Creative writing courses in Singapore have been one of the most trending courses in this island country located in Southeast Asia. These courses propound a string of writing techniques and styles ranging from copyrighting, and short story writing to screenwriting and poetry. This article will traverse through the most prestigious Creative Writing courses in Singapore along with their key features.
What is Creative Writing?
As indicated by its name, Creative Writing is that form of writing which is far beyond the bounds of all other forms of writing. Characters, Plots, Settings, and finally the Tone are the main elements of Creative Writing. It circumscribes a lot of varied genres and styles across the whole range of domains of both fiction and non-fiction writing, poetry, prose, playwriting, and more.
Technically, the skill of Creative Writing can be identified by the inclusion of elements such as character development, plots, and narratives, an emphasis on narrative craft, infusion of imagination, invention, and story in its structure.
In a broader sense, Creative Writing can be considered a form of writing which includes original and contemporary composition. It is not restricted by standard conventions and lays stress on the usage of the whole range of elements in its craft.
As far as Creative Writing in an academic setting is concerned, it is divided into Poetry, Fiction, or Scriptwriting classes, with highly focussed writing that is not defined by pre-existing structures and genres and is in an original style.
Types of Creative Writing
Creative Writing exists in many forms, encompassing a number of genres and styles in its purview. In a broader sense, Creative Writing can be categorized as Fiction or Non-fiction. Some of the different and most popular types of Creative Writing are mentioned below:
- Fiction: Novels, Novellas, Short Stories, etc.
- Biography
- Speech
- Poetry
- Spoken Word
- Playwriting/Scriptwriting
- Personal essay
Techniques Applied in Creative Writing
Creative Writers often employ several literary devices and Creative Writing techniques in order to make their writing stand out in the literary marketplace. This includes –
- Plot Development – The gripping story of the piece of writing – the way it creates, develops, unfolds, and moves along in the course of time.
- Character Development – The very process of creation of a realistic and well-rounded character with an enchanting personality, depth, and absolutely clear goals and motivations.
- Dialogues – This refers to all the conversations and the speech characters use to interact with each other. The language choices and the dialogues a character makes can be pivotal in defining their personality.
- Literary Devices – Literary Devices such as Similes, Metaphors, and Alliteration are used to make Creative Writing more expressive, imaginative, and exhaustive. These devices are used in a myriad of ways by writers to transform their writing into a more vivid, engaging, and interesting account.
- Point of View – Point of View signifies the perspective from which a narrative is told. This also indicates how the information is conveyed to the reader.
Best Practices in Creative Writing
Some of the tips are given below on how to start Creative Writing and improve the writing craft as per market standards –
- Adopt reading as a hobby
It has been observed that inspiration comes from a wide range of sources, but most often it comes from other writers. Emphasis should be laid on reading a variety of genres by national as well as international authors to develop a real flair for writing.
- Thorough practice of the usage of literary devices
Literary Devices, like Metaphors, Rhyme, and Similes are helpful in the real sense to create more vivid, imaginative, and really descriptive scenes. Their appropriate usage should be practiced very religiously. This will ultimately lead to a stage where the budding writers will witness their Creative Writing skills beginning to flourish.
Wish to get some ideas to assist you in practicing these devices? Pick a random object from your house and start practicing using five literary devices to describe that same object. And then, lo and behold, watch cautiously on which pedestal your creativity is taking you!
- Start Journaling
To start journaling is the best possible way to unleash inner creativity. Getting engrossed in the habit of writing each day about literally anything that has caught your attention that day will help you master the art of writing. The more regularly one journal, the more quickly the process of confidence building starts. One could even find the next great idea from something he/she has journaled about!
- Attend a Creative Writing course
Joining a Creative Writing course is a wonderful pick for those who have just started out as a Creative Writer. Joining this course becomes especially imperative if they are looking forward to sharing their ideas with others and workshop their writings. The Creative Writing toolkit offered in these courses helps the aspirants in creating meaningful content.
- Write, write, and write!
Whether you have a complete narrative arc or a single conversation starter for a particular character, you will only be able to kickstart your writing journey when you physically do it. Look around for a writing prompt and start writing. Writing religiously and irrefutably makes it easier to unshackle your creativity.
