as a Foreign Language
General Courses
Mind & Body
Foreign Language
Event Location
All
Arbury Road Baptist Church
Coleridge Community College
Online
Parkside Community College
St Augustine of Canterbury
St.Lukes
The Community Wing, The Galfrid School
The Fields Children's Centre
Trumpington Community College
april

Time
April 17 (Monday) 7:00 pm - June 26 (Monday) 9:00 pm
Location
Parkside Community College
Parkside, Cambridge, CB1 1EH
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
Please note there are three bank holidays this term: no class on 1st May (Early May Bank Holiday), 8th May (Bank Holiday for the coronation of King Charles lll), 29th May (Spring Bank Holiday and half term).
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Writing Short Stories
Flash Fiction workshop
Next Steps in Creative Writing.
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course may be funded, contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to get your name on the course
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com

Time
April 25 (Tuesday) 12:30 pm - June 20 (Tuesday) 2:30 pm
Location
Coleridge Community College
Radegund Rd, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Writing Short Stories
Flash Fiction workshop
Next Steps in Creative Writing.
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or maybe look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course may be funded, contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to get your name on the waiting list
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com

Time
April 27 (Thursday) 7:00 pm - June 22 (Thursday) 9:00 pm
Location
Coleridge Community College
Radegund Rd, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description: Creative Writing for Improvers is an 8-week course focusing on deepening and broadening the skills required for successful storytelling. Whether you are crafting fiction for personal pleasure and
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description:
Creative Writing for Improvers is an 8-week course focusing on deepening and broadening the skills required for successful storytelling. Whether you are crafting fiction for personal pleasure and achievement or with the desire to share your work with others, the more you can write with confidence and authority the more engaging your story will be. Creative Writing for Improvers will give you the opportunity to try different techniques and approaches to hone your writing style or maybe try a different method of storytelling. The current pandemic has caused many of us to seek out purposeful activities that feed the soul and promote good mental health by providing a focus for concentrated thought. Engaging in writing is to discover the long-lasting well-being benefits that come from harnessing creative energy to work on something that is both stimulating and results in a sense of satisfaction of a job done to the best of your ability.
Creative Writing for Improvers will give you the opportunity to experiment with new skills or techniques by working on a writing project under the guidance of an experienced writing tutor and published novelist. You may want to start a new short story or novel or perhaps revive a work that has languished in the bottom drawer for far too long, either way this course will help make the resulting storytelling the best it can possibly be. Crafting fiction is not concerned with striving for unobtainable perfection but is about practising the skills required whilst developing an understanding of how you can shape your story into the vision of your imagination.
As the ethos of Creative Writing for Improvers is to use active storytelling as a vehicle for learning it is necessary for participants to embark upon or resume a piece of fiction and to be prepared to progress the writing project between classes. Some prior experience in writing fiction / storytelling is required as a bedrock to build on but as plenty of opportunity will be given to recap the skills and craft of creative writing it doesn’t matter how rusty that experience has become. For every writer the foundations of a successful story well told have always been a pinch of inspiration, a bucketful of enthusiasm to learn, and barrowloads of motivation. So bring those along with you and unlock your storytelling potential.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
Some prior experience in writing fiction / storytelling is required as a foundation to build on.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify writing goals and ways of working to achieve them.
- Differentiate the elements required in successful storytelling.
- Give and receive targeted feedback.
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement in the skills and craft of creative writing.
- Formulate a strategy for progressing the writing project.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Writing materials (pen / pencil and paper / notebook).
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Creative Writing: Advanced Storytelling
Writing Life Stories
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
£112 (£63 concession) Please call 01223 712340 to pay with your card
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com
may

Time
April 17 (Monday) 7:00 pm - June 26 (Monday) 9:00 pm
Location
Parkside Community College
Parkside, Cambridge, CB1 1EH
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
Please note there are three bank holidays this term: no class on 1st May (Early May Bank Holiday), 8th May (Bank Holiday for the coronation of King Charles lll), 29th May (Spring Bank Holiday and half term).
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Writing Short Stories
Flash Fiction workshop
Next Steps in Creative Writing.
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course may be funded, contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to get your name on the course
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com

Time
April 25 (Tuesday) 12:30 pm - June 20 (Tuesday) 2:30 pm
Location
Coleridge Community College
Radegund Rd, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Writing Short Stories
Flash Fiction workshop
Next Steps in Creative Writing.
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or maybe look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course may be funded, contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to get your name on the waiting list
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com

