Creative writing is considered a form of art, and some writers are born artists possessing innate creative writing abilities, while others who strongly possess the desire to become a creative writer, develop and nurture the skill of creative writing. Over a period of time with regular practice and experience, the quality of creative writing gradually keeps on improving. To become a worthy and far-reaching creative writer, one needs to gain knowledge and awareness of all facets of creative writing. Keeping this in view, this article has compiled a list of the top creative writing courses in Amsterdam to guide and provide them with accurate information on all the options available for them to pursue.
A thorough understanding of finer elements, and execution in the right direction can help the writer bring out original and stimulating creative content. This can be achieved with the able guidance of experts in this field. Amsterdam has been the center of writing activities since the 17th century and it still offers abundant opportunities to creative writers. Certainly, many aspiring writers in Amsterdam must be uncertain about an accurate path to fulfill their desire to become creative writers.
Creative Writing Defined
Creative writing is an artistic expression of an individual, drawn on an original imagination to effectively communicate the meaning through the use of words and drama. It conveys an author’s exclusive expression, writing form, opinions, and ideas in an appealing and imaginative manner. Creative writing is in contrast to methodical, practical, or realistic forms of writing.
Creative writing is considered a form of art that is extremely versatile. Poetry, fiction, short stories, novels, personal essays, scripts, screenplays, and songwriting are many forms that fall under the purview of creative writing. Formal types of writing forms such as business writing, academic writing, technical writing, and journalistic writing fall outside the realm of creative writing.
While it comes naturally to some, many individuals acquire creative writing skills through constantly nurturing and cultivating habits of systematic expression of their independent ideas and imaginations on paper. Through persistent training, guidance, and feedback from experienced writers and peers, creative writers are able to showcase new perspectives which is usually an enhanced piece of writing, more engaging and appealing to a wider audience.
To develop or bring out such skills one needs to seek expert guidance in the creative writing field. This article provides some important information on some top institutes providing creative writing courses in Amsterdam. Now let us take a look at the benefits of doing such a course.
The Benefits of Doing a Creative Writing Course
History has witnessed many gifted painters who were never taught a thing about painting, they were born with such innate instincts. But such examples are few and most painters learn this art from experienced painters well conversant with various forms and techniques.
Similarly, creative writing is also a form of art and with guidance, one can be familiarized with various techniques and forms of writing which will not only help better understand the subject but also gain confidence to showcase their work. Some of the benefits are explained below:
1. Enhance Imagination
Creative writing entails you to create new imaginary places, characters, and situations for your creative piece which boosts your imagination power further. Your brain is constantly encouraged to think out of the box which results in the discovery of new ideas and alternative solutions to problems and look at issues from different perspectives. Your thinking is likely to become more innovative and you shall be able to push limits to solve various complications.
2. Develop Empathy
Creative writing requires you to constantly create new characters in your writing, these characters have different personalities, sentiments, and opinions that are different from yours. This characterization helps you develop your empathic skills and gain an understanding of others’ points of view who do not experience life as you do.
Empathy is an important trait to have in life, it helps you to understand and sympathize with your colleagues/classmates’ difficulties and will enable you to help them feel valued and supported in overcoming their problems. You will be building a more mutually beneficial environment which will eventually lead to improved relationships and success in your and your associates’ targets.
3. Improved Thought Clarification
Structure development within creative writing enables you to think clearly and categorize your thoughts and emotions into a rationally consistent process. This clarity in thoughts will ensure that you look at all the happenings around you and in your life with more clarity, as you are able to define clear routes to deal with various issues in the future.
4. Broader Vocabulary
Creative writing facilitates the increase in your vocabulary power as you keep on exploring new ways to express yourself. Over a period of time, as you develop your writing skills, you will automatically discover the progress in your usage and variety in language, which will surely be a priceless asset in any occupation and in real-life social circumstances.
5. Critical Review
Most creative writing courses in Amsterdam involve peer-to-peer reviews. Your writing work is reviewed by others and vice versa. Thus you will both learn how to critically assess someone’s work and receive critical reviews from others. Hence, this ability to listen to feedback from others and application of constructive criticism is a significant trait that will immensely benefit you in various walks of life.
Different Forms of Creative Writing
Writing can come in any form and size, but for a writing work to be considered as creative writing, it must be based on original imagination, ideas, and emotion. Words offer us countless possibilities for expressing and narrating our stories. Our focus may be on what is the reason for loving someone, what attracts us to a musical piece, or why some things happen the way they do.
