Top 7 Creative Writing Courses in Canada
Writing is an art that helps a person express his/her deepest thoughts and emotions freely, creatively, and artistically. Creativity lies in the depth of every heart. Expressing oneself creatively is the game, and writing is one of the top ways to do that. Creative writing can include many expressions of writing like fiction, poetry, essay, and biographies. This kind of writing uses literary tropes and the like. If you want to explore the creative side of yourself, these creative writing courses in Canada can help you build your creative muscle and make you a pro at writing.
Creative Writing and Its Types-
Expressing the thoughts, emotions, and ideas of a person creatively through writing is creative writing. The writer’s imagination and perception are the two most important ingredients of creative writing. The scope of creative writing is boundless and practically has no limitations. There are no set rules to adhere to while writing creatively.
The writer’s words are the magic of creative writing that hooks readers to the creativity of the writer. Creative writing can include imaginative writing like novels, short stories, scripts, journals, essays, and speeches. It can also include writings on the technical side such as Academic writing, research papers, technical papers, etc.
There is no such thing as only some people being born with the muscle of creativity. Inherent creativity is present in every human. Some people are just better at expressing themselves creatively. Creativity is a muscle that can be trained and writing is a skill that can be learned through proper guidance and practice.
Fiction-
The most common type of creative writing is used for storytelling. Fiction includes novels, short stories, and scripts. In fiction writing, the writer creatively expresses his/her original stories and imagination.
Biographies
Biography is a type of creative writing where the writer writes about a famous personality, about their life, and the struggles that they had to face in order to achieve their dreams and goals. Biographies serve as a motivational and inspirational piece of information about someone’s life that has the potential to change and motivate the reader.
Essays
Essays are a type of creative writing where the writer has to present information creatively yet precisely. It has an element of analysis of the given subject and also showcases the knowledge of the writer on the given subject.
Speech
Speech writing is a type where the writer has to have a clear knowledge of the subject, his audience, and the structure of the speech. In speech writing, humor, poetry, and prose are also involved to make it more creative and entertaining for the audience.
Academic Writing and Research Paper-
Academic writing and research papers are a part of scholarly publications in universities and research centers. The writer has to involve himself in deep research of the subject, and it includes many kinds of research to bring forth academic writing and research papers. These kinds of writings include precision, concision, and structure, and have to be written keeping in mind the evidence.
Key Ingredients In Creative Writing-
Creative writers need to keep in mind a structure when they begin writing. The writing should flow like a river and not get stagnated in one place because that looks disorganized and also gives a hard time to the readers which is not a good idea at all. In order to make it page-turning writing, the writer must follow these-
- A character is central to a story. The entire story, plot, and theme revolve around the character. The character could be anything or anyone. The task of the writer is to make the character easy to fathom and interesting.
- Next is the plot of the story. It is crucial that the writer develops a solid plot that tells the story and emphasizes the character so that the story doesn’t fail to reach the audience.
- Then comes the style of writing. A writer must be aware of the style of writing that is adopted by them. Every writer has a unique style of writing and adopting that unique style is the best way to authentically express the writer’s imagination and perspective.
- Finally, the theme on which the writing is based. The Theme is where it all starts. Before starting to write, the writer has to get a clear picture of the theme and then design the character, plot, and settings if any. The theme is the foundation and the basis of the story.
Here are the best Online Creative Writing Courses you should consider
Ways To Become a Creative Writer
There are a few tips and tricks to get better at creatively expressing your thoughts on paper/ screen. Even the most established creative writers started from scratch with these tips to establish their status as creative writers.
- The most important thing to do, if you plan to dip your feet in the water of creative writing, is to start reading. Read. Just read anything. Try to explore various kinds of topics and find for yourself what interests and ignites you. Reading is the basis of writing. The more you read, the more proficient you’ll be in writing, the more ideas you will start to get, and also reading will help you find a niche for yourself.
- Start writing your ideas and imagination. Just start somewhere. Write short but consistently. Even if it is 100 words a day, write every single day. It is important to establish a daily writing practice. It could look like diary writing where you just jot down your thoughts on a piece of paper. Whenever you are struck by an idea, start practicing the habit of writing it down.
- Don’t worry if your ideas are bad or mistakes are made, you will always have room for improving and editing them. It is also important to have a goal to write well. Don’t have much expectation of becoming the best with your first piece of the story. To become the best consistency, effort and practice are required which will come to you when you keep at it.
- Explore different kinds and styles of writing and see for yourself what suits you best and then work on it. It is important to find your niche not only in the subjects that you like to write about but also in the style of writing which makes a huge difference in the way you write and reach out to your readers.
- Start developing a practice of writing for readers. Know who your audience will be and start writing for them. You will find a reason to hone your writing skills because you need an objective, a purpose to write. If there is no one to read your work, there will not be a reason for you to write. You have to write in a way that not only is your writing comprehensible to the readers but also, captures their attention till the last word is written.
