Top 5 Creative Writing Courses in The UK With Certificates

by Ruchi Shukla | Nov 2, 2024 | Courses, Creative Writing

Apart from corporate writing and hard journalism, there is a whole universe of creative writing. Creative writing allows you to stretch your storytelling skills and broaden your horizon of imagination to create good work. Exceptional creative writing skills ensure great success in your writing career, particularly in countries like the UK, where the need for creative writers is growing rapidly. This post entails the best creative writing courses in the UK.

If you’re a non-fiction writer, a first-time writer, or a casual creative writer longing to become a published author, then refining your creative writing skills is inevitable to get success. In the courses, you will learn the art of creating stories in the most appealing, suitable, and compelling way possible. Alternatively, creative writing is something that comes from your imagination.

In other words, it is about creating something from scratch, that is creative, beautiful, and different from regular writing. It can be anything like characters, creatures, organisms, or a parallel universe. It also includes Scriptwriting and Poetry Writing. We are going to discuss some of the best creative writing courses in the UK in this blog so keep reading.

What is Creative Writing?

As the name indicates, creative writing is a form of writing that goes beyond the traditional writing style. Creative writing is used to express one’s creativity, imagination, and expressions through images and meaningful words to create impact. It includes both fictional and non-fictional writing such as poetry, short stories, novel writing, journaling, and other forms of writing.

Other writing provides information and facts whereas creative writing gives words to feelings and imagination to create pictures in readers’ minds.

Elements of Creative Writing

You must know the components that distinguish a great novel to develop your creative writing abilities and explore new writing topics. Here are the important elements of creative writing.

• Character Development

Character development is the foremost and important element of creative writing. For writing any story or novel you’ll need a character to connect with the audience. Readers love those stories that revolve around the main character, and they eagerly read to know the development in the character’s life and attach their own feelings to that character. Writers use their creativity for developing the character to engage readers by creating real-life situations to make the story relatable and interesting.

• Unique Plot

Although there are no set rules for creative writing, it is still a good idea to have a better plot for every literary work you create. Story plots provide direction and purpose to your story which is crucial.  They also make it easier to compose the entire article quickly and efficiently without adding any unnecessary information or “nonsense.” Maintaining a strong structure, pace, and direction in your writing can keep your readers more interested.

• Visual Description

A good story with a better visual description can get you the best result for your writing work. A story with proper graphic description creates interest in the reader’s mind and takes them to the world of imagination. Readers feel connected with the story and characters with the help of visuals. It’s always better to put some visuals while describing the surroundings, location, and characters of the plot.

• Underlying Theme

Stories with messages or themes create a great impact. Always try to give some good message at the end of the stories so the readers have some takeaways. The theme helps in writing creatively and giving a message through various angles. With an interesting plot, good characters, and meaningful theme your works become appealing.

• Imaginative Language

What makes creative writing so creative is how you decide to construct the vision in your mind. Creative writing makes use of myths, tales, metaphors, similes, figures of speech, and other analogies to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

Types of Creative Writing:

Before we dive into the creative writing courses in the UK, let’s understand the types of creative writing. When we talk about creative writing, the first thing that comes in a mind is Fiction and poetry which often take the spotlight, but there are several types of creative writing that we can look at.

Developing a preference for one form and genre is the best way to horn your skills to become proficient in that form & genre. However, sometimes changing your form of writing and trying other types of writing gives variety to your work, and using techniques that are unusual in your desired form and genre can be used to improve it.

Let’s explore different types of creative writing. Note the types of writing as you read through the list, you’ve tried and the types you’d like to experience.

Free Writing: Free writing is the act of simply starting to write in a notepad or electronic document. Permit odd words and images to appear on the page. Whatever you want! The highest kind of creative writing is free writing, often known as stream-of-consciousness writing.

Journals: Any type of written log is a journal. You could keep a notebook for your accomplishments, memories, dreams, or gratitude. Many authors keep Omni-journals or idea diaries, which can be used for everything from daily free writing to project planning and brainstorming.

