Writing lets you express yourself in fun and out-of-the-box ways. Many writers dream of publishing their works and seeing their novel on the top 10 list. But writing isn’t just about the next best seller. Writing also help you discover yourself, and during a creative writing course you will learn the strengths and weaknesses in your art.
Courses range from personal enrichment courses and speciality courses as well as certificate and diploma courses. Topics widely vary from fiction to literature to travel writing. Therefore, your personal goals and experiences help you decide which course is best for you.
How it works
Take courses for personal enrichment, attend workshops or earn a certification. Writing exercises and coursework topics help you practice your writing skills. These exercises also show your strengths and weaknesses. In addition, giving and receiving critiques are also standard practice in most creative writing courses.
You’ll learn about plot, character depth and setting development, as well as how to describe atmosphere and character interaction. Some examples of different types of writing courses are below – you can use these guidelines when narrowing down which course to sign up for.
Personal Enrichment
Writing for fun is an exciting way to develop your writing skills, meet new people and add experience. These types of creative writing courses teach you the basic structure and flow of writing and you can practice techniques for sharing your message with exercises and drills.
Courses of this type range from introductory instruction to more advanced teachings. Coursework offers advice about getting published. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and other genres can give you a wide choice of topics.
Starter courses and personal enrichment courses can get you started in writing. Quite often, writers can get ‘writer’s block’ and get stuck looking at all of those blank pages. A good way to start is to use stream of consciousness writing to get started. Simply write whatever pops into your head to get words on paper. Just like everything, writing is easier once you have started – and practicing a little every day keeps you in shape.
Workshop
Creative writing courses can involve writing workshops, which will help you focus on writing fluency. Completing exercises and repeating the creative process helps build fluency. Workshops can jumpstart your writing skills and being around other writers can motivate you to write and build momentum.
Genre Specific Courses
If you want to learn more about writing in a niche genre like for kids or about travel, for example, creative writing courses for a specific topic can offer tips and tricks for your writing. You’ll l;earn some lingo and perform exercises to draw on your unique experiences.
- Writing for Children and Teenagers – you’ll learn about how the children’s book industry works and understand what gets an editor’s attention and how to submit your work to editors.
- Writing Memoirs – You’ll learn the basics to start your own memoirs or gain skills to build on memoirs already written. Learners generally share their writing with others in the class.
- Opinion Pieces – You’ll learn to write powerful commentary about what interests you, learn to describe the important issues and make sure your message heard when communicating your opinion.
Certifications and Diplomas
A great way to lean is to earn certifications and diplomas. Certificates and diplomas get awarded at the successful completion of most creative writing courses. More advanced courses focus on high-level skills such as the below.
- Metaphor and suggestion – practice using metaphors to describe your point and earn to use similar examples with your own writing voice.
- Develop your Style – Word choices, rhythm and technique contribute to your style – find the ones that let your personality shine in your work.
- Story Development – Shape stories and create visual images with your words, develop convincing characters to deepen your message and use experience and memory to bring it to life.
Now that you have a better idea of the writing courses out there, think about your goals and interests – and sign up for the course that lets you unleash creativity!
Search for a creative writing course near you on Courses.ie!
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