creative writing course edx

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Online Courses

Online courses: creative writing.

Stanford Continuing Studies' online creative writing courses make it easy to take courses taught by instructors from Stanford’s writing community. Thanks to the flexibility of the online format, these courses can be taken anywhere, anytime—a plus for students who lead busy lives or for whom regular travel to the Stanford campus is not possible. These courses are open to all adults, and we encourage all levels of writers to enroll.

• Creative Writing Programs
• Opportunities
• Prospective Students
• MFA Program Options
• Optional Summer Residency
• How to Write a Novel

Writing for Video Games

• Communications Support
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Indigenous Engagement
• Prize for Best New Fiction
• Job Opportunities

In this six course Professional Certificate Program hosted on Harvard and MIT’s innovative edX learning platform ,  you’ll learn the tools and techniques of writing for video games in a comprehensive program designed by successful, working game writers and UBC teachers. From story and character development to worldbuilding and interactive narrative, this Certificate will help you excel in an industry that rewards creative, flexible team players.

What You’ll Learn

• The crucial differences between traditional storytelling and writing for video games
• The writer and narrative designer’s role in the game development process
• How to develop characters and write scenes that serve both the narrative and the production of a game
• How to work with art directors, programmers and level designers to create interactive narratives
• How to develop an application portfolio and excel at industry-standard writing tests

Course Length: self-paced (estimated at 5 weeks each). Cost: Free to audit. Verified certificate cost from $99 to $249 per course (USD). Schedule:  Sign up any time. Courses are self-paced and open now for registration.

Course 1: Video Game Writing Essentials

Learn the essentials of writing for video games: from the game development process to the ways that game stories differ from other kinds of stories.

Writing for video games is truly a new frontier, a place where writers and game developers are still learning, innovating and pioneering bold approaches to telling stories.

This course is your introduction to this frontier. We’ll look at what interactive storytelling is as well as touch on the history of video games and the kinds of games that have been developed since the medium was born. We’ll discuss the complex, collaborative process of game development and hear from working game writers about their jobs. Then we’ll dig into the way game stories are built, where they come from, and how they are changing.

Course 2: Writing Video Game Characters

Learn how to make effective, memorable video game characters, from protagonists and antagonists to npcs.

You might spend two hours with a character in a movie, but you can spend hundreds of hours interacting with the player character, antagonists and all the non-player characters (NPCs) in a video game. Getting character right is a vital part of getting the game right.

This course will teach you how to create a player character who fits into the mechanics of a video game and all the limitations of the medium, as well as how to create memorable player characters and how to deepen and develop them.

We’ll discuss how characters relate to gameplay, working with existing intellectual property (I.P.) and how a great game needs a great villain. Finally we’ll dive deep into the world of NPCs, exploring the tremendous variety of characters who can populate a video game, and how to make them distinct and interesting.

Course 3: Writing Video Game Scenes and Dialogue

Learn the fundamentals of writing cinematics, cutscenes, and in-game dialogue.

In this course we will explore how to create compelling, vital scenes, and how to use dialogue to support gameplay, deepen character, and advance the game’s story. Early career game writers will often get their first experience writing dialogue for NPCs, especially the infamous barks and taunts. We’ll show you how to make this dialogue work, when it should sing and when it should be invisible.

Course 4: Worldbuilding for Video Games

Learn the fundamentals of building video game worlds, from a writer’s perspective.

Game writing is a collaborative process, and worlds are designed with input from art directors, level designers, and even marketing teams. But writers have an integral role in making these worlds feel rich, deep and believable. In this course you’ll learn to use the tools of environmental storytelling, lore, readables and audio/video logs to help create a memorable game setting.

Course 5: Interactive Narrative

Learn how to use player choice and interactivity to create compelling game experiences.

The primary difference between video games and other art forms is interactivity. Players embody the characters in a game; instead of watching the protagonist make choices, they actively make choices for the player character.

For writers, choice takes on a different meaning in games that allow players to control the outcome of the plot. How do you ensure that game choices are meaningful, have consequences, and also don’t require an impossible amount of work for the game development team?

In this course we will explore how choice works in games, how branching plots work, and how to manage them with tools such as pinch points, bottlenecking and story silos. We’ll look at characters and dialogue, then get you writing your own interactive narrative with commonly available online tools.

Course 6: Working as a Game Writer

Learn what it takes to work as a video game writer: from resumes to writing tests to contracts and ndas.

What is it like to work as a video game writer? How do you even apply for a game writing position? Is it true that you might have to take a writing test?

This capstone course puts everything you’ve learned in the previous courses together. Each assignment has helped you produce material that is suitable for a portfolio. Now we’ll show what to do with it.

