Content Writing Course by IIM SKILLS

Leeds is as gorgeous as you can imagine and as magnificent as the internet makes it appear. Here we will find the top creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into. Leeds is in the UK where J.K. Rowling was birthed into. Now you should have known what creative writing is, that is a huge hint. In baby language, creative writing is less formal and more creative. If you are someone interested in creative writing courses in Leeds, this article is for you. 

 

 

Simon Jenkins, former Chairman of the National Trust and Times editor, calls Leeds the ‘Athens of the North.’ A confident city joshing with life and cultural energy, located in the county of Yorkshire, England. Rising on Pennines’ foothills, Leeds is situated in the valley of River Aire.

The city is said to have the best standard of living, being one of England’s most successful cities, coming fourth in the economy and the student population in the UK. A city gushing with a creative population, unmistakable by the exceptional choice of places to drink, eat, browse, and play, also has several noteworthy creative writing courses. But first…

 

What is Creative Writing?

Are you someone who breathes creativity? Then you can be a good creative writer with proper honing of your skills. You know academic literature and technical literature. Academic writing is what you see in textbooks and research journals. Technical wring is what you see in your computer manual.

Creative literature is different, you will notice flowery writing meant to attract readers. While another form of writing may stand out due to fine-researched content or good delivery, creative writing needs a personal touch of flair. Creativity differs from one person to another, it is never the same, and hence all the hype around it.

Anything unique will be hyped. So creative writing should speak of the author’s style, in marketing terms it’s branding. Various literary devices and narrative crafts are used to bring out the best creative writings.  Generally, most creative writings have good storytelling, which brings me to my next point.

Good creative writing is also good storytellers, they know the flow of a story: starting at a slow pace and building tension for an ultimate end, with well-drawn character arcs and story arcs. The bright side of being a creative writer is you are bound to lesser conventions than other writers, you are free to wander in your thoughts and pour down originality. That is what is needed from a creative writer.  

 

What Are the Types of Creative Writing? 

Creative writing is an inclusive term. It comes in various forms, each different and unique. Among them, the major sub-categories are fiction and non-fiction. While creative writing does need creative skills, non-fiction creative content uses only creative ways of expression and not a created plot that is purely fictional. Fiction-based creative writing is about a supposed story or circumstance, it goes beyond real life and enters the world of imagination where teenage boys fly in brooms.  

 

For a Better Understanding….

White screws of snow sway down the sky, rows to and fro before indolently settling down. The road is white, and my boots are under layers of ice. This is non-fiction creative writing. The sky rains a drop of silver, and every human exposed is turned into a metal sculpture. This is fiction creative writing. 

 

Apart From the Two Major Categories, Let’s See Other Popular Forms of Creative Writing

 

Biographies:

A biography is a work of literature that portrays a person’s life through various stages. It deals with more than just happenings and the course of life, it exhibits a person’s way of thinking and the world through their eyes.

Biographies of great persons are seen as motivational material. While an autobiography is written by the person or through a ghostwriter, authorized biography is drafted after prior required permissions are obtained from the person who the autobiography is about. 

 

(Fiction) Novels, Stories, Novellas, etc.:

This everyone is familiar with. Suitable examples are enough to describe the division. Harry Potter, Twilight, Macbeth, Gulliver’s Travel, Half Girlfriend, etc. These all have one common element, and that is imagination. None of these were true life events, but a result of the author’s imagination. 

 

Speeches:

Speeches are materials that we compose before giving a speech, with proper research and a clear understanding of the topic. Speeches generally address a crowd and hence begin with a welcome and end with a thanks 

 

Personal Essays:

Personal essays describe a particular moment in a person’s life, through which you show your writing skills and lessons learned. 

 

Playwriting/Scriptwriting:

Playwrights are who write scripts, a story depicted for a play to be performed by actors. 

 

Poetry:

Poetry is literature that uses words chosen and arranged for their meaning, sound, and rhythm to elicit a focused cognitive awareness of experience or a particular emotional response.

 

How Do You Start with Creative Writing?

 

Read: This is the most essential requirement to be fluent in creative writing. You write excellently when you read more. Know the creative writing techniques of other writers and learn from them. Try different genres so you can broaden your knowledge. 

Take Inspiration: Creative writing doesn’t only demand research, it needs inspiration, it needs you to look at the world through artistic eyes. Look beyond the surface to be a good writer. 

Be Familiar with Literary Devices: Literary devices like similes, metaphors, and rhymes are like the tools of writing, they bring out your work in radiant glows.  

Write: The most crucial step to writing is to write. Sit down and let the words pour out not caring about perfection. The first draft is never supposed to be perfect, messy is what it will be. And that’s okay. 

Enroll in a Creative Writing Course: If you’re pretty new to the field and need a kickstart, I suggest enrolling in a creative writing course where fellow writers and guides may help you to get started.

