New to creative writing and not sure where to begin? This guide to beginners’ creative writing breaks it down for you, listing inclusive beginners’ courses with a supportive environment and online options. You’ll learn core skills, how to choose the right course and get tips to boost your confidence and creativity.
Key Takeaways
- Beginners’ creative writing courses teach you characterisation, plot structure, language and narrative quality.
- Courses give you confidence and writing skills through structured feedback and practical exercises so you can build writing habits.
- Choosing the right course is key; you should assess your goals and compare course structures and tutors to find the right fit for your writing journey.
Getting Started
Beginning a creative writing journey can be life-changing. At Creative Writing Ink we want to spark your creativity and support your writing dreams. Our courses cover all – from beginners like you to experienced writers refining their craft.
Our online courses let you learn in your own time, with expert tutors guiding you through fiction, non-fiction and poetry. You’ll get feedback to nurture your unique voice and confidence. A short course can be particularly powerful in improving your skills and regaining confidence with the support of a community and flexible scheduling.
Whether you want to write fiction, non-fiction or poetry our beginner courses offer a structured approach to developing your skills and voice.
What You’ll Learn
Our courses introduce the basics of storytelling, focusing on techniques for characterisation, plot structure and language use for great narratives.
In our beginner courses, you’ll explore genres like historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, horror and crime fiction. Each genre adds to your writing toolkit through unique storytelling methods. Practical exercises will hone your vocabulary and style, building towards a short story, memoir or poem. From creative non-fiction to radio drama our courses cover all, providing a solid foundation in creative writing.
Course Types
Our online courses are like having a personal writing coach at your fingertips, offering the perfect blend of flexibility and guidance. Imagine snuggling up with your laptop and diving into engaging modules that stimulate your creativity and introduce you to the world of storytelling.
If the desired course dates are not available you can look at other courses in the same subject area to give you more options for your learning journey. These courses let you try different writing styles all while getting valuable feedback from supportive tutors. The beauty of online learning is that you can do it all from home, at your own pace, so it’s never been easier to start writing and improve your writing skills. It’s a journey of growth and discovery all within a virtual community.
Beginners Creative Writing Course
Start your creative writing journey with our creative writing for beginners course, carefully designed to lay the foundations for writing. Each week you’ll work through a new module, each one designed to improve your writing skills and creativity, from the creative process to writing your own original work.
Module One – The Creative Process: Free your writing muscles and quiet that inner critic, setting you up for your creative journey.
Module Two – Characterisation: Learn how to find and develop protagonists that resonate, enriching your narrative.
Module Three – Showing and Telling: Play with storytelling devices to enhance your writing.
Module Four – Setting: How environment can influence emotion, character and plot, using sensory details to create vivid worlds.
Module Five – Point of View: Find your narrative perspective and discover your voice and confidence as a writer.
Module Six – Structure: Learn how to arrange your writing to build tension and engage your readers, culminating in a portfolio of original work that showcases your skills and creativity.
Start Writing Fiction Course
Start your creative writing journey with our comprehensive course to unlock your storytelling potential. Each module is designed to improve your writing skills and creativity, from character development to writing conclusions.
Module One – Character: Get to know your main characters. Engage with them, analyse their motivations and let them guide your narrative journey.
Module Two – Structure: Master plotting by using ancient storytelling techniques to weave a compelling story.
Module Three – Setting: Elevate your narrative by creating a sense of space and time, bringing your characters and world to life.
Module Four – Dialogue: Bring your characters to life through dialogue and point of view, revealing their inner worlds.
Module Five – Writer’s Block: Practical strategies to overcome creative hurdles and stay on track with your writing.
Module Six – Happy Endings: Learn how to write a satisfying conclusion and what to do next with your story.
Benefits of Beginners’ Creative Writing Course
Taking our beginners’ creative writing course offers many benefits for you as an aspiring writer. Not only do these courses provide a structured and supportive environment to improve your writing skills but they also open up new opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Foundational Writing
One of the big benefits of our writing courses is to lay the foundations for writing. You’ll learn the basics of storytelling, from characterisation and plot structure to language and narrative devices. These fundamental skills are essential for writing good stories, whether fiction, non-fiction or poetry.
