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Good writing skills can take you far (just take it from a business major who wormed her way into editorial). Regardless of your profession, clear language, engaging tone, and strategic delivery help you connect with your audience and achieve your goal. How you communicate, down to the nitty-gritty of punctuation, can make a huge difference — even up to $5 million, in one case.
Year after year, strong written communication skills top the list of employers' most-desired qualities in hires, but good writing doesn't come easily or instinctively to everyone. As with any skill, you won't get any better at writing simply by reading books or watching videos about it.
Online classes are affordable, flexible ways to not only learn the proper strategies, but also practice and receive feedback on your writing. Who better to learn from than actual published authors, writers, and editors?
The following classes are all taught by accomplished, award-winning writers who have decades of experience in communicating ideas, telling stories, and captivating their audiences. Some specialize in fiction, while others employ storytelling tricks to make even the most dry facts shine.
If you see the word "creative" in the title, don't immediately dismiss the class. All the courses have valuable lessons to learn for making your writing more effective, whether you're in a creative industry or not.
Improve your writing skills by taking these 11 classes taught by experienced authors, writers, and editors.
Storytelling Fundamentals: Character, Conflict, Context, Craft
Take Storytelling Fundamentals: Character, Conflict, Context, Craft on Skillshare here
The course: This short 40-minute class breaks down the fundamentals of narrative storytelling and what makes a story different from a mere anecdote. Learn the "4 C's" of storytelling and see them in action in one of the teacher's own short stories. The fun final project is to write a short story about something that happened on a single block in your hometown over the course of one hour.
The teacher: Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the "Bone Street Rumba" urban fantasy series and the YA novel "Shadowshaper.""Shadowshaper" was a New York Times Notable Book of 2015 and named one of Esquire’s "80 Books Every Person Should Read." His short stories and essays have appeared in the Guardian, NPR, and a number of other sites.
The Writer's Toolkit: 6 Steps to a Successful Writing Habit
Take The Writer's Toolkit: 6 Steps to a Successful Writing Habit on Skillshare here
The course: Writing should be approachable and fun, not torturous. By optimizing your space for your writing style, creating a daily writing routine, and gathering and acting on inspiration, you can build a long-term writing process you can rely on for years to come.
The teacher: Simon Van Booy's short story collection "Love Begins in Winter" won the 2009 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. He has written two other short story collections as well as three anthologies of philosophy, and his work has been translated into over a dozen languages throughout the world. In 2013, he founded Writers for Children, a project that helps young people build confidence in their storytelling abilities through annual awards.
The Designer's Guide to Writing and Research
Take The Designer's Guide to Writing and Research at Skillshare here
The course: Geared towards designers, this course illuminates the parallels between writing and design. You'll learn about the professional importance of research and writing to designers today, best practices for developing your voice, and creative ways to communicate. The final project is a 500-word essay on an object in your wallet, bag, or pocket.
The teacher: Steven Heller writes the Visuals column for the New York Times Book Review and is the editor of the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design. A former New York Times art director, he is the author, co-author, or editor of over 170 books on design and popular culture, and also regularly contributes to design publications.
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