Must-have Skills for Creative Writers
A seasoned Creative Writer must possess the following skillset to commence his/her professional Creative Writing career:
- Motivation and self-discipline
- Language Skills, that include Listening, Speaking, and Reading
- Powerful Imagination
- Modern–age communication skills
- Abundant vocabulary
- Sufficient competence to meet deadlines
- Excellent research skills
- Basic technical know-how
- Potential to promote/market your work
Also Check: Financial Modeling Courses in Singapore
Creative Writing Courses in Singapore
1. IIM SKILLS, New Delhi, India
Course Name: Online Content Writing Master Course
IIM SKILLS is an India-based educational institution that is known for its quality education and worldwide credibility. It was founded in the year 2015 and has trained students across the globe. Amongst the Creative Writing courses in Singapore, the IIM SKILLS Content Writing Course is a prestigious one.
It conducts online live courses in the field of Content Writing. This course also includes tutorials on Creative Writing skills. They have a supremely designed content writing course which is one of the most popular Creative Writing courses on the online platform.
Key Features of this program are listed below:
- 4 weeks of live online classes with 30 hours of training.
- 30 hours of training includes 16 hours of lectures and 14 hours of internship sessions.
- IIM SKILLS provides the Certificate of Completion to the students and it also prepares them for the USA’s HubSpot Certification.
- Students can write their first blog for online portals like ‘Times Of India’.
- 3 months of guaranteed non-paid internship.
- Learners can publish their first E-book on Kindle.
This form is currently undergoing maintenance. Please try again later.
IIM SKILLS Content Writing Master Course’s courseware includes:
- Introduction to Content Writing
- WordPress Web Development
- Creation of Digital Content like Articles, Web Pages, Blogs
- Copywriting
- Marketing Collaterals
- Email Writing
- Social Media Optimisation and Video Scripts Writing
- Creative Writing
- Business Listing and SOP
- Legal Writing
- Technical Writing
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Content Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing & AdSense
- Freelance Content Writing
- Resume Writing
2. Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
Name of the Course: Post-graduate M.A. in (Creative Writing)
Duration: 1.5 years (3 semesters)
Mode: Full-time
This educational institution was founded by the late visionary educator De La Salle Brother Joseph McNally in the year 1984. It has a community of award-winning faculty. It is considered to be an International Centre of Excellence and is ranked within the top 151-200 institutions internationally for its various programs (QS World University Rankings 2023).
Its M.A. in Creative Writing program is the first of its kind in Singapore as well as Southeast Asia. The program is focused on graduating Creative Writers, Publishable Authors, and producing new written work. This is one of the most craved Creative Writing courses in Singapore.
This program bedecks tomorrow’s writers, publishers, editors, and curators to develop narratives that transmigrate from page to stage and conclusively to screens. This program aligns Singapore with the world’s exponentially growing literary production, pedagogy, and publishing market.
Intensive graduate writing workshops with globally – renowned visiting writers improve reading, writing, and editing abilities under this program. It also provides meta-lessons in perception, creative problem-solving, and communicative precision.
Students of this program get an opportunity to attend local as well as regional writing festivals. The program incorporates workshops and dialogues with visiting writers from around the world.
Program Structure
This full-time program spans a duration of 1.5 years. Semesters I and II comprise two 30-credit modules. The 60-credit module in Semester III helps the students to develop a final writing portfolio complemented by a critical essay. The key features of different semesters are as follows:
Semester I
- Research Methods in Creative Arts
This module introduces the students to the realm of arts research through a broadspectrum study of research methodology and analytical techniques. The students of the Creative Writing course also devote the second half of this module to creative non-fiction writing.
- Story
The learners examine the origins, theories, and histories of story, the art of storytelling, and the imaginative creation of fiction, with special emphasis on narrative prose fiction.
Semester II
- Dramatic Writing
This module aids in evolving a sophisticated understanding of all the dramatic forms, their structures, and techniques that permits the writers to gain new insights into creating dramatic plot progressions, and compelling dialogue sequences.
- Language, the Writer’s Craft, and Poetics
The sole purpose of this module is to equip students with the recognition of the power of language and how the various key techniques and concepts studied can be effectively applied to enhance the eloquence of all genres and forms of creative writing. This module is also about all forms of poetics, their structures, and their devices.