Expanding Your Horizons
Our courses let you try different genres, from historical fiction to science fiction and fantasy, horror and crime fiction. Each genre has its own storytelling methods and styles to add to your writing toolkit and spark new ideas.
Confidence
A short course builds confidence and writing habits through set exercises and a supportive environment. These exercises help you focus on specific areas of your writing, characterisation or setting without feeling overwhelmed. Starting with short exercises can help build confidence and skill before tackling longer works.
Personalised Feedback
Tutors will give you individual feedback on your writing to help you refine your approach and find your voice. This personal approach means you get feedback that addresses your writing challenges and goals and encourages you to keep writing.
Writing Skills
Our writing courses support essential writing skills. You’ll learn techniques for fiction and non-fiction, narrative and plot development. Courses often include exercises to revise tone and structure.
Having a writing routine can boost your output and skill development. Consistency helps you establish discipline and improve skills over time. Trying out different literary genres exposes you to different styles and tricks and adds to your own writing.
Trying out different genres can give you new ideas and insights into different narrative styles and stylistic choices. This broadens your understanding and gives you a versatile skill set to write original and engaging work.
Unleash Your Imagination
Taking our writing courses is an opportunity to unleash your imagination. These courses allow you to try writing fiction, non-fiction and poetry. You’ll be encouraged to take risks, try out different writing styles and find your own voice. By exploring different genres and techniques you’ll broaden your horizons and develop a rich and varied narrative style that sets you apart.
Career
Completing courses can open up many career opportunities in writing and related fields. You can translate your skills into jobs in journalism, publishing and other creative industries.
These courses shape the writing journey of writers like you, help you achieve your professional goals. With the skills and confidence gained from courses you can pursue many career paths and make a mark in the literary world.
Flexible Learning
One of the biggest advantages of online creative writing courses is the flexibility. Online courses offer many benefits such as being able to learn from anywhere and access resources at any time, making it more convenient for you. This flexibility means you can join courses without the constraints of location and time.
Self-paced learning means you can learn at your own pace and revisit lessons as needed. This means you can fully understand the concepts and techniques taught in the course, making your learning more effective and enjoyable.
Your Tutors
Courses are led by experienced tutors from various literary backgrounds, published authors and educators who have written books in their genres.
These tutors bring a wealth of knowledge from their writing and teaching backgrounds to give you expert advice to help you refine your written style and overcome creative blocks.
Tutor Biographies
Our tutors are published authors and educators who have written books in their respective genres. Their diverse backgrounds in literature, film and TV add to the learning experience, giving you a broad view of storytelling.
A few examples of our tutors include Nikki Sheehan, Helen Moorhouse, Emma Read, Jessica Miller and Joseph Nuttall. These passionate writers and experienced educators want to help you grow. They bring unique insights and supportive guidance to each module, creating a friendly and inspiring online learning environment.
Nikki Sheehan is a talented author and mentor known for her creativity. With three young adult novels, short stories, a biography and picture books, she is soon releasing her first adult novel. Her diverse portfolio includes poetry, advertising and TV scripts. Nikki’s work has won multiple awards, including Carnegie Medal nominations. As a mentor, she helps writers achieve their goals, whether in flash fiction or novels, by combining practical tools with insights into the writer’s mindset.
Helen Moorhouse is the author of five novels including ‘The Dead Summer’. Her work has been published in anthologies and as a 2018 RTE Radio 1 Christmas ghost story. A DIT journalism graduate, she has a wide background in copywriting and has written for the Irish Independent.
Emma Read is a children’s author and creative writing mentor, known for her storytelling and dedication to new talent. Her debut novel, “Milton the Mighty,” was one of The Times’ Best Children’s Books of 2019, won the N. Somerset Teachers Award and was shortlisted for the Bath Children’s Novel Award. In addition to novels, Emma has published numerous short stories and flash fiction.
Jessica Miller is a children’s writer from Brisbane, now based in London. Her debut novel, “Elizabeth and Zenobia,” was shortlisted for the Text Prize and the Readings Prize and was a CBCA Notable Book. Her second book, “The Republic of Birds,” was also a CBCA Notable Book. Her latest novel, “The Hotel Witch,” was released in February 2023.
Joseph Nuttall is an award-winning poet, writer and lyricist with prizes including the Stonnington Poetry Prize and International Songwriting Competition. A poetry graduate from the University of Tasmania, he has been published in journals such as the Review of Australian Fiction and Tincture Magazine.