 

Some Tips to Keep in Mind:

• Your first draft will be anything but perfect. Allow yourself to be okay with that. Think of it as raw material with which you will later build something beautiful. 
• On days you don’t feel like writing, spend time editing. 
• Understand your audience. Your writing should be targeted to your audience.
• Do not lock up your imagination, let them out. Use creativity wherever possible. 
• Follow the story arc but do not forget about the character arc.
• There are no linear rules in creative writing. Bend the structure and see where your imagination takes you.
• Draw references from your daily life. Best stories are which the readers can relate to themselves. 
• The most important note is to not be afraid to put yourself out there. 

 

6 Creative Writing Courses in Leeds Worth Looking Into

Here we have listed out the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into. 

 

1. IIM SKILLS

 

Out of the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into, the first is IIM SKILLS. The Content Writing Course by IIM SKILLS, the global leader in professional courses, is an online course with four weeks of training and three months of internship. In the end, they promise freelance opportunities and a dedicated placement cell. 

The sixteen modules include copywriting, email marketing, marketing collaterals, content marketing, affiliate marketing, freelancing, content writing,  WordPress, blogging, creative writing, social media marketing, SEO, SEM, video scripts, SOP, business listing, technical writing, and resume writing.

Both weekend batches and weekday batches are available. Ranked number 1 by media houses, the content writing master course by IIM SKILLS is affordable at INR 367.13 Pounds Sterling
+ 18% GST. Before enrollment, they also make available a free demo class. You get certification from IIM SKILLS, together with preparation for HubSpot Content Marketing Certification and TOLES. 

 

 

Other Courses by IIM SKILLS:

• Technical Writing Course
• Digital Marketing Course
• Financial Modeling Course
• SEO Course

 

2. University of Leeds

 

In the list of the best creative writing courses in Leeds, the next one is the University of Leeds. Leeds’ creative writing program is founded on a critical interaction with society. The study and practice of new writing are covered in this course, which is taught by eminent writers and academic teachers from the Schools of English and the School of Performance and Cultural Industries.

Partnerships with the School of Night, Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Grand Theatre, University of Leeds Poetry Centre, and the Ilkley Literature Festival benefit their community of writers. They also provide support for a wide variety of activities and workshops with guest writers.

 

Courses:

BA English Literature with Creative Writing: You get to examine work from the old English period to the present, including American, world theatre, and postcolonial literature, to combine critical and creative approaches to literature. You’ll produce creative material in a variety of genres, such as short stories, plays, poems, scripts, memoirs, and more.

MA Creative Writing and Critical Life:  Combine critical and creative writing to advance your understanding of English studies. With the assistance of published authors and academic scholars, you’ll engage with a wide range of literary genres as a creative practitioner and critical reader.

MA Writing for Performance and Publication: Collaborate with writers, artists, and researchers who are actively involved in the cultural sectors to discover how to write for radio, theatre, cinema, TV, and prose fiction. By completing a project in cooperation with an outside partner, such as Leeds Playhouse and Leeds Grand Theatre, you will get industry experience.

 

 

3. Leeds Arts University

 

Of the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into, the third is Leeds Arts University. The three-year full-time course on creative writing is offered by Leeds art university:

 

Year One: Writing workshops are a key component of the cooperative approach used to accelerate and solidify student learning. Your critical vocabulary will grow, and you will learn the technical abilities necessary to draft and edit like a pro. Year one also includes cross-disciplinary project work, tutorials, lectures, seminars, and master courses.

Fee– £9,250

 

Year Two: You will now have a distinct sense of your writing direction and preferred manner of production, and you will create work in response to opportunities and briefs with an external focus. You can concentrate on technical abilities, which may involve screenwriting, editing, and publishing tools, by using tutorials, master courses, and group projects.

Your writing abilities will be challenged and expanded through visits, online forums, blogs, hands-on learning, and mentorship from experienced authors.

Fee– £9,250

 

Year Three: You get the chance to bargain, create, and finish a significant literary project in your senior year. Significant unique content is ultimately produced as a result, adding to your chosen writing platform. As a gifted young writer, it will represent your philosophy and goals for the future.

Fee– £9,250

The given fees are for home students and may vary for international students.

 

4. Leeds Beckett University

 

Of the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into, the fourth is Leeds Beckett University. The English and Creative Writing Course offered by Leeds Beckett University is a full-time, three-year course. University education places a high value on independent study, and you will be expected to put in many hours of reading, writing, and research on your own.

You will be able to arrange your time and create a study schedule with the aid of the several modules that make up your course. To help you with your study outside of your lectures, seminars, tutorials, and a variety of resources are accessible.

You may get help finding the specialized learning and study-skills resources from their subject-specific librarians, who will be on hand. Additionally, a designated academic adviser will provide you with personalized feedback and help. Their dedication to providing top-notch teaching, learning, and results for their students is reflected in their silver status in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework.

