Our Featured Education Partners:
Gotham Writers' Workshop
Teaching more than 6,000 students a year, Gotham Writers' Workshop is one of the largest and most comprehensive private creative writing school in New York City and online. Ten-week and one-day workshops are offered in more than a dozen forms of writing including fiction writing, screenwriting, nonfiction writing and more. The school also offers private instruction, script and book doctoring services, workshops for teens, and custom workshops for corporations. You'll find a large selection of writing courses, including:
- Screenwriting
- Nonfiction Writing
- Memoir Writing
- 10-Week Workshops
- Business Writing
- Children's Book Writing
- Feature Writing
- Fiction Writing
- Film Analysis
- Humor Writing
- Memoir Writing
- Mystery Writing
- Nonfiction Writing
- Novel Writing
- Playwriting
- Poetry Writing
- Reading Fiction
- Romance Writing
- Science Fiction Writing
- Travel Writing
- TV Writing
Visit the site Learn more about these writing courses and to tour a sample course.
Learn more about these online writing courses . 
JER Group, Inc. (onlineworkshops)
Since 1994, JER Group, Inc. (onlineworkshops) has been in the business of continuing education, online course development and professional training and delivery and provides high quality distance education courses for adult learners worldwide. JER offers over 350 interactive, instructor-led workshops and tutorials as well as a wide variety of certificate programs. You'll find a large selection of writing courses, including:
- Beat Writer's Block with Journalling
- How to Beat Writers Block
- Writers At Work: A Review for Professionals
- How to Make Money Writing for Newspapers
- How to Become and Make Money as a Freelance Writer
- So You Wanna Be a Mystery Writer
- So You Wanna Be A Sci-Fi Writer
- So You Wanna Be A Newspaper Correspondent
- How to Write Your Life Story
- Short Story Secrets
- Certificate in Creative Writing
- Poetry Writing for Dreamers and Non-Dreamers
- Poetry for Profit and Play
- How to Write Short, Short Fiction
- Enter the Net - Writing for Online Media
- From Beans to Brew - Creating Characters
- Writing Your Life Story
- Write a Marketable Script in 10 Weeks
- Write a Marketable Script in 10 Weeks with Final Draft (Latest Release)
- Learn to Be Your Own Editor
Visit the site Learn more about these writing courses.
Learn more about these writing courses .
University of Phoenix
As part of the largest accredited private university in North America, University of Phoenix is an excellent source for individual online adult education courses. Students can take the classes they need to fulfill the degree requirements of other colleges and universities or for their professional development. Courses take only 5 or 6 weeks to complete. University of Phoenix offers the following Elective courses, and other popular courses:
- Writing
- Communications
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Sciences
- Political Science
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Astronomy
Learn more about these Electives Courses.
Penn Foster Career School
Established in 1890, Penn Foster Career School is one of the oldest and largest distance learning institutions in the world. Students can study online, in print, or a combination of each—you decide which method best suits your learning style.
- Freelance Writer Program
Start training now for a rewarding career as a Freelance Writer. In as little as nine months, you could be writing articles and stories for magazines, newspapers, and more and making money doing it. The complete program features the most current edition of Writer's Market and the chance for you to learn to specialize in literary fiction, genre fiction or nonfiction.
Penn Foster Career School is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools for high school and vocational-technical programs, and by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Penn Foster Career School is affiliated with DANTES, which qualifies U.S. military personnel for tuition reimbursement. Many Penn Foster programs are approved for U.S. Armed Forces veterans training benefits.
Penn Foster Career School offers affordable, all-inclusive pricing—among the lowest of all career schools—and 0% interest financing and customized payment plans.
Learn more about this freelance writer program.
If you’re located in Canada, click here.
Ashworth University
Ashworth University is a widely respected, nationally accredited distance education school, and offers the following diploma in writing children's books:
- Professional Children's Writing Program
Imagine using your talent and reaching your full creative potential as a children's writer. With this convenient home study course in children's book writing, you can start making it happen. The professional instructors of this course are all experienced, published authors. They'll show you how to avoid common pitfalls that cause many budding writers to give up and never pursue their dream. Most important, they'll guide you "hands-on," by giving you personal critiques of your writing. You'll learn proven techniques that people with successful writing careers already know. Your instruction also includes useful tips on preparing a manuscript for publication, and marketing your work to editors.