- Keep improving your imagination. When you write, your story brings out all sorts of images that you can possibly have, and explore and experiment with each of them and see how can you make your storyline more interesting, thrilling, and even unpredictable. No doubt we all love an unpredictable story full of twists.
- Stay open to advice and sometimes criticism that can come from your readers or mentors. It only opens the doorway to improvement which is very important in getting better at writing. Approach creative writing with an open mind to learn at every moment.
Top 7 Creative Writing Courses in Canada-
If you have read this article now, you must be wondering about the creative writing courses in Canada that you can straight away dive into for becoming a proficient creative writer. Canada offers some really good creative writing courses, and degree programs both on undergraduate and postgraduate levels that can help you a great deal in establishing a career as a Creative Writer.
1. IIM Skills
IIM Skills has garnered a great reputation and ranks at the top for providing online education across the world. It is one of the best options for creative writing courses in Canada. Founded in 2015, IIM Skills has thousands of happy and satisfied students across the globe. The courses are conducted online live and students can interact with trainers.
The courses are designed by experienced people in the field. The students are trained by trainers who have a great experience in the subject. The writing course that IIM Skills provides is the Content Writing Course. This is perhaps one of the most famous, on-demand, and solid options for a writing course for anyone who wishes to learn from scratch about writing and all its nitty gritty.
This course is conducted online with Live classes. You will get 16 hours of lectures and assignments for the week. The trainers also help you to use all the free tools that are required for the purpose of the course. You will be given an opportunity for an internship. Lifetime access to the study materials and recorded sessions is also given to you so that you can keep coming back to them whenever you falter.
Post-completion of the course, you will be given a global certification for completing the course. The curriculum of this Content Writing Master Course includes an introduction to content writing, creative writing, business listing, legal writing, WordPress web development, social media writing, video scripts, email writing, resume writing, SEO, Affiliate marketing, Adsense, freelance writing and much more.
To know more about the courses, please visit https://iimskills.com
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2. University of Victoria
The University of Victoria is a leading research-oriented university in Canada. This University got its degree-granting status in 1963 but can be traced back to 1903 to Victoria College which is the predecessor institution of this University. The University caters to students worldwide and ensures an academic environment that combines the elements of dynamic learning, vital impact, and extraordinary academic environment.
This can be considered one of the best options for creative writing courses in Canada if you are looking for an in-depth study of creative writing. This University has a department of writing which offers a Bachelor’s degree as well as a Master’s degree in Creative writing. For the bachelor’s degree in creative writing, the University offers courses such as Undergraduate writing programs that help you to develop writing skills in genres of poetry, creative fiction, fiction, playwriting, and screenwriting.
Professional writing minor courses involve subjects of journalism, media, and publishing. The university also allows you to study a minor in creative writing that involves storytelling. Anyone who wishes to enroll in the Bachelor’s degree in writing at this University can take up these programs to enhance their degrees for a better career path in writing.
The Bachelor’s degree is completed within the span of 4 years. The University of Victoria also allows students to pursue a Master’s degree in Fine arts in writing. In this duration, you will be adept with the knowledge of creative writing in genres like fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and screenwriting. The Master’s degree in Fine arts in writing makes you skilled in teaching about writing which can again be a great option for a career if you are interested in teaching.
If you are interested to know more about the courses that they offer and eligibility for enrolment, please visit https://www.uvic.ca
3. University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a very well-reputed University in Canada that caters to students worldwide. This University provides a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and attracts thousands of students from across the globe as this University is student-focused and comprehensive in its approach.
The University is very serious with the support given to the students in terms of well-being, finance, academy, career, and the like. It is a great option for creative writing courses in Canada. The Department of English provides creative writing courses and degree programs that are sought after and are one of the oldest in Canada.
The creative writing programs are combined with literature and language. The students who enroll in creative writing courses can graduate by way of Honours or BA combined Honours in English and Creative writing. Intensive creative workshops are conducted so that the students get well equipped with different writing styles and techniques, and also get introduced to many published authors.
To know more about eligibility and course structure, please visit https://www.uwindsor.ca
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4. University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies
University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies was founded in 1974 and is famous for providing creative writing courses in Canada which attract students from across the globe who wish to pursue a career in Canada. This School has a variety of courses under the wing of creative writing.
They practically cover all the fields of creative writing which gives an ample opportunity for a student to choose from a wide range of courses under creative writing. The classes are delivered in online, offline, and hybrid modes. It depends on the student which mode to choose from for delivery of class and training.
The courses are divided into categories of Creative writing for fiction, non-fiction, literary fiction, poetry, screenwriting, mystery and suspense writing, fiction for children, writing short fiction, memoirs, life stories, writing for television, and the like.
To know more details about the courses in creative writing, please visit https://www.utoronto.ca
5. University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is one of the oldest English language universities in Canada and is one of the most sought-after names for creative writing courses in Canada. The University leads itself based on research and innovation and is focused on entrepreneurial success. The Faculty of Arts provides a degree in Bachelor of Arts and creative writing is included in this degree course.
