Monday, June 22, 2020

10 Best Online Courses That Will Help You Make Money as a Writer


Going to college or University used to be the only way to access knowledge from the professionals.  The Internet has changed all of that, and now you can get the best help by simply sitting at your desk or on your couch, all at a fraction of the price.

All of these courses come highly recommended from CreativeLive, a company I've used in the past to improve my writing skills.  The list covers a variety of different niches, so there's bound to be something to catch your eye.

Here are some online writing courses that come highly recommended:
 

Learn the tips and tricks to detect flaws and mistakes in your writing, as well common errors that are so often missed.

This class will teach you how to approach the text in a new way, read your content from the perspective of your audience, how to fact check your writing, determine if your writing will accomplish its purpose, and the technique of identifying habitual errors, such as weak words and excessive use of adjectives and adverbs.

Teacher

With over 15 years experience Heather E. Saunders, owner of Just the Write Type Editing, is a proofreader and STM editor.  She's edited everything from newsroom copy and fiction novels to technical aeronautics journals and cutting-edge medical training material.


If you're a keen reader of The New York Times and have ever thought you'd love to write an essay like that.  Or maybe you have an incredible story to tell but don't know how to create a powerful piece that is good enough to end up in the Times, then this is the class for you.

With careful guidance you'll be shown how to write an essay that will truly get you noticed and published, helping you to figure out your big theme by creating a strong outline.  You'll be taught how to recognise an idea and weave it through your narrative, making abstract themes concrete, being able to identify the beats.  You'll soon master the creation of  interesting characters and understand their motives.  Be able to include cinematic elements, and conclude your scene that emphasizes your final discovery.


Celebrities and famous people aren't the only ones with stories to tell.  All you need to do is be able to highlight the most unique, interesting and transformative experiences in your life that really matter.

This course will teach you how to establish the major themes of your life, which ones you want to explore.  Figuring out who your characters are and their motivations, what the conflict of the story is, and how it will ultimately be resolved.

You'll learn how to start and not feel overwhelmed, focussing on the moments that changed you, write about the small events that support the overarching story, not to be worried about hurting or alienating someone in your life or yourself, and how to end your memoir when your own life isn't over yet.

Teacher

Reporter and columnist Joyce Maynard for The New York Times, author of seventeen books, Two Die For and Labour Day adapted to film will take you through this class.


A critical step, and an overpowering one for a screenwriter is the first draft.  Writer's block can be a challenge at the best of times and is a one ever-present with screenwriters.  This course will equip you with a roadmap to tackle your initial draft and guide you to the next steps on the scriptwriting journey.

You'll be taught how to organize your acts and scenes, approach character development and dialogue, and where to go after the draft is complete.

Teacher

Hal Ackerman faculty member of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television since 1985, and currently the co-chair of  the Screenwriting Program.  He has sold material to all the broadcast networks and major studios, and has had numerous stories published in literary journals, including the North Dakota Review, New Millennium Writing, The Pinch, Words and Pictures, Southeast Review and Passages.


The ability to hook the reader out of the starting gate is a universally acknowledged truth.  The very first sentence of your story must incite a delicious sense of haste that makes readers want to know what happens next.  This is because every story is emotionally driven.

This class will teach you how to make your reader care about your protagonist, weave potent emotion and give meaning and urgency to everything that happens in the plot,  but also put emotion on the page in a way that might surprise you.

Teacher

Lisa Cron story coach and author of Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence and Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages that Go Nowhere).  Lisa has worked as an agent at W.W. Norton, as an agent at the Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency, and as a producer on shows for Showtime and CourtTV, as well as being a story consultant for Warner Brothers and the William Morris Agency.

When it comes to business and marketing, "Content is King".  If you don't have compelling content to drive sales, your fabulous products and top-notch services will leave a whole lot of business on the table.

There's no point in bringing together a bunch of half-baked, worn-out ideas and calling it content.  It's crucial your articles, blog posts, reviews and videos are all thoughtfully put together and offer value. 