How to Choose the Right Course for You
Choosing the right creative writing course is more than just a step—it’s a leap towards your writing dreams. To truly thrive as a writer you need to not only hone your literary skills but also cultivate critical thinking and cognitive fitness. These skills will help you focus, create and produce more effectively and turn your ideas into great stories.
Your Goals
Assessing your personal writing goals is key to choosing the right course for you. What you want to achieve—whether it’s improving your storytelling, writing poetry or characterisation—will guide you to the right course. What excites you most about writing and what do you hope to achieve by the end of the course?
When choosing courses consider course content, duration and tutor expertise to make sure they match your writing goals. Take the time to read course descriptions, review syllabi and understand what each course promises to deliver. This will help you make an informed decision that aligns with your personal and professional goals.
Tips for Writers
Courses encourage you to try out different forms and discover what you enjoy most. Follow these tips and you’ll enhance your writing skills and confidence in your writing journey.
Try Different Styles
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Exploring different writing styles and genres can open up new avenues of creativity and help you find your voice. Whether it’s prose, poetry or playwriting, each form has its own set of rules and techniques that can broaden your writing abilities.
Create a Writing Routine
Establishing a writing routine is crucial for new writers. Set aside dedicated time each day or week to write, even if it’s just for a short period. This will help you develop discipline and gradually improve your skills.
Read Widely
Reading widely gives you inspiration from different styles and genres and to be creative and original in your own writing. You should read across genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and plays to understand different narrative techniques and voices. Reading widely broadens your perspective and improves your language.
Use Extra Resources
In addition to essentials, extra resources can enhance your learning. Writing guides, online courses and webinars can provide valuable insights and techniques. Keeping a folder or digital organiser will help you keep track of notes, assignments and feedback during the course. Being organised means you can easily reference materials and track your progress which is key to continuous improvement.
Join a Writing Group
Joining a writing group can provide invaluable support and motivation. Engaging with fellow writers allows you to share ideas, receive feedback and learn from others’ experiences. Writing groups create a sense of community and accountability and help you stay committed to your writing goals.
Set Realistic Goals
Set achievable writing goals that align with your personal aspirations. Whether it’s completing a short story, writing a poem a day or finishing a novel, having clear objectives will guide your writing journey. Break down larger projects into manageable tasks and celebrate your progress along the way.
Edit your Work
Editing is part of the writing process. See it as an opportunity to refine your work, clarify your writing and improve your skills. Don’t be discouraged by revisions instead see them as a chance to grow.
Conclusion
In summary, beginner’s creative writing courses offer a structured and supportive environment to develop your skills and explore your creativity. From building confidence and developing essential writing skills to getting expert advice and learning from experienced tutors, these courses cover everything for writers like you. Whether you want to write fiction, non-fiction or poetry there’s a course for you. So go ahead and unleash your creativity today.
FAQs
What do I need for a beginner’s creative writing course?
A notebook, pens or pencils and a laptop or computer with a good internet connection are all you need for a beginner’s creative writing course. These tools will support your writing practice and online learning.
How much time should I allocate to the course?
There will be writing exercises to work on each week. The amount of time required to complete these exercises varies greatly from student to student. Many of our students work full-time and our courses are tailored accordingly.
How do creative writing courses build confidence?
Creative writing courses build confidence by providing a supportive environment where tutors and peers give constructive feedback on your work. This reinforces your skills and abilities and nurtures self-assurance in your creative expression.
Can creative writing courses help in career advancement?
Yes, creative writing courses can lead to career advancement by improving your writing skills and providing valuable skills recognised in fields such as writing, journalism and publishing. This can lead to more job opportunities and professional growth.
What are the 5Cs of creative writing?
The 5 C’s of creative writing are character, conflict, context, craft and creativity. These elements help you devise compelling narratives by creating well-rounded characters, building tension through conflict, providing a rich setting and background, honing your literary skills and unleashing your imagination.
What formats are available for creative writing courses?
Our writing courses are online to suit different learning styles and schedules.
What opportunities are there beyond the course?
Once you’ve completed a creative writing course you can enter writing competitions to showcase your skills, gain recognition and receive feedback from industry experts.
