Ireland is the origin of famous writers like James Joyce (1882-1941), Oscar Wilde (1854-1941), W.B Yeats (1865-1939), and many more, which lays out enough reasons to pursue Creative Writing Courses in Ireland. Having writing skills is a gift of God, but knowing how to polish and monetize them can only be learned through Creative Writing Courses. If you have an ardent love for writing and want to become a creative writer, no matter to which field or stream you belong, you are welcome to learn Creative Writing Courses in Ireland.
What Do You Mean by Creative Writing Courses?
By definition, creative writing is a form of writing which involves the expression of human imaginations and emotions, independent of any factual barriers. The ultimate target of creative writing is to engage the reader’s mind in a unique, imaginative, and captivating manner by emphasizing narrative craft, and character development.
In creative writing courses in Ireland, one gets the opportunity to master the essential techniques and types of creative writing. The works of both fiction and non-fiction including biographies, novels, short stories, and poems are part of creative writing. There are distinct programs such as bachelor, master, and certifications with online and offline facilities for creative writing courses in Ireland.
Forms of Creative Writing
Let us understand the types of creative writing, which are the core of creative writing courses in Ireland.
Fiction- This form of creative writing aims to craft stories, characters, settings, and themes that come from the imagination of the author. It creates a fictional world that may or may not have any resemblance to our real world. Within fictional writing, there are numerous forms namely, novels, novellas, short stories, and flash fiction. Whereas romance, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and classic historical fiction are celebrated genres of fictional writing.
Poetry- It is a beautiful form of creative writing that enables the poet to convey emotions, ideas, and experiences. The message of the poetry should be concise, memorable, and impactful. As per the rhyming scheme, poetry has classified into many types, for instance, free verse, sonnet, haiku, villanelle, ghazal, and blank verse. The popular styles of poetry are epic, narrative, dramatic, lyrical, satirical, elegy, verse, fable, and speculative.
Creative Non-Fiction- Basically, this form is a mixture of traditional non-fiction writing and creative writing. It enhances the ability of a writer to express their unique ideas along with factual information.
The significant points to remember while writing creative non-fiction are that the write-up should be based on real events which are based on extensive research and illustrated in a well-narrated manner and reflect the personal opinion of the writer. Memoirs, personal essays, lyric essays, and literary journalism are well-renowned examples of creative non-fiction.
Screenwriting- The art of writing scripts that typically follow particular formats and structures is known as screenwriting. In this form, the writer is responsible for creating a visual and emotional experience for the audience.
Media and entertainment industry needs screenwriters to create compelling characters, craft effective dialogue, and develop engaging stories to connect the viewers to the storyline. Screenwriters are in demand to work on feature films, television shows, short films, video games, adaptations, and commercials.
Playwriting- In this form, the writer writes plays, which have been executed by theatre artists. Those plays are written in the form of acts, scenes, and dialogues. Not only writing, but the ability to have a strong understanding of theatre is also a must for any playwright.
The different versions of playwriting are drama, comedy, tragedy, musical, political, experimental, and children’s plays. The creation of charming characters, vivid settings, and pleasing stories are all done by the playwright to entertain the audience.
Songwriting- It is a combination of melodious, harmonious, rhythm, and lyrics to make an emotionally resonant song. The lyrics are supposed to be in a manner that communicates a clear message or emotion. The most common songwriting genres are pop, rock, country, hip-hop/rap, R&B/soul, electronic, and folk.
Techniques of Creative Writing
There are three provisions of creative writing, creativity, imagination, and originality. To follow these provisions, a creative writer is obliged to know important techniques of creative writing.
Imagery- By using this powerful technique, the writer creates vivid images in the mind of readers. It produces a sensational as well as emotional experience through sensory language within the text. It describes the five senses (smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound) of human beings in terms of words.
Metaphor and Simile- Both are extremely popular figures of speech and are applied to make comparisons of two identical or different things. The comparisons help the readers to understand complex emotions and add depth and meaning to the writing. The only difference between metaphor and simile is that the latter carries the words like “as” or “like” while making any comparison. And the former does not carry any word to compare.
Dialogue- The technique of dialogue writing has enormous value as it reveals the character traits, creates tensions and conflicts, advanced the plot, shows emotions and feelings, and reveals hidden meanings. As much as the dialogue sounds more realistic and natural, it attracts more engagement from the audience. In short, it is a conversation between two or more people or characters that gives insights into the personalities, beliefs, and motivations of the character.