Diaries: A diary is a form of a journal where you record the events of your day. Some diaries begin with “Dear Diary,” same as letter format. It’s a good idea to start maintaining a diary if you ever intend to write a memoir.

Letters: Writing letters is a crucial skill since being able to communicate clearly is becoming more and more valuable. Take caution when sending emails to friends, relatives, and coworkers because there is a long record of releasing correspondence. Hot tip: writing letters to the editor of a news publication is one strategy to get published if you don’t have many clips and credits.

Memoirs: Memoirs are publications that include personal recollections (or stories) that concentrate on events. They are a subgenre of creative nonfiction. One could, for instance, compose a travelogue.

Essays: Essays are often connected to academic writing, although there are several varieties, including personal essays, descriptive essays, and argumentative essays, all of which have the potential to be quite creative (and not especially academic).

Journalism: Different types of journalism require different levels of creativity. Journalism has historically been the unbiased reporting of events, people, and facts. To make their writing more captivating or convincing, journalists now frequently use opinion and narration in their writing.

Poetry: Poetry is the most artistic form of writing and is both well-liked and underappreciated. Formal poetry, free-form poetry, and prose poetry can all be written.

Song Lyrics: Song lyrics merge the artistry of music with the craft of writing. Anyone who can play an instrument should consider composing lyrics because they are akin to writing poetry.

Scripts: Make your mark on film, television, theatre, or video games by writing scripts for them. Movies have the capacity to connect with people who do not read though it’s a director’s medium still good story plays an important role in the success of any film.

Storytelling: The most interesting type of creative writing, storytelling may be found in both fiction and nonfiction. There are many different genres to pick from, and popular fiction formats include flash fiction, short stories, novellas, and full-length novels. Essays, diaries, memoirs, speeches, and other writings that contain true stories, which are typically first-hand or second-hand accounts of real people and events. As it appears in all other genres of writing, from poetry to speeches, storytelling is a highly valuable ability.

Speeches: Where persuasive, inspirational, or educational, writing speeches can open exciting professional prospects in every field or industry. Additionally, knowing the art of speech writing will help you if ever required to deliver a speech at a significant occasion, like a wedding, graduation, or award ceremony.

Vignettes: A “short evocative description, account, or episode” is what is meant by the term “vignette.” Vignettes can be poetry, stories, descriptions, personal accounts…anything goes really. A vignette’s crucial feature is its extreme briefness—just a brief clip.

Blogs: A blog is a publishing platform, not a genre of writing, that allows users to view web material on mobile devices. Any kind of writing can be published on a blog. Most blogs contain articles and essays, but you can also discover blogs with journals, poetry, fiction, journalism, and other content.

Scope & Career Options in Creative Writing:

Getting a certificate or degree in creative writing is not mandatory to enter this rewarding field. In today’s world, English is the major language to focus on as it is already the most established out of all the other languages, especially in the globalized business world. Anyone with a solid command of a certain language can enter this appealing but highly challenging field of creative writing.

Still, if you are looking for the best creative writing courses in the UK, we are giving information about some of the best UK universities. There are various job opportunities available for creative authors. Specialized creative authors are involved in developing all types of innovative works, including those in a wide range of genres like memoirs, fiction, nonfiction, romance, science fiction, travelogues, and more.

All these writing forms can be combined for writing TV and movie scripts. There are also opportunities for writing feature news, reviewing and blogging about food, and working for online periodicals. Aside from various sorts of freelancing, creative writers may also serve as consultants to create content for corporate websites and portfolios.

Must check out other rewarding courses in the UK

• Content Writing Courses in the UK
• Digital Marketing Courses in the UK
• Technical Writing Courses in the UK
• SEO Courses in the UK

Job Prospects For Innovative Writers:

Copywriters – Works majorly in the advertising and marketing field, copywriter’s responsibility is to produce text that highlights the benefits of a specific commodity or service for the consumer. The catalogs, marketing letters, product pamphlets, circulars, etc. must be written by these individuals.