We’ll explore what it takes to get a position as a video game writer or narrative designer, including how to get experience that will make you stand out. We look at what the hiring process is like, what sort of writing tests you may be asked to perform, and how to connect with people in the industry.

Not only is the content well-produced, but it rings very true regarding the kind of lessons a budding narrative designer/video game writer will benefit from. An applicant who has successfully completed the edX Professional Certificate in Writing for Video Games would have a definite advantage.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

Writing has been my passion practically since I learned to read in kindergarten. I would write stories about princesses and my family dog, Gansett. When it came time to look at colleges, I was set on attending one with a strong creative writing program. Ultimately, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars.

Today, colleges across the country offer creative writing as a major. Because writing skills are essential for a wide range of careers, and because most curricula emphasize broad liberal arts competencies, a degree in creative writing can set you up for success in numerous fields, whether you want to be an editor or a lawyer.

Interested in majoring in creative writing? Learn which schools offer the major and what to look for in a program.

Overview of the Creative Writing Major

Creative writing is about more than spinning tales. For your major, you’ll generally need to pursue a curriculum grounded in literature, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, along with distribution courses, if the college requires them.

Most creative writing majors must participate in workshops, in which students present their work and listen to peer critiques, usually with a certain number of advanced courses in the mix. In some cases, colleges will ask you to specialize in a particular genre, such as fiction, poetry, or playwriting. 

To succeed in creative writing, you’ll need to have a tough spine, in order to open yourself up to feedback from your classmates and instructors. You may need to give readings in public — if not as an undergraduate, certainly during your career. Of course, a passion for creating is essential, too, as is a willingness to revise your work and learn from the greats and your peers.

A creative writing major opens up doors to many careers, including journalism, content marketing, copywriting, teaching, and others. Even careers that don’t center around writing often have a strong writing component: you’ll need to write reports, deliver presentations, and so on.

Some writers go on to earn an MFA, which will help you hone your craft. It’s also often a prerequisite for teaching creative writing at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as a Creative Writing Major

Published authors on faculty.

Many world-renowned authors have another claim to fame: professorships. Writers who have taught their craft include (among many others):

• Maya Angelou (Wake Forest University)
• Colson Whitehead (many colleges, including Vassar College and Columbia University)
• Stephen Dixon (Johns Hopkins University)
• Viet Thanh Nguyen (University of Southern California)
• Eula Biss (Northwestern University)
• Toni Morrison (Princeton University)

Be aware that as an undergraduate, you may not be able to learn from the greats. That’s why it’s important to look into which courses these faculty teach before you have dreams of being mentored by Salman Rushdie — who is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU.

Genres Offered

While many schools that have creative writing majors offer fiction and poetry courses and tracks, there are some niche genres that could be more difficult to find. If you’re interested in playwriting, for example, you won’t find that at every school. Before you decide on a program, be sure it includes the genres you’d like to explore further, whether that’s flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or something else.

Workshopping Opportunities

The core of most quality creative writing curriculum is workshopping. This means sharing your work in your classes and listening to your peers discuss and critique it. While this may sound intimidating, it can do a lot to help you hone your work and become a better writer. Look for colleges that make this the bedrock of their curriculum.

Showcasing Opportunities

Are there opportunities to present your work, such as college-sponsored readings where undergraduates can participate? Or, perhaps the school has a great literary journal. At my school, students could submit their plays and have them performed by fellow students. 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Creative Writing Major

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

No matter what major you’re considering, the first step is ensuring you’re academically comparable to students who were previously accepted to the college or university. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter out applicants who aren’t up to their standards.

You’ll also want to demonstrate your fit with the school and specific major with the qualitative components of your application, like your extracurriculars and essays. For a prospective creative writing major, the essay is particularly important because this is a way to demonstrate your writing prowess. Activities might include editing your school’s newspaper or literary journal, publishing your work, and participating in pre-college writing workshops.

Want to know your chances of being accepted to top creative writing schools? Try our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes your individual profile into account, including academic stats and qualitative components like your activities. Give it a try and get a jumpstart on your journey as a creative writing major!

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530 Best Creative Writing Classes in 2024

Showing 530 courses that match your search.

Blogging for Business

A free course teaching how to start and grow a blog past 100,000 visitors, focusing on content marketing strategies and effective blogging techniques.

Website: https://ahrefs.com/academy/

Categories: Blog, Freelance, Content, and Free

Start date:

Open all year round

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Legally Blogs

Blogging for New Bloggers

This free course teaches bloggers about legal requirements, compliance to avoid lawsuits, copyright protection, necessary legal pages, GDPR and CCPA compliance, and income tracking.

Website: https://school.bloggingfornewbloggers.com/

Categories: Blog and Free

Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop

California Institute of the Arts

The course focuses on writing poetry through a variety of exercises, peer feedback, and discussions. It encourages students to explore their personal voice and develop their poetry skills.

