List of best creative writing courses in Amsterdam

Top 5 Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam With Placements

November 2, 2024 Shivani Singh

The creative content writing field is vast! The type of content curated in the journalism field is different from content written by writers working in the corporate sector. Similarly, there exists a realm of creative writing wherein content creation takes on the route of imagination and thinking outside of the box and is often characterized by hyperbole as well as the art of storytelling. Creative content entices the mind of readers and impels them to think unconventionally. If you are looking for creative writing courses in Amsterdam and wish to take on this path, then here is a comprehensive guide for you:

What is Creative Writing?

As defined by Wikipedia, creative writing is content curation that does not fall into the category of journalistic, academic, or technical writing. The emphasis is on the craft of narration, character, and usage of figurative language/words. Creative writing goes beyond just putting one sentence after the other.

It is about narration and the development of character (that can be either fictional or real) and often involves the genre of poetry. It would not be wrong to say that creative writing has endless bounds as you get to use your imagination. And, if you wish to accelerate your imagination skills, then doing creative writing courses in Amsterdam is the key.

To develop creative writing skills, you must be open to playing with out-of-the-box ideas and not only settle for stating the obvious or just factual information. Apart from this, the voice or tone used while writing is equally important and makes a significant difference.

Once you have creative ideas mixed with imagination, weaving everything to form a catchy narrative is yet another pillar of creative writing. It must be such that it leaves a profound effect on the readers. Furthermore, creative content holds the power to showcase a fresh perspective of situations/things, and at times it helps to establish deeper understanding as well.

Types of Creative Writing

Creative content writing is broadly divided into four categories and each of them has a distinct purpose and is briefly explained below:

1) Descriptive Writing:

The main purpose of descriptive creative writing is to make the readers visualize details of the character, event place, or situation mentioned in the content. In descriptive creative writing, the content is described in the terms of five senses that enable the readers to weave more realistic and artistic narration in his/her mind.

All in all, this type of creative writing is supposed to invoke images or scenes as a part of imagination. Descriptive creative writing can be seen in poetry, journals, advertisements, and fiction stories as well.

2) Expository Writing:

The term expository simply means to expose, and in the context of creative writing, it implies content that exposes or reveals certain facts. It is one of the most common genres of creative writing. In this type of creative content writing, a topic is first introduced, and the following part of the content explains is sort of structured order. Expository creative writing can be easily spotted in textbooks, in the field of journalism, business writing, technical writing, or even in essays.

3) Narrative Writing:

Next in line is Narrative writing wherein the aim is to simply tell a story. In this style of creative writing, the story can be either imaginary or a real one but either of them does definitely have narration, characters, situations, etc. These elements help the reader to interpret or fathom the story by reading it.

Dialogues (for movies, series, etc) are one of the most striking examples of narrative creative writing. Some examples of creative narrative writing include – biographies, poetry, fiction work, anecdotes, etc.

4) Persuasive Writing:

Last but not least, the category of creative writing is persuasive writing. As the name suggests, persuasive writing is done to influence the readers so that they easily assume the writer’s point of view. This type of writing is packed with personal opinions and well-structured reasons behind them.

Backing a personal opinion with examples makes it easier to influence the thinking of the reader or at least sway them to once consider the writer’s point of view. Persuasive writing is a pillar in advertisement writing as well as editorials.

Techniques to Master Creative Writing

If you plan to enroll in creative writing courses in Amsterdam then you must go for it without much thought. While you are taking your classes, you may refer following points that can help you hone your creative writing skills-

1) Developing the plot:

The first and foremost activity of creative writing is to set the plot. The term plot refers to the order of the events/situations that build up and make a story. It also tells the manner in which the story would move and unfold for the readers. While taking classes of creative writing courses in Amsterdam, you will be doing different tasks around plot building and how to go about it.

2) Character Development:

Now, this part differs from writer to writer. Some prefer to build or develop the plot first whereas others prefer to develop the characters first and then make the plot accordingly. Don’t worry, while learning about creative writing, you will get to know to which category you belong. Under character development, different characters and their in-depth personality is developed. This helps in scribbling the clear motivation of each character and then building the plot.

3) Vivid Setting:

The term ‘setting’ in the context of creative writing refers to the time that the story is set in or rather the genre of the story. For instance, a writer can write a futuristic story or a period drama.

4) Point of View:

Building a story around a perspective refers to a point of view. A lot of it depends on who is telling the story in the plot and how it is getting unfolded for the readers. Including a good point of view in a story lifts it up to multiple levels.

5) Dialogues Writing:

Of course, dialogue writing has to come into play when we talk about the creative writing process. It can also be understood as conversations or speeches that are crucial parts of weaving a story and making it wholesome. Some of the elements that help in creating catchy dialogues are – the usage of metaphors, figurative language, similes, etc. These elements add more richness and depth to the dialogues.

Creative writing involves a variety of writing styles, from story, and fiction to poetry and advertisements. However, in most of them, the prime focus is on expressing emotions, ideas, or thoughts through literary devices. Again, it can be fictional or non-fiction, and totally depends on the writer!

