Creative writing courses are sittings for aspiring writers to elaborate on the tools, techniques, and skills needed to gain success in the future. The objective is to work on their skills in the manner of vocabulary, communication, and creativity. There are a number of creative writing courses in Dubai which can help you become a successful writer. Here, we will discuss about every detail about creative writing including but not limited to creative writing courses in Dubai and what they have to offer to make your dream come true.
What Is Creative Writing?
Creative writing is a form of writing where imagination and out-of-the-box thinking play a key role. This form of writing can generally be seen in short stories, poems, novels, etc. where the emphasis is to engage the reader. These are generally fictional in nature, which means unlike professional writing, journalism, and technical form of writing which communicate about real-life situations and matter, creative writing works on narratives and characters that require imagination and out-of-the-box thinking.
The job of a creative writer is to paint a picture for its readers, an image of a new different world where possibilities are unlimited. A creative writer can be compared to a window that shows the vibrance of life.
Types Of Creative Writing
Creative writing is an umbrella of a variety of writing styles that vary from poems to full-fledged novels. Though all the forms are way different from one another they have a common factor of creativity in them. There are no strict rules per se but some fact-checking and research are required to make your story more credible. Imagination is crucial but it also requires certain skills that can be learnt easily via creative writing courses in Dubai. These forms of writing come in a variety of genres and specializations to choose from. Let’s take a look at them.
Poetry – It is the simplest and oldest form of style of writing. This diverse set of writing can vary from simple nursery rhymes to advanced-level poetry such as The Odyssey. It is a great starting point for freshers. It sharpens observatory skills and has a single point of view. It has the capability to bring out the deepest of emotions using simple language.
Novels – This is the most commonly used style of writing. When we talk about creative writing, this style of writing is the foremost style that comes to mind. Simply put, novels are collections of words used to portray a detailed image. It is a form of writing that elaborates scene by scene each emotion, character, and narrative, so much so that one can picturise the entire scene vividly. There is an entire range of genres to choose from romantic, thriller, and horror. One can choose a genre as per interest and expertise.
Short Fiction – Short fiction can be a great starting point for those writers who initially find it difficult to paint a vivid and detailed picture to express their stories. These are simple in narration yet emotionally evolved story writing patterns. Short stories or short fiction are often a starting point for readers as well. The word count for short fiction ranges between 1000 to 10,000 words.
Plays and Screen Plays – This form of writing is most useful for those who plan to establish a career in theatre, drama, or movies. Plays have been written centuries ago and are still popular these days. They are great ways to bring life into a simple story. In order to write a compelling screenplay, the writer must think out of the box and emphasize character development and dialogues.
Song Lyrics – If you love poetry, it is likely that you will eventually fall for song lyrics as well. This form of writing is used in movies, series, or albums. These simple words synced with music can create wonders. However, the task of synchronizing words to music can become a challenge. While writing the lyrics, the writer needs to match his thoughts to the emotions of the targeted audience as well.
Journal and Diaries – A journal or a diary is a written account of life from your own perspective. Young writers are often advised to write dairies as they act as a great way of expressing emotions and creating an account of events in life. Maintaining a journal improves the observation skills, vocabulary skills, and narrative of a writer. It is often said that journal writing solves a lot of problems as it offers creative solutions. It is up to an individual whether to make the account private or publish it. One of the most famous journals ever published is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, which portrays the events in a Jewish girl’s life during World War II.
Personal Essays – Personal essays or more commonly known as autobiographies are a form of creative writing where the objective is to share one’s life story with a message in mind. However, the key note here is that this form of storytelling is purely non-fiction.
Letters – Letters and Journals are similar in many ways except that letters dig deeper into the personal accounts and conversations between two individuals. This is a non-fiction form of writing which is highly focused on its targeted audience. One of the great examples is Letters From a Father to His Daughter by Jawaharlal Nehru, which accounts for a series of letters written by J.L. Nehru for his daughter Indira Gandhi. This book covers an array of topics ranging from education to life lessons to memories.
Illustrated Narratives – Illustrated Narratives or comics are a form of creative writing where a lot of graphical images are involved. It is like a drama written in the form of dialogue. The emphasis here is mostly on dialogue delivery and pictures. This type of visual storytelling can be easily found on newspaper clippings itself (though in a very concise manner). These are entertaining and effective ways of conveying a message and storytelling. Examples include Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes from newspapers and Superman, and Batman in detailed books.
Elements Of Creative Writing
We have just learned about the major forms of creative writing, now we will discuss the common elements of creative writing forms. These are the basics of creative writing which are taught in detail in various creative writing courses in Dubai. A strong narrative, character development, and an underlying message or theme are the three core elements of the art of creative writing.