It is available within English Honours and/or Major Programs. The duration of completing this bachelor’s degree is 4 years. The learner will be facilitated to learn about various topics in the degree program and will be adept in writing for different audiences, analyzing and organizing writings, logical reasoning, analytically reading, creative thinking, and ideas.
This University also provides a Master’s degree in English (Creative Writing). The duration of this master’s degree is 20 months. Students who wish to enroll in this program get to combine academic and creative courses and write a thesis that needs to have a book-length and the genre can be opted as per their choice. This program gives a student expertise in major genres of creative writing such as poetry, fiction, playwriting, screenwriting as well as nonfiction.
To know in detail about the Undergraduate degree programs in creative writing, please visit https://www.unb.ca
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6. Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning has garnered a good global reputation over the last 50 years for imparting career-oriented training to students across the globe and it makes one of the satisfying options for those who are looking for creative writing courses in Canada. This college is known for assisting students in work placements post-completion of the courses and programs.
This College Provides 3 Programs in Creative Writing.
1. Bachelor of Creative and Professional Writing is pursued as an Honours degree which is divided into 8 semesters. This degree course ensures for a student to transform their passion for writing into a satisfying worthy career. The curriculum includes an introduction to creative writing, media writing fundamentals, social media writing, photography fundamentals, storytelling, poetry, fiction and nonfiction writing, editing essentials, multimedia design, web, etc.
By the end of this course, you will learn in-depth about the influences of evolving media in cultural context, identification of key structures and characteristics in creative work for writing proficiency, conducting research for professional and creative writing backed by evidence and research, writing for getting published, and much more.
2. Creative Writing- Fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry is a graduate certificate program that allows you to improve your writing skills from the convenience of being located anywhere as the classes are held online. You will get the opportunity to learn one-on-one with a writer- mentor appointed to you and you will get the opportunity to hone your writing skills, and improve and improvise on your short stories, poems, memoirs, novels, and essays.
You will also learn all about developing a theme, plot, characters, settings, and dialogue style. By the end of taking this graduate certificate course, you will find fulfillment in seeing your own body of work that would includes novels, poetry, short stories, etc.
3. Radio and media production is a graduate certificate course that you can complete in 3 semesters wherein you will develop skills to make engaging, interesting, and entertaining broadcasts and podcasts. You will be given the opportunity to get a hand on experience in radio production techniques, on-air announcements, hosting live music and public affairs programs, the performance of newscasting and sports reporting, interviewing techniques, and much more.
You get to learn the latest trends in broadcasting and this would help a big deal should you choose to establish a career in media production. Students who enroll in this graduate certificate get immersed in intensive classes and workshops with experts in the field.
To get more details on these programs, please visit https://www.humber.ca
7. University of Concordia
The University of Concordia was founded in 1974 and is placed among the top-ranking universities worldwide catering to students without any geographical boundaries. This is a beneficial option for you if you are looking for creative writing courses in Canada. This university provides creative writing degree programs both on undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
For the undergraduate level, a Bachelor of Arts is provided by the Faculty of Arts and Science that can be pursued in Major, Minor, and Honours. The program duration is 3 to 4 years. There are three options to choose from-
- Honors in English and Creative writing
- Major in Creative writing
- Minor in Creative writing
If you enroll for the undergraduate degree in creative writing, you will be taught how to approach literature from a writer’s point of view which would essentially help you build your craft under the guidance of experts and published writers.
The University also has a Master’s degree program in creative writing. There are three options to pursue a Master’s degree from this University and one of the options is Creative Writing with Thesis which is apt for someone looking to do a Master’s degree in creative writing.
To know more details about the degree programs of this university, please visit https://www.concordia.ca
Frequently Asked Questions-
1. What is the career opportunity after pursuing creative writing courses in Canada?
After completing creative writing courses in Canada, you can become a journalist, screenwriter, novelist, full-time writer, or freelance writer. You can also work with the communication department and other governmental organizations. You can also work with radio broadcasting companies.
2. Can anyone do these creative writing courses in Canada?
For every university and institute, there is different eligibility which has to be met with to enroll for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Some learning platforms don’t even have an eligibility criterion. With so many courses available in creative writing courses in Canada, it is up to you what kind of courses are you looking for based on your requirements such as whether you want to get online classes or offline classes, whether you are looking for a certificate course or a degree program. Streamlining your needs will help you choose your course option.
3. Can anyone be creative and do well in creative writing?
I believe yes. Some people are born good at it and some people have to learn the art. Creativity is an acquired skill too. So, proper guidance and effort from your end will help you master the skill of creative writing.
Conclusion
Creative writing is a doorway to opening one’s heart to beautiful imaginations and ideas which when shared with the world makes it a better place to live in. It adds color to life, and from the point of view of a career, it is a great choice for pursuing as it will always remain on-demand, the world will always be in need of mind-blowing stories and soul-stirring poems. Creative writing courses in Canada can be taken up by everyone to hone their skills in writing and bring out the creative rhythm within a person. There are amazing creative writing courses in Canada and you will have no problem finding the right fit for a course. Just take that first step of finding yourself a course and let the rest unfold for you.