Website: https://www.coursera.org/

Categories: Poetry and Free

How to Write a Novel

Your story matters. Unlock your potential with daily video lessons from bestselling ghostwriter Tom Bromley, and finish your first draft in just 3 months. Learn more →

Poetry Workshop

Green Street Poetry

The workshop fosters collaboration and provides a constructive environment for sharing, editing, and discussing poetry. Participants can bring a poem for critique or simply join the discussion.

Website: https://www.greenstreetpoetry.com/workshop

Duke Graduate School Scientific Writing Resource

Duke University

An online resource aimed at improving scientific writing skills, focusing on communication principles tailored for scientific literature. It includes lessons on sentence structure, cohesion, conciseness, and revision strategies.

Website: https://sites.duke.edu/scientificwriting/

Categories: Scientific and Free

Prerequisites: Intended for graduate-level science students.

College Writing 2.1x

In this course, English Language Learners will be introduced to academic writing, focusing on essay development, grammatical accuracy, and self-editing. The course includes reviews of grammar, crafting effective sentences and paragraphs, developing thesis statements, and participating in peer reviews.

Website: https://www.edx.org/course/how-to-write-an-essay

Categories: Essay and Free

6 Weeks, 6 Stories

In this course, participants will engage in a generative writing sprint aimed at producing six new short story drafts, with an emphasis on experimenting with new forms and sharing work in a supportive environment. The course also includes class discussions on contemporary published stories and the development of a craft toolbox.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/find-a-class

Categories: Fiction and Short Story

September, 2024

Developing Your Personal Essay

The course offers feedback on personal essay projects in a supportive environment, includes student workshops, discussions on the craft of personal essays, and writing prompts. Each participant submits two drafts of their essays for feedback.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/find-a-class/

Categories: Essay and Nonfiction

August, 2024

Prerequisites: Intermediate-level experience in essay writing recommended.

Jumpstart Your Writing

The course focuses on creative writing through engaging exercises that promote character creation, dialogue, and vivid imagery, catering to both beginners and experienced writers. Participants will read various short pieces from renowned authors.

Categories: Book, Fiction, Memoir, Nonfiction, and Poetry

October, 2024

Tech Writing for Accessibility

Google Developers

This course teaches how to make documentation and websites more accessible, focusing on inclusive design principles, writing helpful alt text for diagrams, and checking color contrast. It includes hands-on exercises and class discussions.

Website: https://developers.google.com/tech-writing/accessibility

Categories: Technical and Free

Technical Writing One

This course teaches the fundamentals of technical writing, focusing on clear documentation, active voice usage, sentence clarity, and audience identification. It includes pre-class and in-class components for comprehensive learning.

Website: https://developers.google.com/tech-writing/one

Technical Writing Two

The course covers intermediate topics in technical writing, including drafting strategies, self-editing techniques, document organization, and effective use of illustrations and sample code.

Website: https://developers.google.com/tech-writing/two

What is creative writing?

Creative writing is often best understood through a description of what it’s not : it is not business, journalistic, academic, or technical writing. 

Here is what creative writing is : it is the art of telling stories through written mediums. To many people, the novel is the most obvious form of creative writing, but it can also be found in essays, screenplays, poetry, memoirs, and much more. 

As you can imagine, one of the common threads that connects all forms of creative writing is, well, imagination. In fiction, this is embodied in the creation of the story itself; in nonfiction, it’s inherent in the way that the author chooses to present (and engage with) facts and real events to create a compelling narrative. 

Why is creative writing important?

We might as easily ask: why is it important to tell stories? Because that’s just what people do. It’s our way to make sense of the world and ourselves, and share it with others. History abounds with the art of the story. Look anywhere on a world timeline, and you’ll find examples of creative writing fulfilling our need for creative expression, from Homer’s epics in 800 B.C. to Dante’s inferno to modern essays shared on the Internet today. 

Nothing suggests that it will ever disappear, either! In fact, creative writing is arguably even more important in the age of AI, in which we must continue to tell powerful human stories instead of outsourcing such a fundamental task to soulless machines. 

How do creative writing courses teach creative writing?

If you’ve decided that you want to invest in your own creative writing, that’s great! Get ready to embark on a lifelong learning path. Like all art forms, creative writing is a skill that you must constantly train in order to improve. 

Learning creative writing, of course, can be as simple as you want. All you need is pen and paper — or, these days, a computer with a writing app. 