Point of View- It is a technique with the help of which writers determine the narrative perspective from which the readers are going to read or understand the story. It controls access to thoughts and feelings and influences the perception of the readers. The four ways of point of view are first person point of view, second person point of view, third person point of view, and third person limited point of view.
Characterization- This technique is responsible for the creation and development of characters in a piece of writing. The well-developed characters can make or break the writing. By including physical descriptions, actions and behaviors, dialogues, and past details of characters, creative writers give life to any character.
Foreshadowing- It means to build a kind of suspense, create anticipation, or suggest events that will happen later in the story. The writer uses symbolism to represent impactful dialogue, settings, flashbacks, and habits of character to fabricate the story and add complexity to the narrative.
Symbolism- It is a very effective tool in the creation of a deeper level of meaning by presenting objects, symbols, or images to represent abstract themes or ideas. Symbolism enhances the beauty of any writing as it should be used invariably.
Conflict- As the name suggests, this element is engraved in any work of writing to attract more readers or audiences by showing tension and drama. The types of conflicts are character conflicts, internal conflicts, conflicts with the environment, and conflicts with society. In the end, conflicts should be resolved satisfactorily.
Voice- In this technique, the writer gives a unique perspective, tone, rhythm, and cadence consistently throughout his work to add richness to the writing. Voice technique always agreed to go with first person point of view. By using colloquial language, innovative dialogue, adding sarcasm and humor, and sensory details, the author can exaggerate the beauty of writing.
Job Profile and Salary Expectations of a Creative Writer
The talent of writing professionally creative copies is hard to find. One is not only supposed to have good writing skills but also acquires mastery in expressing one’s thought and imagination.
The creative writing courses in Ireland are accountable to fulfill the demand for creative writers in numerous fields, counting advertising and marketing, publishing, video game development, film and television, education, and content creation. After pursuing creative writing courses in Ireland, one has the option to work as a freelancer or be employed (in a company) and start their career in the following professions:
- Authors
- Journalist
- Travel Blogger
- Social Media Specialist
- Columnist (In magazine or newspaper)
- Ghostwriter
- Screenwriter
- Songwriter
- Critic Writer
- Short Story Writer
- Poet
- Podcaster
- Novelist
Salary matters in every profession and when we talk about creative writing, then we already know that creative writers work for their interest/hobby in writing. The average base income of a creative writer in Ireland is EUR 26,000 per annum if you are employed in a company or institution. Whereas, they earn as per their experience level,
| Experience level | Salary per annum |
| Entry level (Fresher) | EUR 13,000-17,600 |
| Early level (1-4 years) | EUR 19,400-27,500 |
| Mid-level (5-9 years) | EUR 32,100-35,600 |
| High level (more than 9 years) | EUR 37,000- more |
But, if you are a freelancer, author, and poet, in short, if you are working solely and selling your piece of writing, then you can easily earn a minimum of EUR 10,000 to a maximum of no boundary.
Also Check: Digital Marketing Courses in Ireland
Top 10 Creative Writing Courses in Ireland
1. IIM SKILLS
Course Name: Master Content Writing Course
Course details: IIM SKILLS has been among the best creative writing courses in Ireland and consists of fiction, non-fiction, etc. The course will take a 1-month duration for completion and 2 months paid internship program. Anybody with a strong passion to write can enroll in the course. At the end of the program, one drafts his/her first book in well-written form and ready for publishing.
Key highlights:
- Certification from IIM SKILLS and complete guidance for the HubSpot Content Marketing Certification test (USA) and Test of Legal English Centre Cambridge (United Kingdom).
- 2-month paid internship (fixed EUR 68.14) under the guidance of industry experts.
- The benefit of three-in-one writing skills includes creative writing, content writing, and copywriting.
- Lifetime access to tools worth EUR 397.51 and LMS (Learning Management System).
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Course fees: EUR 282.76 (with 18% GST)
Contact: +91 9580740740
Website: https://iimskills.com/
2. University College Dublin
Course name: Bachelor of Arts in English with Creative Writing
Course details: A bachelor’s degree 4 years program in English with creative writing from University College Dublin is advantageous for high school graduates. It opens the door for the ones, who are looking to work in the field of creative writing. The course is about the study of the relationship between English literature and creative writing.