Students receive comprehensive texts and study materials by mail, and study in the convenience of home, at their own pace. Exams are open-book. Ashworth University offers easy, interest-free monthly tuition. Students may enroll online, year-round.
Ashworth University is an Accredited Member of the Distance Education and Training Council and is qualified under the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, or DANTES program.
Learn more about this children's writing program.
Algonkian Fiction Workshops
Algonkian Fiction Workshops offers unique online fiction and novel workshops for new and established writers. Online workshops feature lectures, exercises, instructor and class critiques and students learn technique, style, and structure from the most powerful and original fiction writers and novelists.
Business Writing Center
The Business Writing Center offers online writing courses teaching basic and intermediate writing skills. Here's just a few of the many courses offered:
- Basic Writing Skills
- Comprehensive Understanding of English Usage
- Editing Skills
- Individualized Writing Courses
- Intermediate Writing Skills
- Proofreading Skills
You're invited to submit a sample of your writing for a free evaluation.
CourseBridge.com
Coursebridge offers online instructor-led courses in writing skills for both personal and professional development. Courses include:
- Basics of Publicity Writing
- English Grammar in the Workplace
- Humor Writing
- Write With Style
- Writing Sex for Money
Essayfraud.org
EEI Communications Online Training
EEI Communications Online Campus offers the following online courses:
- Introduction to Copyediting: A Review of Grammar & Style
- Creating Successful Newsletters
- Comprehensive Proofreading
- Grammar for Professionals
- Strategies for Effective Writing
Course fee provides unlimited access for 30 days.
EnglishOnline.net
EnglishOnline.Net offers online courses in academic, business, and technical writing. Online writing courses are self-guided, available 24/7, and include clear lesson materials with interactive reviews, grammar and usage reviews and instruction, an online Writer's Handbook with exercises, a class discussion area, and feedback and assessment from experienced instructors. Students may register and begin at any time. All course materials and activities are online. Students submit writing assignments to class forum and/or by email to the instructor. Students receive instructor and peer feedback.
Fiction Writing Courses
Fiction Writer's Connection offers fiction writing courses via interactive email geared to both fiction and nonfiction writers. Courses are offered on an on-going basis so you can get started right away, and include resource materials online and supplied by your instructor. Course titles include:
- How to Write Winning Query Letters
- How to Write a Novel Synopsis
- How to Write Magazine and Newspaper Articles
- Elements of Novel Writing
- See You at the Movies!
Also available at the site are mentoring programs, critiquing services and free writing tip sheets.
Offbeatrips Travel and Tourism Journalism
'The Complete Travel Writer' is a comprehensive online travel journalism course, led by a professional editorial team. The course is available to individuals as well as tourism industry operators and other corporate entities. Samples of the course structure are available through the 'Free Tips' section of the website, comprising information on Writing, Photography, Sponsorship and Marketing issues. The course is available year-round and enrollments are accepted on an individual, 'start when you are ready' basis.
Online Writing Workshops
Coffeehouse for Writers offers a wide range of online writing workshops in writing basics, fiction and non-fiction. Here's a few sample titles:
- Nurturing the Muse
- Revive Your Writing
- Secrets of the Professional Freelancer
- Writing Fiction 101
Lessons are delivered to you weekly via email and you'll be able to read your lessons, homework and feedback from your instructor as well as from other workshop participants.
Ringer's Secret School of Writing
Ringer's Secret School of Writing "explodes the myth which says that you must suffer in order to write. The biggest part of this school is the playground". This school is one big community offering interactivity with student posting pages, bulletin board, helpful writing samples, question and answer page, writing trivia and technical help. Online writing courses are structured in 8 lessons per semester. Tuition for each semester is $65.00 and you have 6 months to complete all 8 lessons. Lesson topics include:
- Getting Started
- Plot
- Creating Character
- Originality
- Rhythm
- Discipline, Procrastination and Process
This site is worth the click just for the fun and be sure to visit "Writer's Foods", "Best Excuses for Not Writing" and "Best Places to Write".
Trace Writing School
The Trace Online Writing School at The Nottingham Trent University in England offers online courses in creative writing, short fiction, hypertext, cyberculture, animated poetry, screenwriting, novels, writing family history, research, writing web content and more. Sample course titles include:
- Creative Writing Workshop
- Writing an Online Family History
- Electronic Writing for Digital Media
- Experimental Writing
- Cyberculture and Literature
You'll develop close working relationships with your tutors and fellow-students as you participate via the website, email and chat. Self-study courses will also be available. During your course you'll enjoy free access to the shared writers' workshop where all the students gather to exchange and discuss work. And because the School is entirely web-based, you can learn at times to suit you and even keep up with your studies wherever you are. University credits will be available in 2002. Tutors include novelist Kate Pullinger, web artist extraordinaire Talan Memmott and prize-winning poet/programmer Peter Howard.