Narrative – Narrative means the basic plot of the story. A strong plot enables character formation in the story. A writer must attempt to create a strong plot that is unique. The storyline does not have to be too dramatic or too strong but it must be able to connect with readers.
Character Development – Character development revolves around introducing your character and evolving it over the course as per the requirement of the narrative. Detailed character development helps the reader to connect with the character and the narrative. Deeper the connection, stimulating the storyline.
Underlying message / Theme – The underlying message or theme of the creative piece is the ultimate message which the writer/author is trying to express via the story. Some individuals are of the viewpoint that the writer has a theme decided from the very beginning of the writing process but many feel that the process is writing is a creative process that evolves as we move along, hence the theme or underlying message could not be predefined.
Scope Of Creative Writing
Creative writing is a skill that can never get outdated, no matter how much automation and digitalization take over the world. Readers are always in search of new books to read, both in digital or physical form. Hence, the opportunities for a creative writer are immense both in print media and e-media. Usually, a creative writer is hired by media companies, radio/tv agencies for script writing, and publishing houses, but one can always choose to work as a freelance creative writer. Let’s discuss various roles that a creative writer can choose professionally:
Creative Content Writer – A creative content writer is responsible for all sorts of information available such as emails, business reports, presentations, blogs, newsletters, testimonials, etc. It is the calling of a creative content writer to manage the content ingeniously such that it connects to the target group. It should reflect the ideology and inspiration of its potential and current clients. Being a creative content writer with an organization is one of the best opportunities in the field of creative writing.
Freelancer – Freelancing is a great career option for those who are looking for flexible work hours and a decent income. It is a common choice among homemakers, scholars, and freshers. However, the range of tasks to be handled increases when working as a freelancer. It involves extra work such as research work, fact-checking, social media engagement, editing, designing, and proofreading of content as well.
Blogger – A blogger is a person who writes content for a blog. Generally, the topics are in the same category. It is the responsibility of a blogger to educate his/her audience with respect to the given topic. Apart from being entertaining, the content of the blog needs to add value to the readers to create and increase readership.
Scriptwriter – As the name suggests, a scriptwriter is the creative writer responsible for scripts audios, ads, plays, television etc. It involves building a creative and engaging plot in order to entertain the viewers.
Skills Needed for A Creative Writer
Imagine a cricketer without any athletic qualities such as stamina or physique. How successful would he be? Leave playing for nationals he would not be able to survive zonal-level games. Similarly, for a successful career as a creative writer, an individual must have certain qualities or skills. Thankfully, these skills are easy to master with regular practice.
Many individuals prefer creative writing courses in Dubai to brush up on their skills and advance for a prosperous career in the field. Let us confer that these skills are of utmost importance before we pace ourselves for a career in creative writing.
Imagination – Imagination or creativity is necessary for a creative writer. As a creative writer with an organization, it would be the writer’s job to create content that is informative, effective, and easy to relate to. The use of metaphor and imagery can enhance the engagement chances drastically.
Research – Research is the first and most important task for a creative writer. In order to present information to our readers, it is necessary to do some deep research on the subject matter. The facts need to be checked and verified to ensure credibility at our end. Thorough research skills include checking the source of the information and verifying the credibility of the source.
Editing – Once the writing process is over, it is important to revisit the content critically in order to identify the errors (grammatical and spelling). One shall also attempt to identify the tone and effectiveness of the content. This is the time to match the expectation and the result. A thorough scrutiny of the piece ensures quality content and self-confidence.
Motivation – Creative writing is a process that comes in its own time. Sometimes an idea may strike immediately while other times it may become difficult to get a direction. Hence, motivation and self-sufficiency are key soft skills that every creative writer must have in order to survive in the profession in the long run.
Punctuality – Though punctuality is less of a skill and more of a lifestyle choice, it is crucial for the long-run survival and growth of a writer. He/she must be aware of the given timelines for the article and must adhere to them as well. It is vital to divide your time on an hourly basis for various activities which include brainstorming, research, writing, editing, proofreading, and submission.
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Creative Writing Courses in Dubai
Creative writing is a trending and upcoming profession. The demand for creative writers has gone up in recent times. Hence, there are a number of creative writing courses in Dubai. We have shortlisted some premium creative writing courses in Dubai for your reference. Please take a look.
1. Creative Writing Course – IIM SKILLS
Mode of learning: Online
Course Fee: INR 14,900+ 18% GST or AED 669.23+GST
Duration: 1-month live sessions and 3-month internship
Eligibility: There is no eligibility bar for the course. Anyone with a command of English writing skills can take benefit from this course.