Why Choose Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam?

All the content, rather SEO-based content is written for the readers and even machines so that the concerned content ranks better on the search engines. On the other hand, creative content writing is meant for the enjoyment of readers. In most cases, the aim is not to sell or do marketing of any kind. It is more rhetoric in nature and it is most highly engaging. It often states or enforces understated messages.

The Benefits of Choosing Creative Content Writing

First and foremost, if you wish to take on the path of creative writing, then opting for creative writing courses in Amsterdam would be helpful. But the question is, why go down that path? Well, given below are some solid reasons for the same.

1) Creative writing helps to build useful skills

Creative writing involves the use of figurative language and is written in a hyperbolic way. This helps to brush up your communication skills, and imaginative and critical thinking skills. The simple reason is that while doing creative writing, you need to imagine, think and finally communicate your views or ideas through texts. The development of these skills can be further utilized in professional life and in different walks of life as well. Not only, this but creative writing often helps you as the author to understand, explore and interpret your emotions.

2) It can be a lucrative Career option

From advertisement writers, and poets, to ghostwriters, so and so forth there are numerous lucrative job profiles you can choose from after finishing the creative content writing course in Amsterdam. You would be surprised to know the increasing demand for creative writers for OTT platforms, film industries, podcasts for Youtube channels, etc.

It is easier to make a long-term and sustainable career in this field. The only hard work you need to put in from your end is in your portfolio. Try to compile a portfolio with your best works and the opportunities are limitless.

3) You can do other things parallel-y!

In today’s time, it is very easy and convenient to pick a freelance work or career in the field of your interest, apart from your 9-5 conventional jobs. If you have the energy and want to do it, why not, you must go for it. There are many writers who do freelancing in this field and deal with clients on the world level.

So, you can also juggle and multitask and earn good money. Moreover, if you are a creative content writer, you really do not need to be always in an office to write or work. The nature of a job as a creative writer is such that you can take the leverage of working remotely very easily.

4) Say hello to your creative side

Once you begin your career after completing the creative writing courses in Amsterdam, the regular practice of writing helps you to explore your creative side. Many believe that being creative in any sense is a skill and it can be cultivated. So, taking the creative writing path fastens that process for you!

The best part is that once creative writing is cultivated or honed through practice, it stays with you always and forever. And, when you explore your creative side while doing creative writing, it helps to strike on so many different emotional chords within you.

Creative Writing Versus Content Writing

Particular	Creative Writing	Content Writing
Definition	Creative content writing refers to a type of writing that usually explains the imagination, ideas, feelings, experiences, and emotions of the writer’s subconscious level. It is beyond the preview of writing done in journalism, the technical field, the academic field, etc.	On the other hand, content writing is simply content written for the digital world, like articles, blogs, websites, etc. In most cases, content writing services are aimed at marketing or selling a product or service.
Purpose	Creative writing is all about originality, the expression of one’s own personal thoughts, and feelings to entertain and amuse readers.	Content writing for the internet has more commercial use.
Content Form/Type	Creative content writing can be seen in journals, essays, stories, poems, diaries, scripts, writing pieces, memoirs, etc. Creative writing contents are creative, imaginative, and touchy. It is characterized by over-the-top writing structure and flowery language.	Content writing has a larger purview, and it explains the needed information to the readers. It includes technical words/sentences, and factual information
Content Style	Creative writing is often done in a metaphorical manner, and many times it strikes an emotional chord in readers. The content style is mostly figurative and it is often the imagination and point of view of the writer. In a nutshell, creative content is such that it helps to weave and imagine the story/event/situation/ emotions that are written by the author.	On the contrary, content writing is done in a structured way, including in-depth research of the concerned topic. The language is plain and technical and flowery words/sentences are not used. The writing style followed, in this case, focuses on the instances as well as facts. .
Platform	Different platforms wherein you can easily find creative content include – websites, novels, handbooks, newsfeeds, magazines, blogs, etc.	Content writing can easily be seen in SEO-based content, websites, etc. and the main aim is to achieve optimization.

You Should Not Miss Out on These Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam

Since the unpredictable time of Covid has moved from our heads, the way we use to function has changed and a lot of transformation has come in the education sector as well. Thus, most of the creative writing courses in Amsterdam have adopted the online mode while some offer both offline and online. Take a look at the top 5 creative writing courses you can pick to do in the comfortable four walls of your home!

1. Content Writing Course By IIM SKILLS:

If you are scouting for holistic creative writing courses in Amsterdam then it would be wise to check out the Content Writing Course of IIM SKILLS. More than 16 hours of lectures by pioneers of the field and access to free tools make this one of the best choices if you wish to take the route of creative content writing.

One of the striking features of this course is that you will be given regular assignments or tasks to practically do whatever you learn in the lectures. If you have a laptop or phone, a decent internet connection, and time + desire to go in this field then the Content Writing course by IIM SKILLS should be your top choice.