We mostly choose a direct approach to tell our story with a specific theme, a straightforward narrative style, and with some amount of dramatization. However, it is very important to evaluate if our thoughts or ideas are being told in the right form of writing. If we use the right medium to express our imagination, it will most likely have the strongest impact.
Most authors write straightforwardly and directly from the heart, they simply find this encouraging that their writing does not have to follow one style. But then the various types and forms of writing always leave some doubt in their minds.
That’s why choosing the perfect form to write down your imagination is as essential as the writing piece itself. Let us quickly see the most popular forms of creative writing to select from in creative writing. These forms are short stories, journal diaries, children’s books, graphic novels, plays, memoirs, essays, lyrics, scripts, fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, novels, and speeches.
Career Scope for Creative Writers in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has a rich literary history and is renowned for all the inspiration it provides to writers. It has produced many great authors like Gerard Reve, Willem Frederik Hermans, and so on. The legacy still continues and the city still encourages writing talents. Anyone looking for a creative writing career in Amsterdam is bound to have access to a distinct list of opportunities in the city itself due to its busily swarming English-speaking community.
Creative writers have many opportunities to find work in various industries like publishing houses, educational institutes, film and theatre houses, entertainment media houses, advertising agencies, social media, public relations firms, broadcasting stations, and many more. A creative writer can manifest his skill set into many roles such as novelist, playwright, screenplay writer, blogger, critic, copywriter in advertising, journalist, ghost writer, content creator, social media marketer, creative director, song lyricist poet, author, and many more.
Clearly, taking up creative writing courses in Amsterdam will surely provide writers with a wide range of opportunities if they earnestly pursue them. With present-day technological advancements, creative content consumption is also increasing at a rapid pace. Thus, the scope of opportunities for creative writers and their skills is also increasing accordingly in Amsterdam.
Earning Trends for Creative Writers in Amsterdam
Salary figures for the position of creative writer in Amsterdam, Netherlands range from a starting salary of 1,670 EUR per month to a maximum salary of 5,170 EUR per month. It may be noted here that these are not the legally mandated minimum wage figures but rather representative figures as obtained from a survey that included numerous participants and professionals from the field (Source: salaryexplorer.com).
Hence, it can be concluded that a creative writer in Amsterdam, Netherlands usually earns around 3,330 EUR per month. This average salary includes the cost of housing, transportation expenses, and other benefits. The salaries of creative writers in Amsterdam, Netherlands vary significantly depending on their experience, skills, location, and even gender. A writer with experience of four to five years can safely expect an average salary of 50,000 EUR per annum.
List of Top Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
Now, let us move on to the top 5 creative writing courses. This list is prepared after analyzing several factors like the course curriculum, practical approach, training and workshop, job support, certification, fees, etc. of various courses being offered in Amsterdam for creative writing.
Rank #1. Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
1. IIM SKILLS
IIM SKILLS is a renowned global online educational platform, that delivers various professional courses relevant to the current era. It is ranked number one in our list among all the available top creative writing courses in Amsterdam. IIM SKILLS, since 2015, has been a market leader in providing online professional courses globally.
IIM SKILLS has carefully curated a creative writing course that not only teaches the fundamental principles of creative writing but also guides you on ways to ensure your work reaches the target audience. The curriculum includes a perfect mix of theoretical classes and practical training sessions.
The course with the title Content Writing Course includes more than 30 hours of live training, exposure to tools that assist in writing and publishing your creative content, two months of paid writing internship (optional), and 100% job support assurance.
That’s not all the creative writing course offered by IIM SKILLS provides students with actual writing opportunities like article writing for blogs, writing your first book, story writing, creating social media posts, etc., and helps publish them through different platforms.
IIM SKILLS also assures 100% job support. Also, the creative writing course offered by them is the most affordable among all the courses we highlighted, it is offered at € 223 including GST. Students will earn a master’s certificate on successful completion of this course, which is well-recognized by the recruiters.
IIM SKILLS further helps students to prepare for HubSpot Certification, USA, and Test of Legal English Centre Cambridge (TOLES), United Kingdom. This course is open to all and can be undertaken by anyone with a passion for writing or someone who wants to explore a career in the field of writing.