Course Eligibility:
- Important to have O6/H7 in English, Irish, a third language, and three other recognized subjects.
- Requirement of a non-native English speaker, IELTS – 6.5 bands or PTE Academic- 63 or TOEFL- 90.
- Must have completed high school at a recognized institution.
Key Highlights:
- Earn a graduate degree from the University of Dublin.
- Mastery of language studies, creative writing, and literature.
- Class size of only 64 students.
- Full-time course with scholarship option.
Course fees: EUR 21,520/year
Contact: +353 1 716 7777
Website: https://www.myucd.ie/
Address: University College Dublin
Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
3. American College Dublin
Course name: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Course details: It is an undergraduate degree that encompasses the study of comprehensive types of creative writing, inclusive of drama, prose fiction, screenwriting, poetry, video games, graphic novels (comics), and writing on modern media platforms like blogs, and websites. The course is a 4-year in-campus program. It also helps budding writers in the enlargement of their imaginative capacity.
Course Eligibility:
- Candidate must possess a high school degree or certificate from a recognized board or university.
- Candidate must write a sample essay of at least 1000 words.
- For a non-native English speaker, the requirement of 6.5 IELTS is a must.
Key highlights:
- Receive an undergraduate degree in creative writing from American College Dublin.
- Knowledge of digital writing platforms (social media, websites, and video games).
- Skills like self-management, critical and editorial commentary, and many more.
- One can also avail of scholarships offered by the institution.
Course fees: EUR 9000/year
Contact: +353 1 676 8939
Website: https://iamu.edu/
Address: Merrion Square, Dublin, Ireland
4. Big Smoke Writing Factory
Course name: Introduction to Creative Writing (In Person)
Course details: The course is facilitated by Nicole Rourke, a freelance performer, tutor, and workshop facilitator. It is a 4-week extensive creative writing program and suitable for anyone who wishes to write. It nurtures a unique way of expressing your thoughts and ideas in words.
Key highlights:
- Learn from an expert in plot and character development, Nicole Rourke.
- In-class exercises, discussions, and tasks.
- Command over different genres or forms of creative writing.
Course fees: EUR 120
Email: bigsmokewritingfactory@gmail.com.
Website: https://www.bigsmokewritingfactory.com/
Address: Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier Street, Dublin
5. Creative Writing Ink
Course name: Beginners Creative Writing Course
Course details: It is going to be conducted through a virtual mode of learning. The course period will be 6 weeks. It is well suited for the ones, who haven’t written anything for a long time and want to restart their writing interest. As it is an online course, it gives you the liberty to choose your place and time to learn.
Key highlights:
- Get training from the author of “The Last Lost Girl”, Maria Hoey.
- Personal feedback from the trainer on your assignment.
- The course will be accessible for a whole year.
- Suitable for adults only.
Course fees: EUR 170
Website: https://creativewriting.ie/
6. Faber Academy
Course name: Creative writing courses from beginner to advanced level
Course details: There are multiple options of courses accessible on the website of Faber Academy. The classes of these courses are organized through the Zoom application. These classes need 1 day to 6 months to accomplish. The size of the batches is compact, which makes it feasible for the tutor to manage the classes in an organized manner.
Course Eligibility: Candidates 18 or above years of age are only eligible to join.
Key highlights:
- Masterclasses from industry experts, Marnie Riches, Rachael Allen, etc.
- Acquire immediate feedback after the submission of assignments or work.
- Scholarship benefits can also be availed.
Course fees: EUR 75 to EUR 2,750
Website: https://faberacademy.com/
Address: Bloomsbury House,
74-77 Great Russell Street,
London WC1B 3DA
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7. Irish Writers Centre
Course name: Creative Writing Courses for emerging writers
Course details: This platform has a wide range of creative writing self-paced courses in both in-person and online formats. The course duration starts from 2 hours to 6 weeks. There are no eligibility criteria to get admitted in any of these courses, just a keen interest in writing is more than enough.
Key highlights:
- Understand the work and contribution of Irish Writers.
- The number of participants is small (12 only) to provide a great experience and personalized details of sessions.
- Gain with a self-published work at the end of the course.
Course fees: EUR 250 to EUR 1050
Contact: (+353) 1 872 1302
Email: info@writerscentre.ie
Address: Irish Writers Centre,
19 Parnell Square,
Dublin 1, D01 E102.