Oh! Did I tell you that along with interactive lectures and regular tasks, you also get lifetime access to recorded sessions and presentations so that you can always go back to lectures whenever you feel stuck? Sounds great right? Well, the course is definitely a ride worth taking.

A sneak peeks into the topics you would learn during the course duration – Introduction to Content Writing, WordPress Development, Email Writing, Creative Writing, Social Media Writing, Legal Writing, SEO, Content Marketing, etc. Thus, it is a complete 101 of content writing that includes every vertical including creative writing!

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2) Complete Creative Writing Course By Udemy:

Udemy offers a range of courses from different categories and if you are from Amerstdam then you can easily buy and access their courses. Similarly, it offers creative writing courses, and that too at affordable rates. The course goes by the name – ‘Complete Creative Writing Genre Course’ and it is a good option for people who are looking for creative writing courses in Amsterdam.

The comprehensive curriculum taught in the course helps new writers to take their first step into the world of creative writing. Furthermore, it will help you to explore more about this field and you will be able to eventually find your niche. The 12 hours of the recorded session can be watched at your convenience and can be accessed from any corner of the world. Not only this, but in the course package you also get 37 quizzes that help you to test your learning and brush up on the areas you are lagging in!

3) Creative Writing Specialisation By Coursera:

Another one of the best creative writing courses in Amsterdam is the one offered by Coursera. Popular for offering a certification (after course completion) with recorded sessions focusing on different elements of content and creative writing, it is best -suited for beginners who are taking baby steps into the content writing world. The specialization is offered across 5 varied courses and each of them covers specific subjects:

The Craft of Character – As mentioned in the former part of this blog, character building is one of the most important parts of the creative writing process. So, Coursera’s this course helps you to get a grip on how to decide or imagine or ideate for characters, how to assign different traits to different characters, etc.

The Craft of Plot – This is the introductory course of Creative Writing Specialisation. It helps you to learn the most basic part of creative writing i.e. developing the plot. You will be taught different techniques to get hold of the process of ideating the plot of any kind of creative content.

The Craft of Setting and Description – The next course will help you to understand the dynamics of the description (in detail) of a story or plot. When it comes to creating content, every detail is important and as a creative writer, you must know the art of expressing necessary details through flowery sentences. And, this course teaches the process of setting the description of a plot.

The Craft of Style – There are many creative writers around the globe and many will become one in the coming future. So, it is necessary to find your style (for instance – tone, voice, etc) so that you can carve your way into this field and can express your imaginative ideas/stories/poems in a unique way. Well, this creative writing course teaches the A-Z of how to find your style of creative writing.

Capstone – Once the learning part is done through the courses mentioned above, the teaching of these courses is combined together to make a capstone (10-15 pages) and it is sort of a task for you. It covers all the particulars from building characters, and plots to finding a style of writing and plot description. The final capstone designed by the participants is often distributed to various readers to get their feedback for improvement.

4) Creative Writing Course By the University of Amsterdam:

Another popular one among the best creative writing courses in Amsterdam is the one offered by the University of Amsterdam. The honors program in creative writing is exciting and adopts an entertaining way of teaching. The course focuses a lot on the practical implementation of the teachings done during the course. Throughout the course, you will have the art of creative thinking/ ideating to weave out-of-the-box content.

The eligibility criteria of this course are simple – anyone who is interested in pursuing creative writing can feel free to call, enquire and enroll in this creative writing course. Yet again, your previous qualifications or field of study shall have no impact on taking admission for this course.

5) Creative Writing Course By CREA:

A dynamic learning platform – CREA offers online creative writing courses in Amsterdam and abroad. You can easily enroll in this course and learn from any corner of the world. CREA’s creative writing course helps you explore expressing creatively and then asserting creative ideas in writing. The course duration is 8 weeks and you can do it online.

If you talk about eligibility criteria then, there is no such limitation or set bar. Anyone who is interested in studying creative writing courses online can enroll with CREA. The course price is also reasonable wherein new students are required to pay 98 euros.

This brings us to the end of this blog on creative writing and its nuances of it. If you are inclined towards setting your foot into the creative writing space then going for creative writing courses in Amsterdam should be on the top of your priority list. Once you will learn the basics through theory classes and practical learning, your imaginative skills would certainly take leaps and bounds and you would be ready to take on the role of creative writer in your respective professional paths.

FAQs About Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam

1) What is creative writing?

The type of writing that goes beyond the usual content writing done in the journalism field, businesses, websites, etc is creative writing. It is characterized by imagination and presentation of the point of view of the author/writer.

2) What are the different types of creative writing?

Primarily there are four types of creative writing namely – Descriptive, Expository, Narrative, and Persuasive.

3) Can I choose creative writing despite having no experience or prior knowledge?

Absolutely yes! It does not matter what your previous field of study was or what you have studied in your 10+2, irrespective of all these parameters, anyone can choose creative writing courses in Amsterdam!

Vaibhav Kakkar