Creative Writing has become an important aspect of written communication in the world. And Galway is no different when it comes to the growing demand for creative writing. The demand for creative writing surged in the last decade, increasing the need for better writers. But the question arises, whether creative writing can be taught. In this article, we have created a list containing the 9 best creative writing courses in Galway that will help you in your creative writing journey. But before knowing about the courses, let’s get acquainted with the fundamentals of creative writing.
What is Creative Writing?
As the name suggests, creative writing is all about putting creativity at the center. This is a form of original writing which writers use to express thoughts and views imaginatively and innovatively. Creative writing allows a writer to get out of the real world, step into a realm of imagination and tell a story through powerfully written content, evoking the emotion of readers. This type of writing is different from journalistic and academic writing where the main goal is to present facts and not to convey any emotion.
Different Forms of Creative Writing
There are several avenues one can explore when it comes to creative writing. The different forms of creative writing include:
- Poetry: Poetry is an artistic writing form that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to express ideas. There are various types of poetry such as haiku, sonnets, blank verse, limerick, ballad, ode, and many more. This type of creative writing allows writers to create imagery with the use of rhythmic words and evoke a wide range of emotions in the reader. As said by the famous American poet Edgar Allan Poe, “Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words”.
- Novel: A novel is a long piece of fictional prose published in book form. It involves a wide range of genres and subgenres, themes, and styles. Some of the most popular genres include fantasy, science fiction, romance, young adult, horror, thriller, adventure, etc.
- Scripts/screenplays: This type of writing deals with crafting a narrative into blocks of action and dialogues which are used in television shows, movies, video games, etc. Scriptwriting is one of the most in-demand creative writing forms owing to its high usage in YouTube videos, social media posts, and filmmaking. The writing format is comparatively different in each type of script.
- Short Stories: Short stories are another creative writing that requires the same sort of writing format as used in novels. This type of writing involves 1000 to 10,000 words and is designed to occupy a reader for a single sitting or one day.
- Literary Journals: This is a nonfiction creative work that is similar to magazines and newspaper writing. It allows reporters to present reports with the help of literally skill-based writing style and using their inner voice.
- Humor Writing: This type of creative writing includes several forms such as stand-up comedy routines, humorous essays, and political cartoons. The main objective of this humor writing is to strike a humorous chord and be funny.
Along with the above-mentioned types, creative writing also includes song lyrics, speeches, plays, blogging, etc. Based on your interest and requirement, you can master any of these writing forms by pursuing the best creative writing courses in Galway.
Important Elements of Creative Writing
The important elements used in creative writing include:
- Plot – The plot is an essential part of creative writing that describes the structure of the work.
- Character Development – Character development deals with creating characters by giving them personality, motivation, and depth which helps in shaping the story.
- Setting – Setting refers to the location, time, and physical environment where the narrative takes place.
- Theme – The theme is the central idea or an underlying message that a writer explores in the story.
- Dialogue – Dialogues in creative writing help in establishing character voices, defining their speech pattern, and revealing deep feelings.
- Pacing – Pacing defines how slow or fast, the story is going for the reader.
Best Places to Learn Creative Writing Courses in Galway
Picking the best from several options can be tiresome and confusing at times. The good news is we have done thorough research and created a list of the best creative writing courses in Galway. This will save you precious time and help you in selecting the best one.
Here is the List of 9 Best Creative Writing Courses in Galway:
1. IIM SKILLS
IIM SKILLS is one of the premium places in the market that offers a wide range of comprehensive courses. They have a four-week-long content writing course that covers creative writing topics as well. With years of online coaching and guiding thousands of individuals, IIM SKILLS has cemented its place as one of the go-to institutions in the market.
Its content writing course will help you to make a deep dive into creative writing and understand every concept in detail. The course name is Content Writing Course, and it is ranked number 1 for content writing courses in India by top content writing agencies, popular media houses, and top education blogs such as Naukri Learning, Write-Right, Careers360, Course Dekho, etc.
The unique thing about this course is it helps candidates to get their first writing job role or launch their freelance career who are interested in freelance work. Accordingly, the course curriculum is designed comprehensively with multiple assignments and case studies, making it one of the best creative writing courses in Galway.
The curriculum covers 16 models including important topics such as keyword research, SOP, resume writing, creative writing, E-book writing, copywriting, and many more. The content writing course by IIM SKILLS will also teach candidates how they can publish their first E-book on Google Books or Kindle.
The candidates will get access to lifetime support for any technical solution or career growth opportunities. Moreover, they offer 24×7 access to LMS (learning management system) that houses industry-relevant case studies, course material, and important information related to the course.
IIM SKILLS has industry-expert facilities with years of experience. They know what it takes to become a Master of Creative writing. With their guidance and teaching, thousands of candidates have launched their successful creative writing careers. If you are looking to kickstart your career in creative writing, then IIM SKILLS is the right place for you. They provide industry-recognized Content Writing Master Certification to candidates.