Semester III
- Final Research
The focus of this module is on the research and delivery of either of the following:
(1) A single extended writing, or
(2) A portfolio consisting of thematically connected writing. The creative element of this project is very well complemented by an extended critical essay.
3. Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), Singapore
Name of the Course: Creative Writing- Prose
Course Types: Modular Undergraduate Course
Language: English
Duration: 6 months
One of the best Creative Writing courses in Singapore is offered by the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Creative Writing: The prose course assists in developing the skills of the learners in the narrative craft. This is a course that enables students to create compelling and engaging narratives in the domain of fiction and non-fiction writing. Students imbibe to hone their writing skills in course-directed activities in order to design their own creative writing projects.
The courseware of this program includes:
- Creative Writing Process
- Types of fiction
- Style
- Showing and telling
- Setting the scene
- Breathing life into characters
- Plot and structure
- Points of view
- Perspectives
- Shaping style and structure
- Elements of the narrative essay
- Management of creative project
- Information regarding publishing platforms such as journals, magazines, blogs, and more
4. Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
Name of the Course: Asia Creative Writing Programme
NTU is a national research university of immense repute in Singapore. It is an autonomous, and the second oldest University of Singapore. It is also ranked as one of the most prestigious universities in the world by countless international metrics.
Offering one of the most sought-after Creative Writing Courses in Singapore, NTU runs the Asia Creative Writing Programme which is a joint initiative between the National Arts Council of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University. This program is considered to be one of the most coveted Creative Writing courses in Singapore.
Many legendary writers are appointed as Visiting Writers to conduct Creative Writing workshops. They devotedly mentor and guide emerging, and developing writers in Singapore.
The mission of NTU is to enrich Creative Writing education by:
- Augmenting development opportunities for naive writers.
- Provide a firm foundation to promising writers and translators across Singapore.
- Render supports the existing literary talent pool in the country by offering specialized programs for the advancement of their creative practice.
- Promote the exchange program between translators and writers who are learning to write in Singapore’s four official languages Mandarin, Malay, English, and Tamil.
- To bring Visiting Writers and Translators who are widely regarded as masters in their respective fields to teach Creative Writing to the aspirants.
- To run workshops, masterclasses, lectures, and seminars.
- To provide mentorship for writers.
- To assist writers in conducting their research work and other literary activities.
Other recommended courses:
- Online Creative Writing Courses
- Creative Writing Courses in New Zealand
- Creative Writing Courses in the UK
- Creative Writing Courses in Galway
- Creative Writing Courses in Belfast
- Creative Writing Courses in Canada
5. Coursera
Name of the Course: Creative Writing Specialization
Out of the many Creative Writing courses in Singapore, this specialization designed by Coursera covers the kernels of three major Creative Writing genres. These are:
- Narrative essay
- Short story, and
- Memoir
The learners are made to master the techniques that good writers use to compose a bracing story. Mobbed with memorable characters in an enthralling setting and written in a well-defining style. Candidates will learn to analyze and constructively evaluate peer writing.
In the Capstone, they will draft, rewrite, and complete a substantial original story in the genre of their choice. This specialization comprises five courses mentioned below:
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot
In this course, aspiring writers will be introduced to the PLOT of the story which is perhaps the most challenging element of the story.
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Character
Characters of a story occupy the epicenter of it. In this course, the budding writers will garner support in learning how to build and bring to life vivid, complex, and unforgettable characters within the story. They will study and analyze the choices they have to make to bring all characters to life on the page.
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Setting
In this program, naive writers are introduced to the techniques that wizards of fiction use to ground a storyline in a concrete world. From the most subtly realistic settings to the most fantastical ones, writers will become proficient in the art of describing the gross world in keen-edged, sensory detail.
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Style
Style is a unique and distinctive facet of Creative Writing. This course introduces aspiring writers to the art of putting style into written language. The curriculum includes the usage of metaphors and imagery and authenticates how grace and innovations in word selection are imperative to the success of a story.