Key features of the course:
| Course Name |
| § Content Writing Master Course |
| Duration |
| § 3 Months (1 Month Program and 2 Months Internship) |
| Mode of Study |
| § Online Interactive Live Classroom |
| Eligibility |
| § Proficiency in English Language Preferred |
| Syllabus |
| The course broadly includes:
§ Creative Writing – Fiction and Non-fiction – Poems – Scripts, Dialogue Placements & more – Difference between creative writing, copywriting, and content writing § Live Projects – Your First Book Draft (Fiction – Nonfiction) – First draft of creative content – Short story writing § Exposure to Tools: – Google Books – Kindle Direct Publishers – Google Docs – Canva § Freelance Writing § Article Writing § Blogging § Web Page Content Writing § Social Media Writing § Video Script Writing § Email Writing § Technical Writing § Legal Writing § WordPress Web Development § Resume Writing |
| Placement |
| § 100% Job Support |
| Certification |
| § Master Certification from IIM Skills – Recognized by MSME, Govt. of India |
| Fees |
| § € 223 (including GST) with an option to pay in interest-free EMIs |
| Contact for more information |
| § Phone: +91-9580740740
§ Email: info@iimskills.com |
Rank #2. Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
2. University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam is one of the top universities in the Netherlands and offers an Honours Programme in creative writing in the university. This coveted course aims to remove the lines of distinction for creative writing both as a form of discipline and an art form.
Students will be engaged with both theory and creative writing practice through formal instruction, generating their own original piece of work, and group workshop participation analysis. Students will indulge in reading texts on creative thinking and process, craft and revision, and eventually write their own poems, short stories, essays, and novels. In a workshop environment, students get to share their literary work and express their opinions on others’ writing.
All the lectures of the course will be held on the university campus. The course will be completed in two semesters within six months. The course is open to second and third-year Bachelor’s students of the university. Students from all disciplines can join the course since the main objective of this course is to make students understand how various genres of literary works can perform as a single unit alongside each other.
Students with strong academic commitment are bound to benefit from the course, as they witness the similarities in creative and critical writing. The course also includes complimentary topics such as culture theory, media studies, literature history, linguistics, and global identity. This course ranks second on our list of creative writing courses in Amsterdam and is highly recommended for UvA students who want to pursue creative writing.
Key features of the course:
| Course Name |
| § Honoursmodule: Creative Writing |
| Duration |
| § 6 months (divided into two Semesters) |
| Mode of Study |
| § Classroom lectures on campus |
| Eligibility |
| § For 2nd or 3rd year honours students of UvA only. |
| Syllabus |
| Categorized into 6 sections:
§ Elements of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction § Understanding the diversity of each genre of writing § Transnational and transcontinental literature § Issues of aesthetics and ethics pertaining to creative writing § Own poetry and prose in the wider public sphere § Methods such as free writing, writers’ journals, and more. § Improved editorial skills § Balanced and sensitive evaluations of peer writing in class § Technical expertise in compiling a multi-genre portfolio and a genre-specific final project |
| Placement |
| § Job placement is not supported |
| Certification |
| § Honours Degree |
| Fees |
| § On request |
| Contact for more information |
| § Address: Education Desk IIS, Science Park 904, C3.119
§ Phone: +31 20 5255190 § Email: educationdesk-iis@uva.nl |
Rank #3. Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
3. The Knowledge Academy
The Knowledge Academy is well known for conducting various professional courses in numerous countries through short-term classes and its online platform. The Knowledge Academy brings various professional courses to Amsterdam as well, among them is a well-designed creative writing course.
This course is called a Creative Writing Training course, it is skilfully crafted to make students/delegates understand the different writing skills and unravel their imagination and creativity. Students will be taught ways to structure and write literary fiction. The training will also help them bring out their core emotions to shape language for poetry and literature.
This creative writing training course is specifically designed for individuals who want to explore and refine their creative writing skills. It is ideal for aspiring writers, people who want to enhance their storytelling skills, and professionals in the field of content creation.
Writers, journalists, teachers, content creators, bloggers, copywriters, public relations professionals, and content marketers can greatly benefit from this course. There are no formal prerequisites to do this course.
As per our analysis, the price of the course is a bit on the higher side, especially considering the duration, but it is negotiable, the institute offers to match it with the best price in the market. The course includes high-quality resources for a comprehensive learning experience. A creative writing training certificate will be awarded upon completion of the course.
