List of best creative writing courses in Singapore

Top 7 Creative Writing Courses in Singapore With Placements

November 2, 2024 Tanu Yadav

Creative writing courses in Singapore are increasingly recognized as crucial to anyone’s growth. Writing is an essential thing, whether it’s a company strategy, newsletter, content marketing campaign, blog post, screenplay, script, tale, novel, poem, social media post, or advertisement. Among those looking for a side hustle or who wish to pursue their passion, ghostwriting and freelancing have also gained a lot of popularity nowadays. Online creative writing courses in Singapore provide a thorough, self-paced education that provides students with the necessary writing skills for any career that might call for them.

What is Creative Writing?

According to the dictionary, creative writing is unique writing that imaginatively expresses thoughts and ideas. Academics may also describe it as the art of invention, although in the broader scheme of things, both of these descriptions are oversimplified. It’s difficult to come up with a clear definition of creative writing because it can apply to so many various things and genres.

Naturally, as the name implies, creativity and imagination are at the center of everything. It has to do with using your mind and your ideas to produce writing that deviates from the norm. Writing that comes from a personal place tends to be more original. Every person has their level of creativity in addition to their unique ideas and worldviews.

You can therefore create your own words and storylines that might be unique from others. When taken on its own, understanding creative writing can be difficult but one can go for creative writing courses in Singapore to have a good understanding.

So learning about the other major types of writing is the key to properly understanding this medium. It will be simpler to define or distinguish this type of writing from others if we compare and contrast them with the art of creative writing.

What Are the Main Forms of Writing?

In today’s society, five primary writing styles are prevalent in daily life and a wide range of professions:

Narrative Writing
Descriptive Writing
Persuasive Writing
Expository Writing
Creative Writing

Narrative Writing

The most fundamental kind of storytelling is referred to as narrative writing. Traditionally, this entails telling a character’s story and guiding the readers through their journey. It could be a lengthy novel or a brief tale of only a few hundred words. There are no restrictions on length, and it can be a work of fiction or entirely genuine.

The primary feature of narrative writing that distinguishes it from other types like creative writing is that it must contain the essential components of storytelling. When writing stories, sharing personal anecdotes, putting together presentations or speeches, and for some academic works, this style of writing is commonly used.

Descriptive Writing

Contrarily, descriptive writing places a greater emphasis on specifics. When this kind of writing is employed, the goal is to captivate the audience and have them feel invested in the narrative. So that they may close their eyes and instantly be transported to the location or setting you describe.

Descriptive writing is a sort of literary art in many ways. Given a blank canvas, talented writers can use their words to create a picture in the audience’s minds. The five senses that all humans have—sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste—are strongly emphasized. All of these senses are mentioned in descriptive writing to provide the reader with all the information they require to understand and visualize a specific situation.

Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is a type of writing that is all about getting your point across. You want to persuade the reader of your point of view by expressing it in your writing. The secret is to influence people’s thinking, frequently by assisting them in expanding their horizons or adopting new perspectives.

This is frequently confused with a type of writing known as opinionated writing, which focuses entirely on expressing your thoughts. Despite the similarities between the two, persuasive writing is centered on providing evidence to support your arguments. It takes more than just giving your views for others to read; you also need to convince them that your ideas are worthy of consideration and, possibly, action.

This form of writing is frequently utilized in news articles and other works intended to shed light on particular topics or points of view. It can also be a fairly technical kind of writing that is not overtly emotional, and it is often supported by statistical information to lend more weight to your thoughts.

Expository Writing

Expository writing places a greater emphasis on imparting knowledge to readers. Its name can be used to derive the term “exposed.” Expository writing aims to impart fresh knowledge to the reader about a certain subject or topic. Once more, it is most frequently found in journalistic formats like explainer pieces and “how-to” blogs. Additionally, you can find it in corporate writing or academic textbooks.