Word Museum Online Classes
Courses delivered via e-mail include Article Writing, Short Story, and Quill & Ink - a personalized course for the beginner writer. Courses are $25 - $35 and free workshops are offered on Fridays. Transcripts from previous courses are also available for purchase at reasonable prices.
Writing to Heal - Writing to Grow
Writing to Heal offers online writing courses to help you better understand the events in your life, create a written account to leave to your children, revisit the past, or heal emotional wounds. The writing courses are based on research which shows that writing deep thoughts and feelings about stressful events helps some people to heal, both emotionally and physically. Some of the courses available include:
- Writing About Cancer
- Writing for Personal Caregivers
- Writing for Families
- Your Life in Essays
Both self-study and instructor-led courses are offered, with tuition starting around $25.
Writer's Online Workshops
Online writing workshops are instructor-led and include professionally-developed workshop materials, fast feedback from your instructor, creativity-boosting exercises, fun writing assignments that work directly toward your writing goals, tips to help you improve all your writing, valuable writing contacts, new ideas and feedback from workshop peers. Here's just a sampling of the many workshops offered:
- Creating Dynamic Characters
- Fundamentals of Fiction Writing
- Writing Effective Dialogue
- Elements of Effective Writing I & II
- Fundamentals of Poetry Writing
These online writing workshops are developed by professional, published writers who are experts in their fields and the workshops are taught by some of the Web's best and most experienced instructors.
Writers on the Net
Writers on the Net offers a large and varied selection of e-mail writing classes. Here's a sample of some upcoming courses:
- Writing Fiction for Children
- Scriptwriting - Screen & Stage
- Introduction to Fiction Writing
- Writing the First Novel
- Writing and Publishing Magazine Articles
- How to Write and Sell a Contemporary Romance Novel
Writing classes run from 8 to 10 weeks and are priced from $190 to $240. Tutors are also available for one-on-one instruction. Great writing tips and quizzes too.
Writer's Web
A free online resource by the University of Richmond Writing Center. You'll find informative and useful guides to all aspects of writing: Getting Started; The First Draft; Focusing & Connecting Ideas; Using Sources; Punctuation; Analysis & Argument; General Editing; Sentence Structure; and Editing for Clarity & Style.
How to Write Poetry
The Albany Poetry Workshop
The Albany Poetry Workshop offers an online poetry class lasting 8 weeks and includes reading and writing assignments, a live discussion board, and weekly online live critiques of the poems you have written.
Poetry Magic
Poetry Magic is a resource centre for the theory and craft of writing poetry. With both beginners and advanced sections, Poetry Magic offers candid and practical advice on how to stimulate creativity, develop a theme, shape your poem from various aspects, publish your work, and get yourself known. Topics covered include:
- Finding a theme
- Originality
- Shaping a poem
- Imagery and Metaphor
- Rhythm and Stanza
- Critiquing
A special feature is self publishing, and the new opportunities offered by multimedia and the Internet.
Glossary of Poetic Terms
A unique guide for the study of poetry, with an extensive range of definitions, cross-references between related terms, informative sidelights, hyperlinked keywords, phonetic pronunciation guides and numerous examples.
Writing Guides and Resources
- 11 Rules of Writing - Lists the most commonly violated rules of writing, grammar and punctuation as an aid to learning and refining writing skills.
- Common Errors in English - Precede (or is it proceed?) directly to this site to do the right write thing.
- The Curmudgeon's Stylebook - Nicely organized and easy to read list of dos and don'ts.
- Guide to Grammar and Writing - Sentence and paragraph structure and all the rules of writing. Fun quizzes to test your skill and if you are really stumped you can always Ask Grammar.
Your Homework Assignment!
Worst Book Idea Contest
Start off your writing career by winning a prize for Worst Book Idea! If you win you'll receive accolades, a moderate amount of fame, high praise and tribute. Just think up something silly, funny, clever or outrageous. Sample titles to get you thinking: "Surgery for Amateurs", "The Rules for Pet Fish", and "Prozac in Poetry".
Personal Development