This course will teach you how to use Hollywood storytelling techniques to create content that entices people to read and watch, which will make them want to share, and more importantly move them to buy.  You'll also learn how to understand what your audience craves, discover how to repurpose your content for maximum exposure, and avoid creating boring content.  While uncovering your unique voice and style, writing headlines that sizzle and have effective calls to action, and leveraging user-generated content for added credibility.

Teacher

Award-winning Business Strategist and Professional Screenwriter Melissa Cassera teaches entrepreneurs how to build an audience that is 100% obsessed with their work, while making every step feel like a total guilty pleasure. Named one of the nation's "Top Personal Branding Experts" by Huffington Post and her insights have been featured in Success Magazine, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Forbes.

There's a story in everyone, and a desire to write it, but what stops some is the mistaken belief that they can't write.  If you can speak, you can write, and more importantly for a writer is to speak the truth.

In this class you'll learn how to mine your life for story ideas, starting with the who, what, where and when of your story,  by implementing certain details.   Upping the ante by figuring out why you're telling this story,  and creating a likable narrator.

Teacher

Andrea Askowitz is an author and writer, her stories have appeared in various publications including The New York Times, Salon, xoJane, Brain, Child, Jewcy, and AEON, and have aired on NPR and PBS.  Founder of the Lip Service, a true-stories reading series.  Andrea currently co-produces, teaches, and co-hosts the podcast Writing Class Radio.

Do you want to start writing, but think if you do you'll always be broke? Are you brimming with ideas and want to be a thought leader like your heroes online? Or are you already an author/entrepreneur that wants to make a business from your writing or maybe simply be a better blogger? 

The fact is most writers don't make more than $1,000 a year from their writing.

The myth of the penniless writer will be squashed in this class, showing you you don't need to be broke to be a writer.

This class will teach you how to stop self-sabotaging yourself, and to break the mental block so you can see yourself as a profitable writer.  You'll learn how to identify which type of writer you want to be to set you on the path to profitability, using strategies to get going in each of these paths.

Teacher

Jeff Goins is one of the Internet's most successful bloggers, has guest-blogged for over 100 magazines, publications, and blogs. He's also a speaker, creative coach, and consultant. 

9. Free Course - Telling Your Truth Through Writing

As human beings we're programmed to think and speak in stories, it's an ingrained part of who we are.  A narrative is composed of simple components such as plot, conflict, setting, point of view, and most importantly characters.  When used properly can be an extremely powerful communication device.  And together all of these components share the writer's message in a way unlike anything else.

In this session you'll learn the critical importance of authenticity and honesty in memoir writing.  Addressing the most common and difficult choices writers make during the creative process.  The process will be started with a short exercise that will help you become comfortable with writing your truth, and will cover the importance of discipline to write everyday, and how to avoid distractions when it is time to work.

Teacher

Ayelet Waldman author of the novels Love and Treasure, Red Hook Road, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, and Daughter's Keeper, as well as of the essay collection Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace and Mommy-Track Mystery series.  A Federal public defender and an adjunct professor at the UC Berkeley law schools where she taught and developed a course on the legal implications of the War on Drugs.

If you're currently looking to learn creative skills online at an affordable price, and want to learn from the best writers in the business, such as Jeff Goins, Jennie Nash and Lisa Cron.  Or maybe you want to add some new skills to your writing arsenal like photography.  Creativelive has it all, from personal finance to self improvement, it's got you covered.

If you're still not sure about the Creator Pass maybe this will help you to:
  • Look for an inexpensive way to learn new skills online
  • Get your writing business off the ground
  • Restart your creativity
  • Help you become an authority in your chosen niche
  • Be more confident in your writing and personal skills
How Much Does It Cost?

You can buy the CreativeLive Creator Pass two ways, which makes it super affordable:

SALE: Yearly for less than $13 a month (billed annually for $149)
or Monthly $39


No More Commuting to Your Closest College

Are you ready to enroll in some writing courses online?  All of these online courses are run by knowledgeable instructors, the best in their field, providing you the training you need.
 
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