It’s one thing to be a bookworm and another to be a novelist. There’s a lot of creativity out there but many don’t know how to hone in on it. They have many great ideas, but they don’t know how to place those ideas on paper or in a word document. Online writing courses prove to be a great outlet for helping you to tap into your full potential as a writer.
There are many types of online writing courses, and so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at first. Get started by taking a closer look at what kind of writing you’re interested in.
Are you interested in academic writing, fiction writing, copywriting, or poetry writing? Each one of these forms of writing are creative, but it is can be hard to figure out which route you want to go.
Today, we will be focusing on online writing courses for each category. You’ll find suggestions for free courses and for paid courses – because sometimes investing in yourself brings out the best results!
Online Academic Writing Courses
Let’s be honest, academic writing is intimidating. I pursued a bachelor’s degree in academic writing and there were times that I wished I invested in a tutor instead of doing things alone.
University writing centers are helpful, but it’s always nice to have extra help to get you where you need to be. This form of writing is tough, because you need to incorporate your research into your writing, but also have your own creative voice.
There are two different courses that I recommend giving yourself a head start in writing well academically for free. Academic Writing Made Easy through the edX website is a free, six weeklong course that takes you through the basics of academic writing. You can add a certificate for $49 but it is not required. Another free course is found on futurelearn.com. This course is called A Beginner’s Guide to Writing in English for University Study. It is a five-week online writing course, and it has the option to upgrade to extra benefits starting at $59. These two courses will give you a wealth of information and will help you get started in your academic writing.
Paid Options:
There are many paid options out there to seek a better writing you. I recommend checking out Academic English: Writing Specialization. It is offered through Coursera and it is a five-course specialization. This online writing course block goes from the basics of grammar and punctuation up to advanced writing. This would require a subscription through Coursera, but you would get a certificate for each course you complete, and you would have a higher understanding of writing academically.
Another route to take would be to find a tutor online or in person. TakeLessons has many tutors available and their rates start at $15/hour. I personally recommend finding a niche teacher, but their rates are increased and may not fit the budget. However, they tailor their teachings to your needs which makes them worth every penny!
Online Fiction Writing Courses
Fiction writing is one of my favorite things to do. To have the ability to immerse yourself into a story as you create it is a beautiful thing. The sky is truly the limit! I have two recommended online writing courses to get started with writing fictional stories. The first one is free, and it is through FutureLearn. The course is called Start Writing Fiction and it’s an 8-week course that goes through character development. The next course is through Skillshare. It’s a free course called Writing for Online Engagement: Fiction in a Digital World by Rebecca Sky. This course focuses on learning frameworks, engaging with your audience, writing techniques, and more.
Online Copywriting Courses
Copywriting is an interesting art when it comes to writing. You must be very persuasive to your audience and have the ability to move their hearts when it comes to products and services. I have two recommendations for online copywriting courses. My first recommended course is from alison.com. This course is free unless you want to also purchase a certificate for completing the course. The name of this course is Copywriting for Conversions: How to Write Persuasive Content. This is a great course to get your feet wet and to see if copywriting is for you.
My second recommendation is a paid form of schooling but in my honest opinion it’s worth every penny. American Writers & Artists Institute (awai.com) offers a Writers Starter Toolkit for those just getting started. They also offer many classes that are niche specific, and all their courses are backed with a money-back guarantee. I’ve personally signed up for a few of their courses and I don’t regret signing up at all. I love the courses!
Online Poetry Writing Courses
For poetry writing, I have two recommended courses to help get you started. Poetry may seem simple but it’s not. Poetry writing is fun to get into and to accomplish but it involves a lot of deep thought and self-reflection. We need to learn how to read poetry well, understand what we are reading, and analyze it to successfully write poetry.
FutureLearn has a free three-week course called How To Make A Poem which goes through the basics of writing poetry. This is great for the beginner and for those who want to brush up on poetry writing. Another, more in-depth course is called Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop through Coursera. This course is free unless you want to purchase the certificate to go with it. This course is 6 weeks long and it is self-paced. I love how this specific course goes through rhyme, rhythm, metaphors, and more.
Michelle Miller