Article Writers – Can choose to write for different newspapers, magazines, websites, and a variety of other publications. They can write on fashion, food, travel, health, business, entertainment, sports, and politics, among other topics.

Book Writer (Author) – By telling a tale or discussing a subject of interest, one might become an author. Depending on the type of tale you intend to tell and the target audience, it may fall under the fiction or non-fiction category.

After you finish authoring the book, you must make extensive marketing efforts. Writing a book and expecting readers would love your work is not that simple. It takes a lot of effort to promote a book. You can connect with a good publishing house or self-publish the book.

Scriptwriters – People who enjoy crafting dialogue may pursue this career. The dialogue and plots for films, plays, television programs, etc. are written by scriptwriters. To develop a plot and a storyline for a certain theme or topic, they do extensive study and put in a lot of effort. Writing original and well-crafted dialogue could be a challenge for screenwriters but then this is the work that scriptwriters do.

In addition to these options, one can start their own freelance creative writing portfolios or decide to write articles, stories, reviews, etc. for media houses or a digital platform. After earning a master’s degree in creative writing, they can enter the training industry. Finding work at companies that specialize in providing specialized content is another option. The quality of your work and the professionalism you bring to the table are crucial to your success in this industry.

Required Experience:

Setting up your reputation as a professional writer requires creating a portfolio of your most significant writing, with an emphasis on published work that you have produced. You can continue honing your writing talents by consistently penning articles for your school’s publications. Simply do your best to read and write frequently.

There is no upper bound to how far you can advance. Additionally, try to share your work with the world. Don’t be intimidated by receiving criticism. Try to submit it to as many places as you can. Engage in contests. Ask if the local drama clubs can use your scripts. It’s crucial to gain as much exposure as you can.

To increase your employability, search for opportunities to gain some quality work experience. Instead of solely developing your résumé, put your energy into mastering new skills and acquiring more knowledge. You could decide to volunteer for your dream organization. Additionally, you may affiliate yourself with a non-profit organization and work to secure endorsements or grant letters for them. Let’s explore the best creative writing courses in the UK.

Also Check: Online Creative Writing Courses

Institutions that Provide Creative Writing Courses in The UK

1. IIM SKILLS

IIM Skills, one of the top institutions in Asia that offers a variety of professional courses online, also provides creative writing courses in the UK. In this course, you’ll discover how to create unique content for your fiction and nonfiction books, poems, video scripts, conversations, and more. You’ll thoroughly grasp the ways in which copywriting and content writing are different from creative writing.

In addition to giving, you a sizable platform on which to promote your books, the extraordinarily gifted and skilled mentors help you with the creation, publication, and marketing of books of any genre. The best practices for using programs like Kindle Direct Publishers and Google Books to publish your book online will also be discussed. Looking at its benefits, the IIM Skills content writing course is considered one of the best creative writing courses in the UK.

You Will Work On

• Write Your First Book (Fiction – Nonfiction.)
• Write articles for various platforms.
• Write a short story.

Content Writing Course Covers

• Introduction to content writing
• WordPress web development
• Digital content
• Copywriting
• Marketing collaterals
• Email writing
• Social media writing
• Video scripts
• Creative writing
• Business listing
• Legal writing
• Technical 101
• SEO
• Content marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Adsense
• Freelance writing
• Resume writing

2. The University of Oxford

When mentioning some of the top creative writing courses in the UK, the University of Oxford is also mentioned. The course here focuses on cross-cultural and cross-genre concerns, emphasizing the demands and difficulties of contemporary writers who produce work in the context of other writers from across the world and the critical community.

They provide a clustered learning structure over a two-year period that consists of five residences, two led retreats, and one research placement. The first year concentrates equally on writing styles fiction, drama writing, poetry, and narrative non-fiction. There is a considerable analytical reading and assessment component, which is linked to the writing factors discovered in each of the genres. In your second year you will choose one of the following as your specialization:

•         Novel
•         short fiction
•         Radio drama
•         TV drama
•         Screenwriting
•         Stage drama
•         Poetry
•         Narrative non-fiction.