- Capstone: Your Story
Students draft a story, memoir, or narrative essay of their choice. Their work gets peer–reviewed. The classroom skills of plotting, setting, characterization, physical description, and stylistic clarity will culminate in a self-owned original work of art.
6. Henry Harvin
Name of the Course: Creative Writing Course
With the usage of enriching and mesmerizing vocabulary, the Creative Writing course offered by Henry Harvin capacitates writers to put their imagination into words. This is one of the most pragmatic Creative Writing courses in Singapore that has been crafted to let the learners formulate their own endeavors of Creative Fiction and Nonfiction, Drama, and Poetry – the four genres of perfect creative writing.
The courseware teaches the aspirants to conceptualize a thought, form a backdrop for a storyline, and form plots to build a gripping sequence of the story through their inestimable creativity and imagination.
Key Features of this program are:
- Two-way Live Online Interactive Classroom Sessions
- The students can undertake projects in Fiction Writing, Creating Stories, Script Writing, etc.
- Internship Assistance is extended to assist the students in gaining practical experience of classroom learning.
- Students get Certification of Certified Creative Writing Course from Henry Harvin®.
- 100% placement assistance and guaranteed support for one year post-successful completion of the course.
- Regular Bootcamps are held which are spread over the next twelve months.
- Excellent E-Learning access is granted with the usage of hi-tech tools and techniques, assessments, video content, and more.
- Henry Harvin provides free access to #AskHenry Hackathons and Competitions to its students.
Frequently Asked Questions: Creative Writing Courses in Singapore
Q.1 Is it possible to earn a living as a Creative Writer?
Yes, it is very much possible to earn a living as a Creative Writer. There are multifarious professional choices in the field of Creative Writing such as Copywriting, Web Content Creation, Content Writing, Newspaper/Magazine Journalism, Content Editor, Proofreader, Social Media Manager, and so on.
Q.2 What would be the best way for me to begin writing?
Some of the indisputable ways to begin writing are mentioned below:
- Create a blog to write for your family and friends.
- Write some samples and look for a professional writing agency to assist you in enriching your writing skills.
- Join a content network.
- Master the concepts of SEO and other concomitant topics.
- Connect with other freelancers.
Q.3 Elaborate on the career scope in Creative Writing.
Creative Writing can be a very financially rewarding career option considering the present status of the industry. However, this discipline involves a lot of creativity as well as a good know-how of how content is perceived online, unlike other forms of content writing.
Q.4 What are the required prerequisites to become a Creative Writer?
Flair for writing is the biggest prerequisite to becoming a Creative Writer. Many other associated skills like good communication skills, excellent grammar and sentence formation, etc. add value to the already existing skill set of the writers. The vehement beginners can enroll in a Creative Writing course to kickstart their expedition as a writer.
Q.5 How can I start a writing career?
You can contact the publishing houses if you have some manuscripts. If you are just a budding writer in need of a platform to showcase your writing skills then try blogging sites like WordPress. This site lets you host your blog. If you are already a seasoned writer having a good writing portfolio, then, you should contact those companies that hire copywriters or content writers.
Conclusion: Creative Writing Courses in Singapore
The inference that we can draw after discussing the Creative Writing courses in Singapore is that these courses offer a plethora of benefits to both, established authors and aspiring writers. These courses not only provide students the opportunity to sharpen their creative writing skills but to also gain valuable mentorship from their ace instructors. They also cater to the needs of budding writers to have an encouraging environment where they can feel connected with like-minded individuals who can guide them on how to improve their craft.
Moreover, Creative Writing courses in Singapore offer a versatile range of topics and styles, to writers hailing from all levels and interests. From fiction and poetry to scriptwriting and non-fiction, there is a course to suit every writer’s platter. Many programs are designed to spotlight the specific aspects of writing, such as plot structure, character development, and dialogue writing to provide students with a deeper understanding of these quintessential elements.
Some Creative Writing courses in Singapore also offer opportunities for students to publish their work online. Most of the Creative Writing courses in Singapore are reasonably priced and hence are accessible to a wider range of candidates. However, while these courses can be helpful, they are not a guarantee of success, and writers must evaluate their needs and goals before enrolling in a course. With the right mindset and dedication, however, a creative writing course can be a valuable tool for writers looking to hone their craft and reach their full potential.