Creative Writing

It’s interesting to note that creative writing is frequently considered the type of writing that incorporates the majority of these types at once. Since you are creating a narrative to keep readers interested and telling a story for them to enjoy or learn from, narrative writing can be considered creative writing.

As you use your imagination and creative abilities to create in-depth descriptions that take the reader away from their home and into a new setting, descriptive writing is a crucial component of creative writing. In some contexts, creative writing can even employ persuasive writing techniques.

To come up with a unique style of narrating a story to educate readers and present them with new ideas to view or be persuaded of, many authors will combine persuasive writing with a narrative structure. Here, expository writing can also be used to address the reader’s queries or offer guidance by utilizing your imagination and creativity.

Creative writing can mix different forms of writing to produce fresh and original ways of presenting stories or creating material. It can also contain absolutely none of the other kinds at the same time. Creative writing is all about thinking outside the box and deviating from established rules and norms.

Fundamentally, we can state that there aren’t any true guidelines for writing creatively, which distinguishes it from the other writing genres covered above.

Types of Creative Writing

Scripts
Blogging
Essay
Journals
Poetry
Novels
Vignettes
Songwriting
Plays
Speeches

Scripts

Scripts are a crucial component of many artistic mediums. Previously, screenplays for plays, movies, and even video games were written. In terms of user engagement, YouTube is becoming more and more popular everywhere. Every YouTube video needs a script. Writing the script requires creative writing because it gives the video structure and presentation and creative writing courses in Singapore will help with that. Scripts are crucial for commercials, another context in which creative writing is relevant. Even for social media posts, scripts are employed, and this is another situation where creative writing is beneficial.

Blogging

Blogging used to be the go-to site for youngsters to release their young angst. But today, blogs are also a terrific area for writers to hang out. You can successfully blog about an infinite number of subjects that will interest readers. You can publish your blog or even use it as a platform to reflect on current affairs, the financial market, or virtually anything!

There are countless options, but settling on a topic and sticking with it is crucial. For instance, if you choose to launch a blog, stay with creative writing courses in Singapore only.

Essays

The personal essay, or even the academic essay, contains many creative components because they are both members of the non-fiction narrative family. There are many opportunities for you to be creative and capture the reader’s attention when writing, whether you’re writing about personal experiences or a science project.

If you know how to present your topic, even the most uninteresting reports have the potential to become engaging. The key to producing a great essay, like with a lot of non-fiction writing, is all the framing and creative writing courses in Singapore will help in them. When you start writing, consider how you can most effectively and creatively convey the problem.

Journals

A journal assumes the function of a memoir that can keep a record of everything under a given topic or heading. Journals, which keep track of the most recent developments in a given field, are likewise scientific.

For instance, the Journal of Science, Journal of Marketing, etc. While creative writing is not required for publication in scientific publications, it is frequently used in other journals. Regular notebooks that retain a record of memories must include creative writing.

Poetry

Poetry can be categorized as creative writing. Poems can be written in any format, along with the author’s preferred prose style. Since the author, or in this case, the poet, is forced to produce words based on thoughts that are almost out of thin air, poetry makes full use of creative writing.

Novels

The most well-known form of creative writing is arguably the novel. Stephen King’s crazy writing on his computer is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “creative writing.” It’s okay that way. It’s not unexpected given that novels have always been a well-liked form of entertainment. Novels are typically larger works of fiction that follow a certain cast of characters and a plot framework, which sets them apart from other types of literature.

Vignettes

These are short stories that can be presented in almost any of the available formats. If you’re composing a vignette, everything is permissible creatively except the length. This kind of creative writing is quite condensed. As long as the descriptions are evocative, it doesn’t have to be more than a few phrases.

Songwriting

A song is a form of verse poetry designed to be sung along to. There is a tonne of various songwriting techniques and patterns, and there aren’t any strict guidelines, but generally speaking, they all involve a verse, a chorus that repeats, and a bridge at the end of the song, usually before the chorus’s final lifeline.