8. Coursera in Collaboration with Wesleyan University
Course name: Creative Writing Specialization (5-course series)
Course details: The course covers three main topics of creative writing, short story, memoirs, and narrative essay in an online learning format. It is an English language course with the benefits of 10+ subtitles. The course is well-designed for beginners with a duration of more than 30+ hours or 3-6 months. One will earn the expertise of writing bewitching stories in a descriptive style.
Key highlights:
- Gains the knowledge of in-demand creative writing skills, such as fiction writing, short story writing, creativity, and copy editing.
- Earn a career certificate from Wesleyan University (shareable on LinkedIn).
- Gets practical knowledge from hands-on projects and industry experts.
- Develop a depth of understanding of the content writing subject matter.
Course fees: EUR 44.44 – EUR 133.34
Website: https://www.coursera.org/
9. Udemy
Course name: Complete Creative Writing- THE FULL COURSE
Course details: The course is a detailed guide for the ones, who are searching for online creative writing courses in Ireland. The course specializes in the four main types of creative writing including poetry, fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction are covered in the course. It has 4.6-star ratings from the students. The duration of the course is 12 hours and 7 minutes of on-demand video classes which are categorized into 6 sections and 162 lectures.
Course Eligibility: High interest in writing
Key highlights:
- Certificate of completion from Udemy.
- Get lifetime access to both mobile devices and television.
- At least 145 downloadable materials are obtainable.
- The benefits of graphics, notes, and assignment sheets are given for every lesson.
Course fees: EUR 6.09
Website: https://www.udemy.com/
10. Masterclass
Course name: Television Writing by Shonda Rhimes
Course details: The core subject of the course is screenwriting, which is going to be conducted by Shonda Rhimes (the scriptwriter of famous American drama series). It contains 30 video sessions or 6 hours and 25 minutes duration. The art of creating compelling characters and writing pilot scripts will be a cakewalk after the completion of this virtual course.
Key highlights:
- The facility of only audio lessons is available.
- One can access the sessions on desktop, television, or mobile devices.
- One can download the sessions in PDF formats.
- Enables the opportunity to learn from television writing experts.
- A subscription model for various classes is also available.
Website: https://www.masterclass.com/
11. Marino College
Course name: Creative Writing
Course details: It is one of the best creative writing courses in Ireland and only for candidates above or equivalent to the age of 16 years. The course will require 8 weeks to complete. It offers a variety of techniques or tools to write fiction. The course is made to guide writers to learn blogs, feature articles, screenwriting, memoirs, poetry, experimental writing, and children’s fiction.
Key highlights:
- Earn a certificate of attendance.
- Learn from a professional creative writer, Caitriona Daly.
- In-class methods of learning to make lectures more interactive and interesting.
Course fees: EUR 90
Website: www.marinocollege.ie/
Address: 14-20 Marino Mart,
Fairview, Dublin 3,
The Republic of Ireland.
Frequently Asked Questions Related to Creative Writing Courses in Ireland
Question 1. Which online creative writing courses in Ireland are best?
Answer. IIM SKILLS provides Ireland’s best online creative writing courses.
Question 2. Are Irish Writers Centre courses come with a membership?
Answer. No, there is no claim of membership with any course. But if you are already a member of the Irish Writers Centre, you will get a reasonable discount on any of the courses.
Question 3. Is it worth doing creative writing courses in Ireland?
Answer. Yes, doing a writing course in Ireland will be fruitful as it is a land of amazing writers, poets, and novelists. And there is a huge demand for writers in every field.
Question 5. How to become a writer in Ireland?
Answer. Becoming a writer in Ireland or even in any part of the world is easy for anyone as it requires a passion for writing. The important part is how to monetize your writing and how to transform your writing into earning.
Conclusion: Creative Writing Courses in Ireland
In conclusion, choosing creative writing as a career brings a lot of advantages not only to the applicant but also to the entertainment and journalism sectors. Creative writing is far away from those technical and academic writing. The extensive range of courses or programs related to creative writing courses in Ireland makes it possible for every passionate writer to publish their book or go for job designations, including screenwriting, columnist, podcaster, songwriter, etc. Eminent Irish colleges and several private institutions are well-equipped to guide writers at any stage. Creative writing courses allow writers to use their imagination, storytelling, communication, and organizational skills.