So, you\u2019re ready to get serious about your creative writing ambitions. Keen to hone your craft. Committed to writing more words, more consistently than you ever have before. Maybe you\u2019re finally feeling brave enough to share your work with others: a nerve-wracking step that (in my experience) is far less scary, and far more helpful, than it\u2019s possible to imagine upfront. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Assuming the above isn\u2019t too<\/em> wide of the mark, you\u2019re probably considering a creative writing course. I found myself in just that position five years ago, and I maintain that participating in one made a crucial difference to my motivation and self-belief. I\u2019ve since written four completed books, three of which have been traditionally published. The fourth is due out next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is, it\u2019s not easy! Picking the right course is a challenge: there\u2019s a huge array of options out there. One size does not fit all, and it\u2019s important to ensure that, whatever sum you invest, it yields the help and support you<\/em> need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this blog post, I\u2019m going to share my thoughts on 10 important things to look for, to identify the best online creative writing courses before you make your decision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Positive feedback from previous students is a sure sign that a creative writing course is worth considering. Think not only about the number of starred reviews a course gets; read detailed testimonials if they\u2019re available, so you can get a clear sense of individuals\u2019 experiences and what the course has helped them achieve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask yourself: what does this course promise, and what does it deliver for the people who participate? If those two things match up, you could be onto a winner. If not, it makes sense to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you put yourself \u2013 and your beloved novel idea! \u2013 into the hands of experts who promise to help you, it\u2019s important to make sure they really are<\/em> experts. You need to feel confident that the people teaching on your creative writing course are credible. What publishing experience do they have? How many years does it go back? Have they won awards or prizes? Have their previous students found success? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as importantly, you should look at the kind of writing a tutor or mentor works with and assess whether they\u2019re a good fit for you. If you\u2019re a committed fantasy writer, for example, it\u2019s important for you to work with someone who both understands and enjoys your chosen genre. The Jericho Writers Ultimate Novel Writing Course<\/a> tutors have a wide variety of specialisms, and we aim to match these as closely as possible to the projects of the individuals they work with.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another thing to consider is how well you feel you\u2019ll gel with whoever will be teaching your course. Sharing your writing with anyone means making yourself vulnerable, and trust is a key component of the relationship you\u2019ll forge with any creative writing tutor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to think about how a creative writing course will fit into your life. The best course for you is always the one you will actually<\/em> participate<\/em> in<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter what its merits or how much money you\u2019ve put into it, if a course is structured in a way that makes it impossible for you to commit \u2013 perhaps because the schedule is rigid and you\u2019re already dealing with work, domestic and family pressures \u2013 you won\u2019t reap its full benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Online creative writing courses offer more flexibility than in-person options, but they don\u2019t all work in the same way. Take a close look at how any course you\u2019re considering works in practice, so you can decide whether you\u2019ll be able to participate on terms that work for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, don\u2019t be afraid to decide that now is<\/em> the moment to start carving out space on your calendar for writing. The trick is balancing this determination with a dash of realism. In my experience, both are important ingredients if you intend to bake a whole book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be shy about digging through the full syllabus of any creative writing course you\u2019re considering. What, exactly, does it cover? What are the key topics you\u2019ll study? How relevant do you feel they are for you and your project? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Personally, I\u2019m a fan of the blended approach \u2013 one that covers the craft of writing, plus how the publishing industry works. The beauty of an online course like the Ultimate Novel Writing Course<\/a> is that it offers the best of both worlds: a focus on the nitty-gritty of characterisation and plotting (such as you\u2019d find on a creative writing MA course), plus additional support with understanding how to get your work published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working with a mentor can make all the difference to your self-confidence, as well as the quality of your story. While some creative writing courses offer regular one-to-one sessions with a tutor, others don\u2019t \u2013 and it\u2019s important to know at the outset how much individual attention you\u2019ll get from whoever is teaching you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We offer two versions of the Ultimate Novel Writing Course, and our FULL package includes monthly one-to-one mentoring with your tutor, as well as two one-to-one sessions with a literary agent at the end of the course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who choose our CORE package get a single session with a literary agent and have the option to book one-to-one mentoring with their course tutor should they wish to upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actionable feedback on your writing is among the most important things you should look for in a creative writing course, whether you\u2019re studying online or IRL. Good questions to think about include: how much of your novel-in-progress will your tutor read? Note that, in some cases, it won\u2019t<\/em> be your full manuscript. Will you receive a written report on your work? If so, how much detailed advice will it contain? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In my view, a tutor who can look at big-picture stuff (such as your character arcs and overall plot structure) as well as how skilfully you craft individual scenes and dialogue, is definitely worth having in your corner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students who opt for the FULL Ultimate Novel Writing Course package get a complete manuscript assessment as part of the course. This means their tutor will read their full novel (up to 100,000 words) and deliver a report of up to 4,000 words on its strengths and development areas, as well as how to perfect it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This links back to the credibility of your course tutors, but I think it\u2019s important enough to merit a specific mention. The publishing industry is complicated, competitive and constantly<\/em> changing. Whether your ambition is to self-publish or submit to literary agents and hope for a traditional deal, it\u2019s vital to understand how everything works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for a creative writing course that will support your understanding of the various ways to publish, as well as their pros and cons. Ideally, find one that\u2019s taught by people who\u2019ve been there and done it \u2013 and who still have their fingers on the pulse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine: you\u2019ve shown up consistently and grafted hard to write your novel. You\u2019ve taken on board your tutor\u2019s feedback and edited your work, fine-tuning it so it\u2019s finally ready to be shared more widely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s next? Ideally, if your creative writing course has got you this far, it will help you get your work out there, too \u2013 probably by helping you put it in front of literary agents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many creative writing courses offer students the opportunity to have their work featured in a collection that\u2019s shared with agencies, but make sure you know precisely what\u2019s on offer before signing up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All students on the Ultimate Novel Writing Course<\/a> are offered the opportunity to submit their work for our anthology, and will also receive feedback from our agency partners on their novels\u2019 commercial potential. CORE students get a single one-to-one session with an agent, while FULL package students get two.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing is joyful, but it also has its difficult, dispiriting and lonely moments. No author is immune, whether they\u2019ve produced one book or twenty, and no matter how much publishing success they may have had. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why a creative writing course that offers ongoing support \u2013 from the provider, and \/ or from your fellow students \u2013 is well worth thinking about. I finished my creative writing course in 2019 but, like many Jericho Writers alumni, I\u2019m still in touch with several of my classmates. It\u2019s a pleasure to be able to review and help promote one another\u2019s books, and half a decade on we\u2019re still celebrating each other\u2019s successes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All Ultimate Novel Writing Course students retain access to their course materials for life, so they can revisit key lessons at any time. I also think it\u2019s great that the FULL Ultimate Novel Writing Course package includes two<\/em> years of Premium Membership to Jericho Writers. The best authors never stop learning, and accessing live masterclasses and video courses is a great way to keep pushing yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, you need to consider how much you\u2019re able and willing to spend on your creative writing course before you commit. Prices vary hugely, but so does what providers include \u2013 so I\u2019d urge you to think carefully about a course\u2019s long-term benefits and whether it offers value for money, as well as its upfront cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spending a few hundred pounds on a short course that kick-starts your creativity may well be the best choice for you right now. Conversely, you might be ready to invest a bigger sum, and significantly more time, in developing yourself as an author. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve designed the Ultimate Novel Writing Course to offer everything we think beginner and intermediate writers need to complete high quality, publishable novels and<\/em> prepare to seek publishing deals. However, we also offer a host of other writing courses and editorial services \u2013 and if you\u2019d like some help with working out what\u2019s right for you, you can book a free consultation<\/a> with a member of our team. Honesty is one of our core values, so you can rest assured that if we don\u2019t think the Ultimate Novel\u202fWriting\u202fCourse is right for you, we\u2019ll say so. We\u2019ll also suggest a more suitable alternative if we can.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there you have it! My quick (ish…) 10 point guide to figuring out which are the best online creative courses out there. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut how do you know which are the best online creative writing courses?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Reviews and testimonials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Reputable instructors <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Flexibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. High quality course content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. One-to-one mentoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Detailed, personalised feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Publishing industry insight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Opportunities for discovery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. Ongoing support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. Value for money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n