Plays

Another excellent writing form to practice with is playwriting, especially if you like the thought of seeing your writing come to life. Playwriting typically entails creating a script that minimizes the need for description while properly establishing the characters, plot, and setting. Even if the minds behind a play frequently don’t work together at the same time, this is one of its essential components. The playwright, the director, the actors, and even the set designers all contribute to the final product, the performance.

Speeches

Creative writing makes up the lion’s portion of every speech, whether it be an informative or inspirational speech. With the aid of the specified points, many creative authors drafted speeches delivered by numerous leaders. The authors then craft a lovely motivational speech by fusing these ideas with their creative writing skills.

A career as a motivational speaker has recently developed. Delivering motivating speeches regularly is necessary to be a motivational speaker. There are restrictions on what you can write in fact.

The vast majority of individuals concur that examples of diverse persons who have achieved success in their respective industries are used in motivational speeches. Well, delivering such information to the audience without the use of creative writing skills is not creative. Before giving a motivational speech, the speeches are planned and the scripts are written. Creative writing is heavily used to create an inspiring speech.

Also Read:

7 Best Creative Writing Courses in Singapore

1. IIM SKILLS Content Writing Master Course

The Content Writing Course is a four-week online classroom course. Zoom, a cloud-based remote conferencing technology, is used for instructor-led training. For anyone who is worried about taking an online course, this training assures you that this is just as effective as a classroom. There will be a lot of conversation during the meetings.

Since it is fully online, you may take it in the comfort of your home without worrying about the commotion outside or about traveling back and forth to a real classroom. Most importantly, it saves time and adjusts the timetable to the batch as a whole’s convenience.

What additional freedom can a virtual classroom offer you? Well, it allows you the flexibility to attend the sessions and participate in the virtual classroom from anywhere. With just a click, you can enter using your desktop, laptop, mobile device, or both. Anybody can participate in this program, regardless of where they live. This place is highly recommended for creative writing courses in Singapore.

The versatility of a weekend or a weekday batch tops the benefits. Choose the option that makes the most sense to you. The ability to record each session is a key benefit of online training. You have the option to watch the recording of the scheduled online session if you are genuinely unable to attend for some reason.

You can watch the recorded session using access to the learning management system that was given to you on day one. This is the best one among the creative writing courses in Singapore which will surely benefit your writing.

2. Coursera: Creative Writing Specialization by Wesleyan University

Second, on the list of best creative writing courses in Singapore is Coursera. The financial model of Coursera differs somewhat from that of many other online education providers. To offer higher education courses, it works with respectable universities and other organizations. Many of the courses you take don’t count toward your college degree, but you can earn useful certificates by finishing specialties.

The five courses that make up the Creative Writing specialization are divided into three genres: the short story, the narrative essay, and the memoir. In these genres, you’ll learn how to establish characters and situations, write descriptions, and develop your writing style. After that, you’ll take a capstone course that will require you to complete a narrative, essay, or memoir.

You’ll have access to peer readers throughout the specialization who can offer feedback on your writing and suggestions for enhancements. Wesleyan University professors who have received training in the creative writing process and are published authors are teaching the course.

Price: $49/month
Time to complete: 3-6 months
Prerequisites required: None
Flexible schedule: Yes
Includes verified certificate of completion: Yes

3. Udemy: Secret Sauce of Great Writing

Udemy, one of the more well-known brands in the online education sector, provides both paid and free creative writing courses in Singapore and had more than 40 million students as of April 2021. As you can expect, a project of that size will produce a variety of goods of varying quality. The Secret Sauce of Great Writing is a standout among the company’s many creative writing courses in Singapore.

The course, taught by Shani Raja, a former editor of the Wall Street Journal, focuses on what Raja considers to be the four essential components of excellent writing: simplicity, clarity, elegance, and evocativeness. You can transform your writing from uninspired to inspiring by comprehending and utilizing these four components, according to Raja.