Key features of the course:
| Course Name |
| § Creative Writing Training |
| Duration |
| § Online – Self-Paced; Classroom – One Day |
| Mode of Study |
| § Online Training or Classroom |
| Eligibility |
| § No formal prerequisites |
| Syllabus |
| § Module 1: Broad Introduction to Creative Writing
§ Module 2: Challenges for Translation § Module 3: Composition and Creative Writing § Module 4: 7 Processes of Creative Writing § Module 5: Writing FictionTrade Life Cycle § Module 6: Creative Nonfiction § Module 7: Basics of Writing Poetry § Module 8: Performing Writing § Module 9: Academy and Community Writing § Module 10: Creative Writing Improvement Tips |
| Placement |
| § No Assistance |
| Certification |
| § Certificate in Creative Writing |
| Fees |
| § €995 |
| Contact for more information |
| § Address: Hotel Campanile Eindhoven, Noord Brabantlaan 309, 5657 GB Eindhoven
§ Phone: +31 208081674 § E-mail: info@theknowledgeacademy.com |
Also Read:
- Online Creative Writing Courses
- Creative Writing Courses in New Zealand
- Creative Writing Courses in Singapore
- Creative Writing Courses in Canada
- Creative Writing Courses in Dubai
- Creative Writing Courses in Vancouver
Rank #4. Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
4. Oxford University
The world’s oldest university, the University of Oxford, England requires no particular introduction. It is the oldest university running operations since 1096 CE. The university has a unique virtual learning platform designed to impart online professional courses. Through this platform, they deliver an Advanced Creative Writing course, which guides students through weekly sessions of directed readings and learning activities.
Students get opportunities to interact with their tutors through a tutor-guided, text-based forum discussion panel. The students can study flexibly whenever it suits them under the direct tuition of an expert. This course is not suitable for beginners, students opting for this course must be familiar with the basics of creative writing.
The course aims to help students understand ways to develop their ideas into coherent, appealing, and commercially viable literary work. Further, students will be taught about a range of fiction genres and to shape their writing work suitably.
They will get to critically examine and deliberate on their work with an awareness that this work will be up for a public and professional readership and scrutiny. Learn skills of self-editing and completion of their distinct writing projects. Also. Learn to develop confidence in their own original writing methods and style.
By the end of this course, students will attain diverse skill sets and procedures essential in the creation and implementation of a permanent piece of prose. Upon completion of the course, placement opportunities and a valuable certification will be provided by the university. This course ranks fourth in our list of creative writing courses in Amsterdam and is highly recommended for intermediate writers.
Key features of the course:
| Course Name |
| § Advanced Creative Writing |
| Duration |
| § 10 weeks (10 hours per week) in total about 100 hours |
| Mode of Study |
| § Online |
| Eligibility |
| § Proficiency in the English Language necessary
§ Basic computer and internet use skills required |
| Syllabus |
| Program Details –
§ Unit 1 – Teaching to Write What You Know § Unit 2 – Beginnings, Middles, Endings § Unit 3 – Character 1 § Unit 4 – Character 2 § Unit 5 – What kind of story § Unit 6 – What’s it all about § Unit 7 – Complex plotting § Unit 8 – Whose story is it anyway § Unit 9 – How to tell it § Unit 10 – Insights on When is it finished |
| Placement |
| § Placement opportunities provided |
| Certification |
| § Certification is provided for your course. However, you need to register and pay an additional €11.55 fee for those credits. |
| Fees |
| § Course Fee € 667.73
§ For CATS points € 11.55 |
| Contact for more information |
| § Address: Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
§ Phone: +44 (0)1865 270360 § Email: onlinecourses@conted.ox.ac.uk |
Rank #5. Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
5. Amsterdam Writing Workshops
Amsterdam Writing Workshops is an initiative by the accomplished association of writers from Amsterdam to educate learners who are interested in cultivating writing skills and enhancing the independent power of expression through their writing work. The writing workshops are designed to help students through instructional practice become confident and capable writers.
During these writing workshops, learners get to work independently and with their fellow writers. They occupy themselves in the writing process by choosing a topic, drafting a literary work, revising & editing it, and finally publishing their own original work.
The benefits of these writing workshops are that students learn to appreciate constructive criticism of their work, help each other improve their work, build a community with people who share their passion, and discover core strengths. These regular workshops also keep students motivated.
These workshops have a flip side too, everyone present there will have a different opinion about one’s writing, and how it can be improved and it has been noticed that certain individuals or individuals dominate the entire discussion. These workshops are most suitable for individuals who want to write stories, start a blog, compose poems or lyrics, novels, etc. but do not know where to begin.
