The Absolute Best Online Courses for Writers!

Are you a writer?

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Do you want to learn how to write better, more creatively, and with less stress?

Are you struggling with the idea of what it means to write well, or how to get your work published? Online courses are the perfect solution for aspiring writers who want to learn more about writing.

There are many different types of writing classes out there that will help teach you the required skills.

In this article we’ll be discussing some of the best online courses for writers available today. These online courses can help you hone your skills and start building a successful career as an author!

Free Online writing courses

We are all about freelancing. It’s benefits, how to get started, ways to upskill and where to find some freelance jobs.

As a freelancer, you need to know how to write.

I know you may argue that you are not venturing into copywriting or anything related to writing. That’s okay. Whatever path you want to take, you need some basic writing skills. How else will you be able to pitch and find new clients?

Some interviews will require you to given written answers. Not sure how to write some persuasive cover letters, check out our sample here.

Do free online courses exist?

Yes. Free online courses have been around for a while. Online course platforms such as edx and Coursera, partner with universities to create massive open online courses (MOOCs). Some company websites and universities also offer free online courses on their pages.

What online writing courses are available?

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Mixed
• Advanced

Best free online writing courses for new writers

In this article we are going to look at free online writing courses that will help you learn some basics when it comes to writing. We’ll look at beginner, intermediate and advanced.

On platforms such as Coursera and edX, you’ll find courses with a tag free to audit. This simply means, you can go through the course material, but will not be able to do graded assignments and earn a certificate at the end of the course.

You can always upgrade to have access to these features. They also have a feature for financial aid where you can apply and be granted financial aid to get through the course.  

Most of the course I’m going to list are self-paced. You’ll also find other courses that start at different times in the year.

I know I’ve touched on Coursera but the list will include courses from other online platforms such as Udacity, Edx. If you are having trouble signing up on Coursera, I’ll be covering how to in another article.

Let’s get started!

1) Grammar and punctuation from University of California, Irvine.

This course is part of a specialization. It’s a five-part series. You can audit the various parts for free or apply for financial aid to complete the specialization if you are unable to afford.

Duration: 17 hours

Rating: 4.7 (17,440 ratings)

Syllabus:

• Introduction – this covers the basics of grammar and punctuation.
• Verb tenses and conjunctions – how to use tenses correctly.
• Compound and Complex Sentences – you’ll learn about different types of sentences.
• Commas, parallel structure and sentence variety – learn different uses of commas.

2) Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization from University of Michigan.

Want to become good with words, this specialization is a good fit.

Duration: 4 months

Level: Beginner

Rating: 4.7 (1,040 ratings)

Courses covered in the specialization include:

Word choice and word order. This course will teach you how to write persuasively. You’ll learn ways to use syntax, techniques for telling stories, and how to arrange complex information. You’ll also learn about punctuation and style.

Structure and organization. This second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing series will help you become a better writer. You’ll learn that it is not always good to show and tell the same thing. With this course, you’ll learn how to switch back and forth between showing and telling.

Drafting. The 3rd session in the “Good with Words: Writing and Editing” series will provide you with a variety of techniques to help you overcome what is often the most frightening, even paralyzing aspect of the writing process: starting. You’ll learn about “planning fallacy” and “temptation bundling.”

Revising. The fourth and last course in the “Good with Words: Writing and Editing” series will teach you how to perfect perhaps the most essential stage of the writing process: editing. You’ll learn what distinguishes editing from proofreading. You’ll practice “un-numbing the numbers” so that your data and statistics are clear and compelling.

3) English Grammar and Style from the University of Queensland Australia

In this course, you’ll get handouts that cover grammatical concepts, writing style, word usage, punctuation, sentence and paragraph structure. You’ll also get some fantastic resources for your assistance. To sum it up you’ll be shown video interviews with notable grammarians to spark your interest, offer you exercises to help you improve your writing skills.

Duration: 8 weeks

Level: Beginner

Syllabus

• Introduction to the course.
• Introduction to Sentences.
• Verbs. Finite and non-finite verbs
• Nouns and Pronouns. Form and function of nouns
• Adjectives and Determiners. The form, function, and use of adjectives.
• Adverbs and Conjunctions.
• Prepositions and Paragraphs.
• Punctuation.

4) Verb Tenses and Passives

This is the first in a series of four Learn English: Advanced Grammar and Punctuation courses. This session, you’ll revisit your verb tenses from earlier levels of English study while also learning about some that you may not be familiar with. You’ll go over all 12 of the English verb tenses and passive verb forms overall in this course

Finally, you’ll be introduced to how to mix these tenses, which is exactly what native speakers do. This course is crucial for your progress as an English speaker.

This lesson is only available with a paid membership. You may access all of the instructional videos and handouts with the free version. Only the paid version has peer feedback and quizzes.

Rating: 4.8 (1,493 ratings)

Duration: 25 hours

Level: Intermediate

5) Video Game Writing Essentials

Video-game writing is a completely new territory, where writers and game designers are still learning, inventing, and pioneering innovative ways to tell tales.

This is where you’ll get your feet wet. This online course looks at interactive storytelling, as well as the history of video games and the kinds of games that have been created since the medium’s inception.

Duration: 5 weeks

Rating:

Level: Beginner

6) Improve Your English Communication Skills Specialization from Georgia Tech

In this specialization course, you’ll learn how to enhance your professional communication in English for successful business interactions. Each session addresses a different aspect of English communication: writing emails, giving speeches and interviews, making presentations, and networking online.

Rating: 4.8 (13.328 ratings)

Duration: 5 months

Level: Beginner

7) How to Succeed at: Writing Applications

This free three-week course will help you create an outstanding CV, application, and internet profile when applying for a job or education.

Duration: 3 weeks

Rating: 4.7 (308 ratings)

Improve your writing!

Now you know the best online courses for writers!

Online writing courses are a great way to improve your writing skills and they can be done from the comfort of you own home. If you’re interested in improving how well you write, or looking for new ways to expand your knowledge on grammar or punctuation this article is perfect for you. Additionally I’ve provided links to some free resources as well as paid content.

Got a writing course you’ve tried out that needs to be on the list? Comment below.