It is also a great way to improve your writing at this low cost-free!—and it’s with a short time commitment (the course lasts less than an hour). These factors apply whether you’re writing press releases or your autobiography.

Price: Free
Time to complete: 41 minutes
Prerequisites required: None
Flexible schedule: Yes
Includes verified certificate of completion: No

4. The Novelty: Writing for Children

Children writers can choose from several programs offered by The Novelty, ranging from the Classic Course Box Set, which costs $365 and lets you complete 45 lessons at your own pace, to the Book in a Year Plan, which takes you from plotting, developing, and writing a children’s novel to publish it within a year (for $1,999).

The latter offers nine private sessions with a children’s fiction tutor to assist you in shaping your work—a helpful perk for aspiring authors. On an interactive platform, you can post questions or comments. Classes last between 15-20 minutes, and the organization suggests that you set up an hour each day for writing. The platform monitors your development and provides comments as you go.

5. Gotham Writers Online Writing Classes

You’ll recognize the “Gotham Box” if you’ve ever traveled to New York City or even just seen the city in a movie. Jeff and David, two entrepreneurial and independent people, founded Gotham Writing Classes in 1993. It became rather well-known in New York City for all types of learners, including professionals and students.

It began offering its online course in 1997, and since then, they have never had a problem with enrollment. From creative writing to fiction, from article writing to non-fiction, Gotham provides practically every kind of genre course. The gathering is kindly kept small so that each person can receive adequate attention.

Self-paced with one weekly real-time interaction.
Type: Weekly Zoom interactive class with online video lectures.
Workshops last for 10 weeks, and lessons are 6 weeks long.
Price: $300-$400 for each workshop

6. edX Creative Writing Courses in Singapore

A complex learning platform, edX is comparable to Udemy and Coursera. The problem is that edX is the entire institution, not just a platform (or many institutions together). edX offers a variety of course formats on a range of subject areas from numerous institutions.

With the help of edX, universities like Berkeley, Cambridge, Washington, and others now provide full-time online courses up to the level of a Master’s program. Learners can obtain their degrees online for the standard cost.

In addition, edX offers certificate programs, micro-graduate programs, and micro-postgraduate programs to learners and students who want to take introductory courses before enrolling in full-time degree programs.

Duration: Varies with the type of course.
Type: Online video lectures and assignments.
Schedule: Self-paced.
Pricing: Depends on the course

7. FutureLearn Creative Arts and Media Writing Courses

Another website that offers micro-credential creative writing courses in Singapore is FutureLearn. When applying for multi-disciplinary employment or positions, these courses become crucial. It is wholly British, and the majority of the offered courses are run or managed by various facilitators who may or may not be affiliated with the organization sustaining the course. A learner can enjoy a well-stocked buffet thanks to the many courses.

Three different types of subscription plans exist:

Free, but with just a few educational advantages
Having a specific course certificate (involves fee)
Unlimited offers a membership with certification for a year across all FutureLearn courses.

There are conflicting opinions on how well the courses perform; some students praised them, while others lamented subscription scams and issues with certification.

Schedule: Self-Paced.
Type: Online video lectures and assignments.
Duration: Depends on the specific course.
Pricing: $279 for an unlimited subscription.

FAQs About Creative Writing Courses in Singapore

Q1. What should I study to become a writer?

The World is an appropriate but abstract response, but if the learner is interested in formal education, he or she can choose a degree program. Many universities now offer online degrees; some of them are listed in this article. Although there are numerous free and certificate courses accessible to study and improve one’s knowledge and skills if one chooses not to undertake a formal term of study.

Q2. Are creative writing courses in Singapore worth it?

Every creative writing courses in Singapore offer something that will help students become better writers. The student is responsible for understanding and applying the skills.

Q3. How to write better?

Practice is the only solution. everyday writing creates a schedule and blocks off at least 4 hours each day for writing. Write something, start a blog, anything, just WRITE!

Vaibhav Kakkar