These workshops promise to stimulate your writing thoughts and inspire your creativity. With easy exercises and plenty of writing students stand to gain a lot in these short duration workshops. These workshops help build a community of writers and they welcome all levels of writers. Amsterdam Writing Workshops takes the fifth spot in our list of creative writing courses in Amsterdam and highly recommend them as we believe these writing workshops can work wonders for budding writers.
Key features of the course:
| Course Name |
| § Writing Workshops |
| Duration |
| § Short duration of 2 days |
| Mode of Study |
| § Online |
| Eligibility |
| § No Particular Prerequisite |
| Syllabus |
| Various Workshop Covering Topics:
§ Writing Memoir § Writing Non-Fiction § Simply Writing § The Novel § Writing Towards Peace § The Art of Revision § The Short Story § How to Write Funny § Writing about Food § Write for Children § The Poetic Voice § Poetry as Storytelling § Travel Writing § Read like a Writer § Advanced Fiction § Publishing: The Basics |
| Placement |
| § No Assistance |
| Certification |
| § No Certification |
| Fees |
| § €150 per workshop |
| Contact for more information |
| § Phone: +31 (0) 62 502 0817
§ E-mail: info@amsterdamwriting.com |
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q 1. What are the necessary skills required in creative writing?
The most important prerequisites to becoming a creative writer are to have a vivid imagination and be an original thinker. There is also little doubt, that reading helps writing. So one needs to be an insatiable reader of all types of reading material. Proficiency in the English language is obviously necessary (or any language you wish to write in). Good grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, articulate writing, narrative, and communicative skills will add color to your writing. An amalgamation of these skills are bound to support one’s endeavors to become a professional creative writer. However, expertise and aptitude in language usage are a must to be able to express yourself unambiguously.
Q 2. What are the essential qualifications to do creative writing courses in Amsterdam?
Most creative writing courses in Amsterdam do not require any essential educational qualifications to do the course, except the University of Amsterdam, which requires you to be an existing Bachelor’s student of the university. However, a degree in English literature and language will definitely give you an edge in this field, especially if you are looking to be employed with media agencies and publishing houses.
Q 3. What is the primary difference between creative writing and content writing?
While both creative writing and content writing need some out-of-the-box thinking with original ideas and imagination, it is mainly their purpose that distinguishes them from each other. The main purpose of creative writing work is to express one’s original thoughts and ideas with the intent to enthuse and enthrall the readers through various genres of writing. Content writing on the other hand also involves creatively expressing written content but it can also be expressed in a straightforward simple manner to seek the attention of readers mostly for commercial purposes. The primary objective of content writing services is to market or sell products or services.
Q 4. Are creative writing courses in Amsterdam expensive?
The price or fees of creative writing courses in Amsterdam vary depending on the institute providing them and the duration of the course. They have been observed to be expensive, especially considering their duration. However, we found IIM Skills offering their creative writing course at a very affordable price of just € 223, particularly in comparison to other options available in Amsterdam. Also, IIM Skills offers an option to pay the entire amount in 7 interest-free EMIs to reduce a one-time payment burden.
Q 5. Can I become a creative writer without prior experience or knowledge in writing?
Definitely yes, no matter your work or educational background, no matter your age or gender, or with zero experience in this field, the option to become a creative writer is wide open in Amsterdam. Most courses do not stipulate any formal educational requirement or experience in the field to join, all you need is basic language proficiency and original thinking.
Conclusion
Gone are those days when creative writing used to be a form of niche writing limited to a few elites. The technological advancement in the last few decades has not only opened wide arenas for aspirers to dabble in creative writing but also created a high commercial demand for such skills. In this era where consumer’s span of attention is very low and they are all looking for instant gratification. It is very important that your piece of art not only reaches them but also grabs their attention.
If you casually ask anyone about their favorite book, most will reply “The Alchemist”, but do you know the book which was printed first in 1988 was not an instant success? It took years to reach a wider audience and achieve the staggering success it has attained. The point is that when you create your first work of creative writing, you need to make sure it reaches a wide audience to grab the attention and attain the recognition it deserves.
Today you are not dependent on publishers to print your work, you can easily self-publish on various online platforms and easily reach a wide audience instantly. But to do all this you must first learn the necessary skills for the same. We have detailed many courses and almost all the courses will hone your creative writing skills but our top course from IIM Skills will not only enhance your creative writing abilities but also teach you how to market the same to achieve the deserved success. The objective of this article is to assist you in making a well-informed decision to choose one of the top 5 creative writing courses in Amsterdam that align with your interests and ambitions.