Time
April 27 (Thursday) 7:00 pm - June 22 (Thursday) 9:00 pm
Location
Coleridge Community College
Radegund Rd, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description: Creative Writing for Improvers is an 8-week course focusing on deepening and broadening the skills required for successful storytelling. Whether you are crafting fiction for personal pleasure and
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description:
Creative Writing for Improvers is an 8-week course focusing on deepening and broadening the skills required for successful storytelling. Whether you are crafting fiction for personal pleasure and achievement or with the desire to share your work with others, the more you can write with confidence and authority the more engaging your story will be. Creative Writing for Improvers will give you the opportunity to try different techniques and approaches to hone your writing style or maybe try a different method of storytelling. The current pandemic has caused many of us to seek out purposeful activities that feed the soul and promote good mental health by providing a focus for concentrated thought. Engaging in writing is to discover the long-lasting well-being benefits that come from harnessing creative energy to work on something that is both stimulating and results in a sense of satisfaction of a job done to the best of your ability.
Creative Writing for Improvers will give you the opportunity to experiment with new skills or techniques by working on a writing project under the guidance of an experienced writing tutor and published novelist. You may want to start a new short story or novel or perhaps revive a work that has languished in the bottom drawer for far too long, either way this course will help make the resulting storytelling the best it can possibly be. Crafting fiction is not concerned with striving for unobtainable perfection but is about practising the skills required whilst developing an understanding of how you can shape your story into the vision of your imagination.
As the ethos of Creative Writing for Improvers is to use active storytelling as a vehicle for learning it is necessary for participants to embark upon or resume a piece of fiction and to be prepared to progress the writing project between classes. Some prior experience in writing fiction / storytelling is required as a bedrock to build on but as plenty of opportunity will be given to recap the skills and craft of creative writing it doesn’t matter how rusty that experience has become. For every writer the foundations of a successful story well told have always been a pinch of inspiration, a bucketful of enthusiasm to learn, and barrowloads of motivation. So bring those along with you and unlock your storytelling potential.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
Some prior experience in writing fiction / storytelling is required as a foundation to build on.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify writing goals and ways of working to achieve them.
- Differentiate the elements required in successful storytelling.
- Give and receive targeted feedback.
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement in the skills and craft of creative writing.
- Formulate a strategy for progressing the writing project.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Writing materials (pen / pencil and paper / notebook).
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Creative Writing: Advanced Storytelling
Writing Life Stories
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
£112 (£63 concession) Please call 01223 712340 to pay with your card
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com
june

Time
April 17 (Monday) 7:00 pm - June 26 (Monday) 9:00 pm
Location
Parkside Community College
Parkside, Cambridge, CB1 1EH
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
Please note there are three bank holidays this term: no class on 1st May (Early May Bank Holiday), 8th May (Bank Holiday for the coronation of King Charles lll), 29th May (Spring Bank Holiday and half term).
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Writing Short Stories
Flash Fiction workshop
Next Steps in Creative Writing.
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course may be funded, contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to get your name on the course
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com

Time
April 25 (Tuesday) 12:30 pm - June 20 (Tuesday) 2:30 pm
Location
Coleridge Community College
Radegund Rd, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
READ MORE
Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Writing Short Stories
Flash Fiction workshop
Next Steps in Creative Writing.
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or maybe look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course may be funded, contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to get your name on the waiting list
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com

Time
April 27 (Thursday) 7:00 pm - June 22 (Thursday) 9:00 pm
Location
Coleridge Community College
Radegund Rd, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description: Creative Writing for Improvers is an 8-week course focusing on deepening and broadening the skills required for successful storytelling. Whether you are crafting fiction for personal pleasure and
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Course details
Brief Description:
Creative Writing for Improvers is an 8-week course focusing on deepening and broadening the skills required for successful storytelling. Whether you are crafting fiction for personal pleasure and achievement or with the desire to share your work with others, the more you can write with confidence and authority the more engaging your story will be. Creative Writing for Improvers will give you the opportunity to try different techniques and approaches to hone your writing style or maybe try a different method of storytelling. The current pandemic has caused many of us to seek out purposeful activities that feed the soul and promote good mental health by providing a focus for concentrated thought. Engaging in writing is to discover the long-lasting well-being benefits that come from harnessing creative energy to work on something that is both stimulating and results in a sense of satisfaction of a job done to the best of your ability.
Creative Writing for Improvers will give you the opportunity to experiment with new skills or techniques by working on a writing project under the guidance of an experienced writing tutor and published novelist. You may want to start a new short story or novel or perhaps revive a work that has languished in the bottom drawer for far too long, either way this course will help make the resulting storytelling the best it can possibly be. Crafting fiction is not concerned with striving for unobtainable perfection but is about practising the skills required whilst developing an understanding of how you can shape your story into the vision of your imagination.
As the ethos of Creative Writing for Improvers is to use active storytelling as a vehicle for learning it is necessary for participants to embark upon or resume a piece of fiction and to be prepared to progress the writing project between classes. Some prior experience in writing fiction / storytelling is required as a bedrock to build on but as plenty of opportunity will be given to recap the skills and craft of creative writing it doesn’t matter how rusty that experience has become. For every writer the foundations of a successful story well told have always been a pinch of inspiration, a bucketful of enthusiasm to learn, and barrowloads of motivation. So bring those along with you and unlock your storytelling potential.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
Some prior experience in writing fiction / storytelling is required as a foundation to build on.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify writing goals and ways of working to achieve them.
- Differentiate the elements required in successful storytelling.
- Give and receive targeted feedback.
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement in the skills and craft of creative writing.
- Formulate a strategy for progressing the writing project.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Writing materials (pen / pencil and paper / notebook).
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Creative Writing: Advanced Storytelling
Writing Life Stories
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
£112 (£63 concession) Please call 01223 712340 to pay with your card
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for 25 years. For 15 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com