Eligibility – Anyone who is interested to learn creative writing.
Duration – 4 weeks of live online class
3 months guaranteed internship (optional)
Fees – 170.24 Euro + 18% GST
Contact –
2. University of Galway
The University of Galway, founded way back in 1845, has established itself as a reputed university for diverse courses and in-depth research works. It provides both postgraduate and undergraduate courses for writing. This university offers a creative writing course, named Bachelor of Arts (English and Creative Writing).
This course offers a unique opportunity for candidates with a passion for creative writing. The course is built with a practice-based learning approach. The candidates will get hands-on practice in popular creative writing genres such as fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and poetry.
In addition to this, candidates will also get to work on personal creative writing projects with timely assistance from professional creative writers. They will also conduct Q & A and mentorship sessions to make candidates acquainted with the rhythms of creative writing.
Moreover, the University will help candidates with profile consolidation and publication planning. The course curriculum is vast and job oriented, owing to which this course was worthy of finding a spot in the 9 best creative writing courses in Galway.
Eligibility: Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects
Passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 Grades in the leaving certificate including English, Irish, another language, and three other subjects for admission requirement.
Duration – 4 years
Fees – €5,738 p.a. (EU)
€18,620 p.a. (Non-EU)
Contact – +353 91 495612, [email protected]
3. Creative Writing Ink
Creative Writing Ink is an online creative writing course provider that is run by Olive O’Brien, a blogger, writer, and publisher. Creative Writing Ink offers a wide range of creative writing courses that includes science fiction and fantasy writing courses, creative writing course for teenagers, short story writing courses, online memoir writing courses, online poetry courses, and many more.
The creative writing courses in Galway will be carried out through email correspondence. Every candidate will get guidance from a tutor who will help in polishing creative writing art. Moreover, tutors will guide the candidates with timely feedback on the assignments. The assignments, course details, and feedback will be sent through email.
This is another well-designed course that surely deserves a place in our list of best creative writing courses in Galway. If you are an aspiring creative writer, this course will be a good option to consider.
Eligibility – No specific criteria are required
Duration –
6 weeks (Online Intermediate Creative Writing Course)
6 weeks (Advanced Creative Writing Course)
Fees –
£160 (Online Intermediate Creative Writing Course)
£160 (Advanced Creative Writing Course)
Contact –
4. Irish Writers Centre
Irish Writers Centre is another great place for learning the art of creative writing in Galway. This is a flagship organization in Ireland that offers a variety of creative writing courses for writers at every stage of their careers. This organization was established in 1991 and has been able to make a staggering mark in the field of creative writing training owing to its robust teaching practices.
Some of the popular courses offered by this organization include playing the pauses in flash fiction, finish your novel with Conor Kostick, how to haiku-the nest level with Maeve O’Sullivan, the art of poetry with Moyra Donaldson, and many more.
Irish Writers Centre provides in-person, online, and self-paced creative writing courses, making the learning process flexible for a candidate. The organization has a pool of experienced writers who will assist every candidate in the workshops that include sets of writing exercises.
Each week will have discussion sessions with writers where they will provide detailed feedback on the works of the candidates. This is one of the well-established creative writing centers where a candidate can pick a course from a lot of different niches and themes. The course offering model by Irish Writers Centre is quite diverse and that is why it deserves a place in our 9 best creative writing courses in Galway list.
Eligibility – Every aspiring creative writer can take up a course of their choice
Duration – Depending upon the course, duration varies from 2.5 hrs to 10 weeks.
Fees – Course fee varies from €32 to €300
Contact –
(+353 18721302)
5. Martin Keaveney Creative Writing
Martin Keaveney Creative Writing is a place for the creative writing course, run by Martin Keaveney. With a strong background in English literature and working experience as a writing teacher at the University of Galway, Martin Keaveney offers multiple well-crafted creative writing courses.
The courses are designed in a way where candidates can easily take part from the comfort of their homes or in person at their local arts center. The extensive range of remote courses offered includes Creative Writing: Introduction, Creative Writing: Portfolio, Creative Writing: Single Project, Creative Writing: One Day Course, Creative Writing: Monday Memoir, and many more.
Whether you are a beginner or someone who wants to upscale, you will surely get your requirements fulfilled at Martin Keaveney Creative Writing. This is another worthy addition to our list of the 9 best creative writing courses in Galway.
Eligibility – Anyone who is interested in creative writing
Duration – All courses run adjacent to single 8-week courses
Fees – Course fees vary from €150 to €1375
Contact – [email protected]
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6. Udemy
Udemy is one of the most popular marketplaces for online learning. It houses 213K+ courses. This online platform is one of the suitable places to pursue creative writing courses. The creative writing courses on Udemy will assist candidates to learn and strengthen creative writing skills.
