Let’s start from the latest news. The controversy around creative writing courses is getting hotter. Along with the increasing chances of successful self-publishing there arises the question as to whether or not all budding writers deserve the fame they are promised to win by taking such an exciting course.
Nevertheless, here we are going to provide some decent arguments FOR choosing it from the wide variety of other options. Besides, a degree in Creative Writing (yes, it does exist) can be considered a “softer” cousin of a degree in English Literature, as it is mentioned by the authors of the blog on I-Studentglobal.com. So, you can pretty easily combine it with some other study programs.
Of course, it is not the only one advantage of these courses. What is more, I am absolutely sure that you could make a whole list of them on your own. But let’s pay more attention to the practical aspect of such writing, putting aside the development of numerous skills as well as imagination, the feeling of composition, and so on.
Your Creative Writing Degree and Career Opportunities
Yes, we will proceed with all this “materialistic” stuff. I hope you are not one of those who like to say: being a writer is a vocation, not a career. Why do we keep sticking to the stereotype that the things we like cannot or even must not bring us money? Here is the list of professions you can orient towards when you need some motivation to finish that course assignment:
- copywriter: there is no need to say how much advertising weighs nowadays, so you can be sure that your writing skills and creativity will stand you in a good stead if you decide to choose this career;
- web content writer: yes, you will need at least some basic knowledge of SEO, but that should not be a problem if you take the trouble to read some literature;
- travel writer: what a romantic word combination it is, and it can denote your career for the next few years, until you get tired of traveling (if it is possible at all);
- author: it takes the fourth position in this list because of its obviousness, not any other criterion, believe me;
- blogger: it is definitely cheaper than being a writer who must pay some money to publish and promote their books; besides, it would be a more environmental-friendly choice, because you actually do not need paper to become famous (if you know what I mean);
- journalist: although you have to give your copyright to the newspaper or magazine you are working for, it still looks like a much easier way to make your name famous than self-publishing, so consider this option when choosing the career;
- social worker: if you want to combine your desire to support people with the desire to write, you are welcome to get engaged in social work (just find the position with relevant requirements);
- market specialist: even you are going to get a degree in Marketing, you need your creativity as well as writing and analytical skills to be a true expert in the field – the recipe is quite simple;
- brand consultant: again, you will not regret taking this course even if you are majoring in Marketing or applied degrees – imagine a good PR-specialist with a perfect command of written language.
Creative Writing Offers from the Best Sources
We have done some research and selected a few generous online sources of opportunities to study the theory of creative writing and master your skills. Let’s see what we have found!
Stanford University Online Courses
They are designed and taught by the best professors. Note that these are paid courses. And here is what they take your money for: history-based fiction, magazine writing, non-fiction, screenplays, to name but a few.
Creative Writing with Coursera
Just enter their website, choose the language, and you will see a huge list of courses, taught by the specialists from the best universities. Among them Berklee, The State University of New York, even National University of Singapore.
Ink Academy Course
Established in London, it offers a personal creative writing course for about £1800 (the data for 2017), along with author masterclasses and group workshops.