When I was first invited to teach the Craft of Novel Writing as an Adult Education course, I was nervous. Being able to do something doesn’t automatically mean being able to teach others to do it. But the idea grew on me. I love writing romantic fiction, often with an element of adventure. But the techniques and craft skills I have learned apply to all genres from romance, to thrillers, crime and action stories. Passing on these skills was a way of giving something back: appreciation of my good fortune in being able to make a living at a job I love.
As this was the first time a Novel Writing Course had been offered, the Principal promised that if one of my students got published, she would stand us a party. I had twenty-four students on that first course. Fifteen of them were so inspired that they demanded a Follow-On Course. Several had been writing for many years but had hit the inevitable wall because they didn’t know their characters or what they wanted the story to say. But as they learned how to create multi-layered characters; develop a one-sentence plot idea into an outline and then a step-sheet of cause-and-effect events that not only moved the story forward but also showed the characters changing, how to create pace and write realistic dialogue, the outbreak of “lightbulb” moments were a delight to watch.
We had our party, complete with champagne and a press photographer, at a local hotel to celebrate the acceptance for publication of Pat Beale’s family saga Queen of the May.
Since then I have given further courses for Falmouth/Penryn Ad. Ed. Centre, three Courses for Writers’ Summer School at Swanwick in Derbyshire, one weekend course at Torquay, and five Courses for Writers’ Holiday at Caerleon College, Newport, Wales. As a result of these, seven of my former students are now multi-published novelists. All credit must go to them. I gave them the tools, but they worked hard over many months to produce completed manuscripts that were then edited and polished to professional standard.
In 2002 I passed the City & Guilds 7307 Adult & Further Education Teaching Certificate. From 2002 to 2004 I was a part-time tutor at University College Falmouth teaching The Craft of Novel Writing to students taking the Post-Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing.
During this period the Professional Writing programme was upgraded to an MA degree. For three years I also taught one-week summer schools on The Art & Craft of Novel Writing for UCF’s Business Relations dept, the college’s link with the general public. I’m taking a break from teaching as I’m in the planning and research stage for the first of a series three books I’m really looking forward to writing. But when invited I enjoy giving talks, and have developed a couple of interactive sessions. These invariably end in gales of laughter and everyone involved amazed at the stories and outlines they have produced.