IIM SKILLS is an institute based in Delhi, India. It was established in 2015 and has been involved in providing professional education to candidates via online access. Though based in India, it has been providing quality education through its online portal. It offers one of the most promising creative writing courses in Dubai, names Content Writing Course.
The creative writing course is a globally recognized course because of its association (the TOLES) test of the legal English center Cambridge (United Kingdom) and HubSpot content marketing (USA). The course consists of 15 modules that cover a wide range of topics which are covered over a period of 4 months (one month of live sessions and 3 months of internship).
2. Creative Writing course – Yourown Institute of Training and Professional Development
Mode of learning: Online and On-site
Course Fee: AED 1500
Duration: 12 hours
Eligibility: Anyone with a basic understanding of the English language. It is found beneficial for potential writers, bloggers, authors, publishers, journalists, columnists, and creatives in their writing skills.
The creative writing course by Yourown Institute of Training and Professional Development is one of the most popular creative writing courses in Dubai. This course is certified by The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). It is a 12-hour course that can be completed in weekend or weekday batches as per the requirement.
The course teaches different types of writing both fiction and non-fiction, suggestive reading to enhance writing skills, character-building tips and tricks, and grammar. The students have access to free counseling towards building a career in creative writing which includes resume writing tips as well.
3. Creative Writing Course – Zabeel International Institute of Management and Technology
Mode of learning: online and on-site
Course Fee: AED 900
Duration: 12 hours
Eligibility: This course is well-suited for both fresher and experienced writers including journalists, publishers, etc.
Zabeel Institute is one the oldest institutes in Dubai and Sharjah. It offers one of the finest creative writing courses in Dubai which has a focused approach to the students. The main objective is to ensure maximum practical knowledge; a lot of exercises and activities are designed specially to ensure the improvement of the writing skills of the students. This course covers a variety of topics, some of which are as follows:
Poetry – essential habits of poets, poetry on stage, types of poetic forms, reading from several articles, reading suggestions, poetry prompts, and blogging
Novels and Stories: writing prompts, character development, creating stories, finding ideas tips & techniques, how to overcome writer Bloch, getting organized, reading from several articles, reading suggestions
4. BA in English and Creative Writing University of Birmingham
Mode of learning: Offline
Course Fee: EUR 21,780 per annum
Duration: 3 years
This is an undergraduate course which is held by accomplished writers which makes it one of the finest creative writing courses in Dubai. The exposure and learnings from renowned writers provide a chance for the candidates to learn new styles of writing, socialize and interact with established publishers, which in turn booms their career in the field of creative writing.
The course is spread over a duration of three years covering topics in great detail which includes poetry writing, contemporary style writing, types and periods of medieval literature, etc.
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5. Creative Writing Course – IAP Career College
Mode of learning: Online
Course Fee: AED 548
Duration: 6 weeks
Eligibility: There are no specific eligibility criteria for this course.
This creative writing course is beneficial for aspirants who wish to brush up on their writing skills in a short period of time. Though the course duration is 6 weeks, it can be completed from 4 to 12 weeks by anyone depending upon their schedules. The course is led by highly experienced faculty which makes it a popular choice for creative writing courses in Dubai. The topics covered in this course are Introduction to a Career as a freelance creative writer, types of publications: magazines, newspapers, books, and eBooks, Tips on writing and proofreading articles and blogs, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions: Creative Writing Courses in Dubai
1. How is creative writing different from content writing?
Ans. Creative writing is a form of writing where the writer expresses his emotions, ideas, and opinions via poetry, novels, etc. in a manner that entertains as well as informs his audience. Creative writing can be done both online and offline (publishing) mediums. Whereas, content writing consists of articles, news, and blogs that are customized to the needs of the targeted audience and are done on a digital platform only.
2. What kind of salary package shall I expect in Dubai as a creative writer (fresher)?
Ans. The starting salary package of a fresher- creative writer in Dubai is approx. AED 9,000. However, due to rising demand and scope the chances of hike after gaining relevant experience and skills are as high. The average salary package of a creative writer in Dubai is AED 20,000.
3. How do I choose the best options from all the creative writing courses in Dubai?
Ans. There is a wide range of options to choose from and it is difficult to point one or two as best. One can only choose a course as per their schedule and requirements. An employed individual who wishes to take up a course shall choose an online course. However, a homemaker or a full-time student aspiring to become a creative writer can choose a long-term course. It is absolutely and completely as per the requirement of the candidate.