As far the career prospects, employers in a variety of fields, such as editing and publishing, public relations and marketing, copywriting and journalism, and education, will value the talents you possess. Your organizational and writing abilities will prepare you for a freelance writing career.

The campus is located right in the middle of the city, close to theatres, recording studios, film studios, museums, and art galleries. They collaborate closely with the museums and art galleries in Leeds as well as several local occasions including the Leeds West Indian Carnival, poetry readings, and the Leeds Lit Fest.

They have been able to establish connections with businesses and the cultural sectors in the city and around the area thanks to their position. Former students have finished internships with the editorial staff at Hallmark Studios, the Yorkshire Food Guide, and the city’s Peepal Tree Press (a prominent worldwide publisher.)

 

Must check out the other recommended courses.

• Creative Writing Courses in London
• Creative Writing Courses in Europe
• Creative Writing Courses in Edinburgh
• Creative Writing Courses in New Zealand
• Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam

 

5. Leeds Trinity University

 

Of the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into, the next is Leeds Trinity University. The post-graduate Creative Writing course at Leeds Trinity University is conducted by the School of Digital and Screen. While the full-time course extends for a year, the part-time course extends for two years. 

The emphasis on “creativity” in this MA is demonstrated by the ample writing time and the inclusion of a creative component in each subject. The goal of the course is to help you improve your prose or poetry writing abilities while also encouraging critical and creative reading and examining important topics in the publishing industry.

Individual courses assist you in learning from and putting into practice approaches from published works as well as in presenting your work to a reading and listening audience.

The emphasis is always on your growth as a writer. Prose or poetry workshops, as well as one-on-one dissertation guidance, are all intended to help you improve your writing abilities in a welcoming and stimulating critical atmosphere. This MA offers a foundation that goes beyond writing itself and encompasses a variety of abilities and qualities that make up being a “writer” in general.

Along with their team of globally published staff members, you will meet agents, publishers, and other industry experts so they can help you realize your writing potential and negotiate the initial steps necessary to publish your work. A discount of 50% on the fees is applicable for undergraduate students of Leeds. Excluding the discount, several financial support is available. 

Now that you’ve read about the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into, the remaining step is to make a decision and begin a career in creative writing.

 

 

6. Henry Harvin

 

Of the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds worth looking into, the next is Henry Harvin. This practical creative writing course has been created to inspire you to develop your projects in the four categories of professional creative writing: drama, creative nonfiction, poetry, and fiction.

Through creativity and imagination, the course teaches you how to create a background for a tale, formulate a notion, establish plots and subplots, and build a sequence of the story toward its climax. Through the use of idioms, similes, metaphors, dialogue, and other literary devices, this creative writing course aims to enhance your writing techniques.

The general goal of creative writing instruction is to stir up emotions in pupils to elicit a writer’s reaction, rather than simply familiarising them with the material. The course offers internships, training, projects, certification, placement assistance, boot camps, and hackathons. 

 

FAQs

 

Q1. Is it worth doing creative writing courses in Leeds?

Yes, apart from being exposed to various technical skills, you will also get to meet fellow other creative writers. In addition, a creative writing course may also open up career opportunities.

 

Q2. How much does a creative writing course cost?

It differs from one institution to another. Online courses may be cheaper compared to the offline ones offered by colleges and universities. 

 

Q3. Is creative writing courses better online or offline?

Which is better is primarily based on your convenience. Consider your convenience and preferences before deciding. Of 6 creative writing courses in Leeds listed here, some are online based and others are offline. Both modes can be chosen by anyone to gain an in-depth learning experience as nobody feels left out in online sessions and interact with the trainers with ease. 

 

Q4. What is the eligibility for creative writing courses in Leeds?

The only eligibility required for taking up a creative writing course is interest in the subject and willingness to learn more. Creative writing can be honed by anyone with consistency having a deep interest in writing. It is difficult for those who just see it as a job. But those who love writing, feel enjoyable while putting their emotions into words. 

 

Conclusion

It is time to look for a good creative writing course if you are someone who is looking for a career out of writing. Decide what kind of career you want in writing and then decide what course will suit you the best. Do your research by visiting the websites of the institutions providing the courses to know more about the respective course before making a decision.

An informed decision will benefit you in the longer run. Also, make sure to read reviews of the 6 creative writing courses in Leeds.  It’s vital to keep in mind that certain programs may award certificates upon program completion, while others may not. You must thus consider if obtaining a certificate of completion is essential before proceeding.

Joining a writer’s group is a great way to connect with like-minded people, get feedback on your writing, and pick the brains of other creatives. To assist you in improving your writing abilities, several writing communities include discussion forums, peer-mentoring groups, and other forums. Additionally, they arrange writing contests, seminars on professional growth, networking events, and Q&A sessions with best-selling writers.