4 Reasons Online Writing Courses are Totally Worth the Money
For many of us, this month marks 5 months since we’ve been at home due to the pandemic. Whether it’s because we were furloughed or laid off from our jobs, or simply working at home - it’s been a minute since things have been “normal” or the version of normal we had before COVID-19.
During this time, there has been such a surge in online learning, not just for kiddos who had to switch to eLearning to finish out the year, but for adults, too!
Although it’s been a tumultuous time, there has been an exceptional opportunity for learning.
Although it’s been a tumultuous time, there has been an exceptional opportunity for learning. I’ve seen a pretty awesome variety of online courses throughout the last few months, many of which are teaching skills people can use to get jobs or find freelance work online.
But what I’ve been most interested in lately are online writing courses. I have a little bit of a bias because writing is my favorite thing, but writing is an incredibly marketable skill people can use during these abnormal times!
What Do You Mean by Online Writing Course?
There are lots of different types of writing courses. The ones we typically think of might happen in colleges or at the local community centers, which are both valuable options.
But when I’m talking about an online writing course, I mean a writing course that is:
Completely Remote
There aren’t any face-to-face components, meaning you don’t have to go somewhere specific to learn the material. There might be videos to watch, or even live teaching, but you can stay at home (or travel wherever you want) to complete the course.
Self-Paced or Specific Program
Some online writing courses give you full access to all the modules and information up front when you buy it. These are self-paced, meaning you can complete them all at your leisure.
There are also online writing course programs that are a predetermined number of weeks, where you complete tasks and learn information incrementally more like a classroom experience. Common lengths for these are usually between 8-12 weeks.
A Course that Teaches You an Aspect of Writing
We couldn’t talk about an online writing course without stipulating that it’s actually about writing. There are so many options for you to learn online - things like marketing, sales, wellness, etc. - but when I say online writing course, I mean skills for writing like the writing process, editing, proofreading, copy editing, and the like. Things that you do writing for during the course.
Why Take Online Writing Courses?
If you’ve read my other posts or talked to me in person, you probably know that I always talk about how writing is a skill, not a talent.
Do some people naturally like it better? Yes.
Do some people seem to excel at it more easily than others? Also yes.
That being said, almost everyone has the ability to learn a new skill, which means that almost everyone can learn to write.
Not only is it a good personal skill in terms of communication, but it’s also a powerful professional skill that is highly sought after. Employers want good writers, at least the ones I’ve seen do.
But knowing that writing is a super valuable skill, why would someone choose to take an online writing course to learn it?
Quick to Gain New Skills
An online writing course can be a quick way to gain a brand new skill, especially if you find yourself with free time. You likely won’t have to spend 3-6 months learning from an online course, unless it’s a more specialized program. If it’s a self-paced course, you could potentially cram it all into a small block of time and start practicing right away.
Grow & Hone Skills You Already Have
If you already know the basics of writing, you can take an online writing course to learn different types of writing and hone those skills you already know how to do. An example might be copy writing or editing. There are also creative writing courses available online.
Self-paced
Probably one of the top reasons people opt for online writing courses is the ability to be self-paced. Because everyone learns differently, some people need more time in certain areas than others. Sometimes people just want to take their time and not rush through. Whatever the case, many online writing courses have the great benefit of being self-paced.
Flexible with Location
A lot of people like online writing courses because they don’t have to be in a specific place to learn. Sometimes you’ll hear this flexibility called “location independent” and right now there’s a huge number of people who would love to travel the world and be able to make money from anywhere. Learning writing skills online makes a whole lot of sense for this lifestyle.
Cheaper Than a Degree
Last, but certainly not least, online writing courses are chapter than getting a degree in writing. That’s not to say that all writing courses online are cheap, because that’s definitely not the case! The fact is, you can learn a specific skill online and potentially make money from it faster and cheaper than getting a degree in writing.
This isn’t to say I’m in any way against college or going to college for writing - I’m definitely not! I was an English major myself, and it was an incredibly valuable experience. I’m an English major advocate. That being said, if you just want to hone a specific skill, especially an online skill, online writing courses can be a great way to do so.
4 Reasons Online Writing Courses are Worth the Money
Online writing courses clearly have some pretty awesome benefits!
There’s definitely no shortage of people making excellent money from writing online, and the number of people who do freelance writing is and has been on the rise for years.
But is it really worth it to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to take online writing courses?
The short answer: Yes.
Here’s why:
You Take Charge of Your Learning
When you’re in the online learning space, there’s not one “right” path, or even a path that every single person takes.
Pretty much everyone will tell you their course will change your life - and there’s a good chance it might.
