Certificate Live Online

Unleash your creativity and begin your journey as a writer. Start writing confidently and creatively!
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Deadline for enrolment:

Start Date

Price

€1,045 (Easy-pay plan available)

Duration

Approximately 3 months

Study Option
Live Online
Course Location
Online
Course Level
Comparable to level 4 on the NFQ
Entry Requirements
18 years old or over
Assessment
5 practical assignments
Recognition
The Creative Writing Academy of Ireland is recognised by the International Approval and Registrations Centre (IARC).

Unleash your creativity and begin your journey as a writer. Our certificate course is designed for beginners, covering the fundamentals of creative writing across genres. Learn character creation, plot development, and delve into fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

Designed around five practical assignments, you will develop a writing routine and compile a portfolio to showcase your work, enabling you to start writing confidently and creatively!

As a Live Online student, you will attend tutor-led classes online taught by industry professionals. You will also have full access to the Online Learning Centre, which contains course material created by industry experts including instructional videos, written content and assignments.

Our tutors provide all the support, knowledge and in-depth feedback you need to progress through your course and are always contactable through the Online Learning Centre.

This course can be completed in approximately 3 months*.

*Completion time is based on the approximate time it has taken past students to complete the course. Students have up to 36 months to complete the course.

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Class Schedule

View the schedule for the evening classes and the weekend classes in Live Online.

Topics

The list below provides an overview of the topics covered in this course.

    • Introduction to Creative Writing

    In this module, you will explore the foundational elements of creative writing across various genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. Learn how to build a compelling narrative structure, create memorable characters, effectively use different settings and atmospheres, and master various points of view to enhance your storytelling.

    • Understanding different genres: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama
    • Basics of narrative structure: beginning, middle, and end
    • Character development: creating memorable characters
    • Setting and atmosphere: using location to enhance storytelling
    • Point of view: first person, third person, and omniscient

    • Writing Techniques

    Sharpen your writing skills with techniques that bring your prose to life. This module covers how to 'show, not tell' to improve descriptive writing, craft realistic dialogues, control pacing, and use flashbacks and foreshadowing. You'll also begin to develop your editing skills with practical self-editing techniques.

    • Show, don’t tell: improving descriptive writing
    • Dialogue basics: crafting realistic conversations
    • Pacing your story: controlling speed and tension
    • Using flashbacks and foreshadowing effectively
    • Introduction to editing: self-editing techniques

    • Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction

    Delve into the forms and functions of poetry, exploring structures from sonnets to free verse. Understand how imagery and symbolism enrich your poems. You’ll also learn to write compelling personal essays and memoirs, conduct research for non-fiction, and discover the pathways to publishing your work.

    • Forms of poetry: sonnet, haiku, free verse, and others
    • Imagery and symbolism in poetry
    • Writing personal essays and memoirs
    • Research for non-fiction: gathering and organising information
    • Publishing poetry and creative non-fiction: avenues and tips

    • Short Stories

    Focus on crafting engaging short stories by understanding essential story elements, developing plots, and creating suspense and drama. This module also covers themes, motifs, and the practicalities of getting your short stories published.

    • Elements of a short story
    • Themes and motifs: enriching your story
    • Developing a plot for short stories
    • Creating suspense and drama
    • Markets for short stories: submission and publication

    • Fundamentals of Dramatic Writing

    Explore the basics of playwriting and scriptwriting, from structuring a play to script formatting. Learn how to develop characters for the stage and screen and use dialogue and subtext effectively to engage audiences.

    • Introduction to playwriting and scriptwriting
    • Structure of a play: acts, scenes, and sequences
    • Basics of script formatting
    • Developing characters for stage and screen
    • Dialogue and subtext in dramatic writing

Tutors

All our tutors are creative writing professionals working in the industry.

See All Tutors

I would certainly recommend the Post Grad Dip to friends or other students looking to gain a professional qualification, so many new skills to learn.

Student testimonial

Mark Powell

Student - BAPH

The support I get from the student community and my tutor are essential. It isn't always easy and it's clearly demanding, but the whole experience is extraordinary

Student testimonial

Daniel Oliver

Student - BAPH

This course has taken me on an amazing journey - there has been a lot of learning with tutors who have given constructive feedback to help with progression.

Student testimonial

Tiffany Hayes

Student - BAPH

Between the forums online and our Facebook page I feel more connected with students and staff and I never feel silly asking my tutor even basic questions!

Student testimonial

Sonya O'Donoghue

Student - PAI

The Creative Writing Academy of Ireland

Our philosophy at the Creative Writing Academy of Ireland is to make high-quality education accessible to all by empowering people to do what they love. Through the power of online and blended learning, our students are able to harness their creativity and practically apply it to succeed in their chosen careers.

Pursue your ambition - because the future is today!

Learn more

Choosing the right course

We offer a range of creative writing courses to suit your goals.

Why not contact our experienced staff for advice, or browse to our other courses.

Postgraduate Diploma Home Study
Diploma Live Online

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Our experienced team can answer any questions you have about our courses, general enquiries and payment options. Simply complete this form and we will contact you as soon as possible.

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