You can also take a creative writing class if you’re interested in a certain writing topic, or if you simply want an experienced instructor to point out the way for you. A course can fast-track your writing progress by teaching you something about the art of writing in one day that might otherwise take a year for you to pick up by yourself. They also often specialize in a specific area of creative writing, for instance:

• Character development, i.e. the way that characters change from beginning to end of a story.
• Genre conventions and tropes, i.e. what conventions you should write to in a certain genre — and what you can (and perhaps should) subvert.
• Story structure, i.e. the order of plot points and key events that a story should take in order to be compelling.
• Writing voice, i.e. the unique writing style that only you can bring to a story. 

Because there are thousands of aspects to creative writing, there are thousands of creative writing classes. That’s why we built this directory of the best creative writing courses. We’ve made it filterable by genre, price, and more to make it easier for you to find the perfect class for your needs. 

But what are the best creative writing classes?

The best creative writing course depends on you , and your own profile! We always recommend that you thoroughly do your research to personalize your choice for yourselves. 

With that said, below are some recommendations to kick you off. 

The best creative writing classes for beginners

If you’ve got a book idea, and you’re willing to invest some money to write it, then Reedsy’s How to Write a Novel could be a great place for you to start. Over three months, this full-fledged course will take you step-by-step from your idea to your first draft — and give you a supportive writing community to boot. 

💲 Cost: $1,000+  👨‍🏫 Type: Video

The best in-person creative writing classes 

Gotham Writers, the biggest adult-education writing school in the US, is based in New York City and offers in-person classes. With self-paced courses, write-ins, and several free events per term, it emulates the university feel wherever possible.

💲 Cost: $165 - $450  👨‍🏫 Type: In-person

The best free creative writing classes 

Reedsy Learning is composed of bite-sized modules that are emailed to you once a day for ten days. They can be read in five minutes — and best of all, they’re free! Each module is packed with practical tips, additional resources, and exercises to sharpen your skills. 

💲 Cost: Free  👨‍🏫 Type: Email

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Writing for Social Media

University of California, Berkeley via edX Help

This course may be unavailable.

Businesses and institutions today increasingly turn to social media platforms to build and promote their brands, share news and information, and engage with their audiences. But given its massive popularity, writing for social media can be a challenge. How do you connect with your audience? How do you write for these critical channels?

This course focuses on effective writing practices for a social media environment. You will learn how to structure and write content that will deliver your messaging and engage your audiences; you will learn how to think about what a reader needs and wants from your organization.

Learn how to devise your own writing approach – and how to tell your company’s story, convey information, and express your point of view, and earn engagement.

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• AA Anonymous 9 months ago There is no course - it is unavailable and it's not clear why it is still listed as a course. we were looking forward to learning how to write for social media and not take a marketing course but take a course that focused on communication and getting the audience attention. Helpful

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An Introduction to Genre

An Introduction to Genre can be studied as a stand-alone course and it is a core course for the Certificate of Higher Education in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. 

Key Facts  

Language: English 

Duration: 10 Weeks  

Number of Credits: 10

Tutor:  Lara Clough 

Learning Method: Online

Level: This module is at CQFW Level 4

Module Code: XE10310

Fee: £130.00 - Fee Waiver Scheme available

This course is available to  book.

Overview   

This course is an introduction to writing creatively in various fictional genres. The course will examine: what is genre and what do different genres offer a writer?     Using a variety of fictional texts, students will learn to recognise the features and functions of different types of genre fiction. Students will be encouraged to explore and experiment creatively with a range of material and techniques. The course will cover, but is not restricted to, the following genres: crime fiction, historical fiction, horror, romance and science fiction and fantasy.     It is suitable for beginners who might be trying to write creatively for the first time and for more experienced writers who are keen to develop and improve their writing skills further.    

Programme  

Activities and tasks will be embedded into each unit so students can practise the techniques they have learned and develop their skills. Students will be encouraged to share their own work and participate in discussions on Blackboard. Alongside the learning materials on Blackboard the tutor will be on hand via email to answer any queries and provide guidance throughout the course. They will also participate in the online discussions.     

• Unit 1 – Introduction   
• Unit 2 – What is Genre?   
• Unit 3 – Crime Fiction    
• Unit 4 – Historical Fiction   
• Unit 5 – Horror    
• Unit 6 – Romance   
• Unit 7 – Science Fiction and Fantasy    

Learning Outcomes 

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:    
• Demonstrate an understanding of what a genre is and be able to identify various fictional genres.    
• Analyse a range of relevant genre writings and identify different features, techniques and functions.    
• Apply, and experiment with, different literary genres and their identifiable creative writing features and techniques.    
• Critically reflective on their own creative process and outputs, and that of others .    

Assessments 

• Written piece of genre fiction (1200 words; 60% of overall mark)   
• Critical reflective commentary (800 words; 40% of overall mark)

Reading Suggestions 

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course.

Enquiry Requirements 

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.  

What do I need?  

As this is an online course, you would need the following:  

• Internet access.
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit.
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.