But the fact is, unlike a more traditional learning path, you get to choose:
What skills to learn
Where to learn those skills
How much you’re willing to pay to learn those skills
What’s valuable to you
You’re the one making the decisions, not an institution or a salesperson. Whether or not you find this scary (it definitely can be!), it’s the truth. Everything is a la carte. You can buy one thing from 5 people or, if you find someone who’s really helpful, 5 things from one person. Either way, you get to make that decision.
You Control the Time Frame
When you take online writing courses, you know ahead of time exactly what you’re getting. You have the option to purchase a course that’s self-paced so you can do it on your own time.
There are also plenty of options to join a program that walks through things step-by-step, if you think that will be helpful in keeping you accountable and moving forward.
You’re free to choose whichever sounds more appealing to you.
You Have the Opportunity to Network & Connect with a Community
In most online writing courses, you will get an invitation to join a community of like-minded individuals who are completing the program with you. It’s kind of like a class, but without the mandatory butt-in-seat time & forced group work.
Being able to network and be a part of a writing community is incredibly valuable, though, because not only do you hear what other people are thinking about, struggling with, and winning at, but you can also get a little slice of that human connection with people who know what you’re working on.
You Can Go Wherever You Want (as Long as You Have Internet)
Probably one of the best things about taking an online writing course is the ability to go anywhere and still have access to the same quality of learning - as long as you have the internet, of course.
It’s an added bonus that you could even potentially stay at home in your own bed with your favorite grungy PJs and absolutely no one will know or care. Who doesn’t want that option to learn such a valuable skill?!
Where to Take Online Writing Courses
By now you’re probably wondering where the heck to find these online writing courses because, hey, there are awesome perks and maybe you’re tired of being at home doing nothing. Or maybe you’ve been at home doing everything and you want to start spending some time on you!
Either way, there are some pretty great places to take online writing courses. These are just a few ideas because I have used them personally, but I would encourage you to look at all the options for any skill you want to learn! Have some fun, do some dreaming, and then decide.
1. Masterclass -If you want to learn writing from some master writers, Masterclass is an awesome place to go! You can take classes from such writers as: Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and Malcolm Gladwell. These writers are bonafide writing successes!
2. Udemy - You can find almost any skill with a huge variety of teachers on Udemy. They have anything from creative to technical to academic writing skills courses available. Just make sure that you look through the options and look at the teacher before choosing so you know you’re getting information from someone who really knows their stuff!
3. From Me! - I won’t toot my own horn too much, but I’ve worked with a lot of students over the years. One of my main focuses, aside from the actual skills building part, is to increase student confidence. And I’ll tell you a secret, I’ve been focusing on building student confidence with my teaching since I started - I’ve always worked on it as a teacher.
The program I’m offering starting in September is 8 weeks long, and I designed it to take writers from the very beginning (we start with brainstorming) through the writing process and come out at the end with a “good” first draft of a creative project.
I couldn’t be more excited if I tried! If you want to read all about it, you can click here. It will take you to the program page and fill you in on all the juicy details.
Next Steps
So there you have it! Online writing courses can be a great way to gain practical (and fun) new skills that will help you in your career, and probably at home, too! You’ll love the flexibility, the options, and the decisions you get to make about what you’re learning. It’s a good deal! There’s a reason there are so many choices.
But what do you do with this information?
1. Decide What Writing Skills You Want to Work On You’ll probably want to choose one or two skills to start with before you try to look at classes to take, otherwise you might get overwhelmed by the variety. Thinking about what you want to do with your new skills will help.
2. Look for Classes You Could Take to Improve Your Skills If you’re not able to pinpoint which skills you want to learn, you can always take a look at what’s available, although I’ll warn you it’s a lot! Sometimes it’s fun to window shop before you decide on the must have, though, you know?
3. Sign Up for a Class/Course! Once you’ve looked around, pick one and buy it!
4. Get Help if You Need It - If all of this seems overwhelming to you, you’re definitely not alone. The first time I bought a course and invested in myself I was so scared! And honestly, the times after that, too.
With creative work, especially, it can sometimes be harder to see the value of an investment. If this is you, let me help! I do offer an 8 week program, but I also offer 1:1 coaching for writers, too.
If you send me an email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com telling me a little about yourself and what you want to do, I’ll give you a complimentary 30 minute session to help you figure out what you want and you can decide what’s best. Sound good?
My challenge to you is to think about what kinds of writing skills would be valuable to you right now and take an online writing course about it.
Have you taken an online writing course before? Used one of the options I listed? Or found something awesome you think should be on the list? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!
Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.