How To Choose the Writing Course That Is Best For You

How To Choose the Writing Course

All of us can agree that writing is a skill that one can develop through learning. While some believe that it is a natural talent, others argue that it is also an acquired skill. Writers like Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie advocate the benefits of creative writing education. What’s more, they are dedicated to teaching creative writing themselves through online courses. Thanks to the internet, there is no dearth of resources present online that could help you become a better writer. A quick search will offer a range of writing courses available online. But before you can enroll on one, you need to figure out which writing course is ‘worth it’. Here are some things to consider to make sure you pick the “write” course for yourself.

  1. Determine what you want from the writing course

Are you looking to improve your vocabulary skills or your characterisation skills? The best way to make sure a writing course is cut out for you is to identify your requirements before signing up. Check out the course content to ensure the course you’re looking at allows you to learn about the areas you’re interested in improving. If you want to learn how to create a plot, look at writing courses that focus on plotting and three-act structures. If you want to learn more about book publishing, make sure to look at courses focused on finding the right platform, self-publishing or how to edit your manuscript. By having a better idea of what you want to improve in or learn about, you can make sure your time and money are well-spent.

  1. Ensure that your tutors are qualified

As mentioned before, there is no paucity of online writing courses today. However, this means that you need to be extremely careful while distinguishing the good from the bad. Faulty writing advice can do more harm than good, so it’s best to make sure you select a course with a tutor who specializes in the course area. To become the best, you would want to learn from the very best. Take some time to research if the person conducting the course is well-respected within their writing field. Some ways to determine their credibility are- checking to see if they have published any literature on the topic they’ll be teaching or in the case of book publishing courses, whether the tutor has been published and how successful they are.

  1. Decide how much time you can dedicate to your course

If you sign up for a writing course that you cannot commit the time to, chances are you’ll drop out of it soon. What’s more, struggling to complete assignments at the last minute can also make the course unnecessarily stressful and ruin your whole experience. If you’re busy, consider going for a day or half-a-day course. If you have more time or can carve out an hour every other day, you might want to look at home-study courses. If you go for the latter, make sure to check whether they give you deadlines or how long you have to complete the course. The idea is to choose a course that matches your pace while guaranteeing progress.

  1. Pay attention to the reviews

One great way to know whether a course is worth your time is to see how others have fared with it. Read the reviews carefully to understand how previous course-takers found the experience. A course may be packaged attractively, but only the reviews will tell you whether the content is worth investing in. Most courses will offer some testimonials to read or, for online interactive courses, there will be reviews beneath the course description that you can go through.

  1. See if the benefits outweigh the cost

Once you know what you want to achieve from a course, sit down and work out whether the course fulfills that need for a price that is reasonable to you. Since writers are offering professional and creative advice, there’s likely going to be a cost that comes with the course, but take some time to see if the course fulfills your specific needs at that price. If not, you might want to explore a more suitable course. If you’ve seen a course that’s a good fit but you aren’t sure whether to take the plunge and invest, look at your financial situation to see if you can afford it. Some courses offer payment installment options or concession rates, so make sure to check if the option is available to you if you’re struggling. 

Writing courses offer the chance to discover a new area of writing or to improve upon an aspect of writing you find difficult. If you’re looking to develop your craft, check out the online writing courses offered by Pencil. Pencil Masterclass is an online learning platform where the globally best rated literary instructors are helping budding writers like you learn about writing, publishing and book marketing. We hope our tips will be helpful as you choose the course that is best for you.

Also Read : Becoming an Author In 2022

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