Udemy has courses that cover every type of creative writing. Whether you want to draft your first novel, write your memoir, or have smart dialogues, the courses at Udemy will help you learn these writing skills. Moreover, it has courses on other popular creative writing topics such as poetry writing, creative writing for kids, fantasy writing, and mastering the use of metaphor, similes, and figurative language.
If you want to gain detailed knowledge about every creative writing genre then you can opt for the COMPLETE Creative Writing Course. This course can help any candidate to understand and establish their writing voice. After course completion, candidates will get a Certification of completion.
Udemy has some of the well-created creative writing courses owing to which it has grabbed a place in our 9 best creative writing courses in Galway list.
Eligibility – Anyone who has the willingness to write
Duration – Duration varies depending on the course type
Fees – Course fee varies from INR 799 to INR 3499
7. Coursera
This is a US-based open online course provider that offers creative writing courses in collaboration with several universities and organizations. The creative writing courses provided by this platform will help candidates in mastering different elements of creative writing.
Whether it is structuring a plot, writing an essay, or creating an engaging story, Coursera has courses that cover all of these and more. The course curriculum will be handled by distinguished university writers who will help candidates in enhancing their creative writing art in a precise manner.
The course comes with a self-paced learning option. Moreover, the candidates will get to work on graded assignments and timely feedback will be provided. When candidates complete any creative writing course, they will receive a course certificate.
If you are looking for a platform with diverse creative writing courses, you can consider checking out the courses on Coursera. The courses on Coursera thoroughly deserved a place in our list of best creative writing courses in Galway.
Eligibility – No specific criteria
Duration – Course duration varies from 6 hrs to 6 months
Fees – Free
8. edX
This is another open online learning destination that offers creative writing courses from top universities. The online platform has more than 3000 well-designed courses. It has also several creative writing courses that cover important elements of creative writing such as screenplay writing, novel writing, poetry writing, comedy writing, etc.
The courses come with both instructor-paced and self-paced options. The course curriculum will be taught by university professors and international bestselling authors who will guide candidates in understanding the concepts from the root level and completing the graded assignments.
The curriculum is crafted to teach creative writing in detail. Whether it is designing a scene, writing dialogues, or character development, candidates will gain practical knowledge about all these elements and more. After course completion, candidates will receive a certificate.
Eligibility – None
Duration – Course duration varies from 3 weeks to 6 weeks
Fees – Course fee varies from INR 4056 to 24419
9. Curtis Brown Creative
Curtis Brown Creative (CBC) is a London-based institution that provides online creative writing courses. It has a creative writing course named Creative Writing for Beginners. Here, the candidates will get a chance to explore creative writing from the root level.
The course module includes teaching videos, weekly writing tasks, and access to extensive teaching materials. The course has a flexible learning module where candidates allocate time to the course at their convenience. Furthermore, this course will be taught by acclaimed authors and literary agents who will provide their expert advice and help candidates with practical writing exercises.
Candidates will also get brief written feedback. The Creative Writing for Beginners course can be a good option if you are new to the world of creative writing.
Eligibility – None
Duration – 4 weeks
Fees – £125
Contact –
+44 (0)20 73934201
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which skills are required for pursuing a career in creative writing?
There are certain skills that one must have to lead an impactful career in creating writing. Below mentioned are some of those important skills:
- Imagination – One must have a great deal of imagining power to propel in the field of creative writing. Imagination is the foundation of creative writing. A creative writer needs to have a unique approach to every topic. A new take on a topic will give readers an exciting read.
- Persistence – Every type of writing work requires time. In creative writing, one must be patient and spend hours, days, or even weeks structuring the idea and transforming it into the final draft.
- Resilience – It’s not easy to be a creative writer. Every creative writer will come across criticism at some point in their career and to withstand those situations, one must be resilient.
- Storytelling – If your writings don’t evoke the emotion of your readers then you need to focus more on the storytelling part. This is one of the key elements in creative writing that weaves language into a strong narrative to create a believable and rich experience.
- Proofreading – You have created a long story with exciting characters but your content is filled with grammatical errors. To avoid this, you must proofread your work before the final submission.
- Time Management – To meet deadlines and publish your work on time, managing time is very important.
Q2. What are the career options after doing a creative writing course?
Doing a creative writing course will make candidates eligible for the below-mentioned job posts:
- Journalist
- Copywriter
- Author
- Publisher
- Editor
- Screenwriter
- Poet
- Comedy Writer
- Blogger
- Cultural Consultant
Q3. Is creative writing easy or hard?
Nothing is easy in the field of creative writing. One must be willing to make a deep dive to master the art of creative writing. It takes years of practice to succeed as a creative writer.
Conclusion
Today, creative writing is used in every corner of the world. Be it a classic novel, a strong copywriting piece, or a blog, creative writing is getting incorporated everywhere. This, in turn, is increasing the need for qualified creative writers. So, this is the right time to pursue one of the best creative writing courses in Galway.