Course Title:  MSt in Creative Writing

Duration – 2 Years

These are the best Creative Writing Courses in Canada

3. The University of Cambridge

For those who seek to hone their literary creativity in both fiction and non-fiction, the University of Cambridge offers a Master of Studies (MSt) in Creative Writing. Over the course of two years, students are taught the MSt in condensed, intense study sessions. It was designed with full-time, part-time, and international students in mind and it is one of the best creative writing courses in the UK.

The objective of the Program

Students should develop appended skills by the end of the course:

• Acquired their own writing and self-editing talents in a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres
• Acquired a substantial and significant knowledge of fiction and non-fiction writing and of crucial, rational, and narrative theory

Course Title: MSt in Creative Writing

Duration: 2 Years

Also Read: Creative Writing Courses in Singapore

4. The University of St. Andrews

When we talk about some of the top creative writing courses in the UK, The University of St. Andrews comes out on top. The MLitt in Creative Writing develops original work while providing analytical and creative study, whether it be poetry or prose. Through practice-based, technically driven, and creatively-driven tuition from eminent contemporary authors, the MLitt program focuses on the development of individual style and the quest for literary greatness. It is one of the best creative writing courses in the UK.

Highlights

• Can study with leading contemporary authors
• Gain a strong foundation in style and technique
• understanding analytical thinking and the capability to be your own best editor discover the significance of wide and well-informed reading in the progress of a unique ‘voice’
• Understand and develop an awareness of innovative industry standards in publication and networking

Course Title: Postgraduate, leading to a Master of Letters (MLitt)

Duration: 2 Years

5. University College, London

Students in this University College London course will be introduced to some of the most fascinating and difficult literary works written in English between 1900 and the present, as well as significant works of art in popular culture, film, and music. Connecting these works to historical, social, intellectual, and technological advancements of the day, provides the context. They have the best creative writing courses in the UK.

Course Title: MA English

Duration: 2 Yrs

Must Check: Creative Writing Courses in New Zealand

FAQs About Creative Writing Courses in the UK

Q1. How to start writing?

Start reading to become a proficient writer, you must read a lot. It is far more challenging to learn the discipline of creative writing when there are no examples to refer to. Always try to write; have a viewpoint; utilize literary tools; be aware of your audience, and put at least 100 words down each day. Become a part of a writing group, start writing, and allow editing. If you take these actions, I’m sure it will be beneficial.

Q2. What is creative writing?

A variety of genres and literary styles are incorporated into creative writing. It is distinct from academic or technical writing. Focusing on themes like character development, narrative, and storyline, creative writing infuses its framework with creativity and narrative.

Q3. What is the main objective of creative writing?

Creative writing aims to enthrall a reader and provide an emotional or thoughtful appeal, but how it accomplishes this depends on the type of writing used.

Q4. What are the important types of writing?

There are only five main writing categories: descriptive, expository, narrative, persuasive, and journal or letter writing. Each writing genre has its own exclusive purpose and requires diverse skills.

Q5. How to improve your writing skills?

You must learn from the best, but don’t copy them. To generate ideas, use the snowflake approach to create a character based on someone you know. In an environment that encourages the flow of creativity, try freewriting. 

Conclusion

A person’s imagination and creative thoughts are summed up in their creative writing, it also includes their unique ideas in form of stories. Depending on one’s writing style there may be speeches, books, articles, or poetry. You need to read a lot to be an excellent writer. With efforts, hard work, and a unique perspective you can create outstanding content to connect with your audience. You can explore the best creative writing courses in the UK.

The best, most-awarded instructors will assist you in every technical area so you may hone your skills. You will be in a stimulating environment with like-minded people, which is in and of itself a terrific way to experiment with different styles of recording your ideas. Some institutions give scholarships in addition to an active internship program that is driven by assignments. I’m hoping that this essay will help you choose wisely. I sincerely hope that this article aids in your decision-making to choose the best creative writing courses in the UK. Happy Learning.