ou ma in creative writing

MA in Creative Writing

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MA - Master of Arts

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This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

What students say

A great option for remote study, and cheaper than a physical uni! Sometimes it takes a while for a tutor to get back to you, and there’s not many seminars a year - it’s all self.. Read more

Module Options

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level.

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Fee: £7,635. The total cost of your qualification depends on the modules you choose to study. With us, you pay for your modules as you study them rather than the whole qualification up front.

Students from EU

Fee: £11,910. The total cost you pay for your qualification is dependent on the modules you choose to study. With us, you pay for your modules as you study them, rather than the whole qualification up front.

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‘the next chapter’: understanding the ambitions of creative writing ma students.

Creative Writing inhabits an unusual place in the academy. A well-established and rigorous academic discipline, it also maintains a relationship with commercial publishing with many of today’s successful writers having an MA in the subject .  

The aim of our scholarship project,  The Next Chapter , was to understand the career aspirations of students on the Open University’s MA in Creative Writing, and to develop teaching and assessment to support them.  

There’s an assumption that all students signing up for an MA in Creative Writing share the ambition of becoming published authors. We’d designed the Open University MA with that in mind, and embedded teaching on how to develop a career as a writer into the programme. This includes virtual ‘visits’ to online forums from industry professionals such as literary agents and editors, as well as assessment on core skills like synopsis writing. However, since the MA launched in 2016 we have noticed two factors that prompted us to undertake this project. The first was the relatively low levels of engagement with the industry professionals, and the second was objections from some students to the assessment of professional practice. We wanted to gather the views from as many students as possible to better understand why they were doing the MA, and whether they thought the professional practice elements would help them achieve their objectives.  

To do this we developed an online survey, with questions on all these areas of interest. The MA is delivered in two modules, both starting in early October of each year. Part 1 runs for eight months, and Part 2 for twelve months, so we timed the survey to capture the views of three cohorts of students: those who had just started Part 1; those who had completed Part 1 and were beginning Part 2; and those who were nearly at the end of Part 2. Naturally, the questions had to be modified to make them appropriate for the stage of study, but all three surveys covered the same main aspects of the students’ experience:  

• Their motivations for doing the MA  
• Their writing aspirations   
• Their views on the teaching of professional practice (including engagement with the industry professionals’ visits)   
• Their views on the value of assessing professional practice  

We had responses from 167 students, approximately 35% of the 474 students who were sent the survey.  

Looking at the motivations for doing the MA across all three cohorts, 63% said they wanted to be published writers, while 16% were doing the MA mainly for enjoyment. 8% wanted to improve their writing skills, with another 8% studying to help their career. So, while a sizeable proportion of students were primarily motivated by their desire to be published, over a third had other reasons for taking the MA. The 16% studying mainly for enjoyment suggests that the ‘leisure learner’ is an important component of the student intake. One interesting finding was that 41% of students had already been published prior to starting the MA, usually in small press journals or through self-publishing.  

The vast majority of students had ambitions to be traditionally published – between 54%-79% across the three cohorts – and this was ‘Extremely important’ or ‘Somewhat important’ to 75% of them.  

We also asked students to reflect on what their ambitions and intentions were for after they had completed the MA. The combined responses show that 30% of students want to write part-time, with 22% aspiring to be full-time writers. Somewhat surprisingly to us, only 10% of students hoped to teach Creative Writing. An MA is often considered a necessary or advantageous qualification for Creative Writing teaching even in informal settings, but it would seem it was not a significant motivator for this cohort of students. Another surprising result was that nearly a quarter (23%) of students were interested in pursuing further Creative Writing studies, such as a PhD.   

Engagement with the professional practice forums was low among Part 1 students, with 16% posting on these forums. Part 2 students seemed more engaged, with 49% of the surveyed students saying they had posted questions or comments. The reasons students gave for not participating were: they didn’t have time (16%); they didn’t feel confident enough (12%); they didn’t post a question because someone else had already asked it (48%). This final figure is backed up by the reported high degree of ‘passive’ use of the forums – i.e. students reading and learning from others’ posts.   

When it comes to the assessment of professional practice, the majority of students (62.7%) had not expected to be assessed on elements pertaining to publishing. However, for students approaching the end of the degree, 66% felt it was appropriate that this element should be included in their assessed work, while the remaining 34% thought the task should either be zero weighted or not part of the assessment, at all.  

We are already putting the data we’ve gathered to practical use. For example, we’ve acknowledged the appetite for doctoral study by running a workshop for MA students in Creative Writing and English on how to write a PhD proposal. In its first year, this was well-attended.   

In response to our more nuanced understanding of the range of student ambitions, we are now working with the Society of Authors (essentially, the union for professional writers) to deliver some collaborative teaching which focuses on the various ways that students might build a working life which includes writing. This is a shift away from the original attention paid to more traditional mainstream publishing success. In a smaller sense, we’ve tweaked the professional practice assessment task in Part 2 of the MA to bring it into line with current publishing practice. We will seriously consider the weighting of this assessment, in light of student comments arising from the scholarship project.  

In conclusion, this project has been invaluable in providing us with a detailed insight into the students’ aspirations, and their views on how well the MA supports them in achieving these. It has also given us solid data on which to base important decisions about continuing to develop and improve what we offer to our students in future.    

Dr Ed Hogan , Lecturer in Creative Writing  

Dr Heather Richardson , Senior Lecturer & Staff Tutor in Creative Writing, Deputy Director of FASSTEST

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  MA in Creative Writing

Online open university     faculty of arts and social sciences, findamasters summary.

Unleash your creativity with the MA in Creative Writing at The Open University. This programme offers a unique opportunity to refine your writing skills in various genres such as fiction, poetry, and scriptwriting for different mediums. Through practical activities and peer critiques, you will develop a professional standard piece of creative writing. The course structure includes two compulsory modules, MA Creative Writing part 1 and part 2, totaling 180 credits. Notably, the qualification allows credit transfer for relevant postgraduate studies. To enrol, a UK honours degree with a 2:1 classification is required, along with some background knowledge in Creative Writing. Upon completion, you will earn the prestigious title of Master of Arts in Creative Writing, enhancing your career prospects in freelance writing, academia, media, and creative industries. Elevate your writing prowess and embark on a fulfilling journey towards literary excellence.

About the course

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing work of your peers in online forums.

Entry Requirements

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level.

See our fees and funding page for details

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You are here, ma in creative writing.

This qualification is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You will be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You will hone your writing practice through sharing, reading and critiquing work in progress, and will work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. 

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Introduction

Program outcome, program tuition fee, career opportunities, about the school.

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MA in Creative Writing

Online United Kingdom

Full time, Part time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

05 Sep 2024

EARLIEST START DATE

TUITION FEES

GBP 7,635 *

STUDY FORMAT

Distance Learning

* total cost

This MA in Creative Writing qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You will be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You will work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

You will also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You will work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

Key features

• Develop writing skills and awareness of approaches to writing
• Progress and hone sophisticated writing skills in at least one genre
• Gain a sound knowledge of, and ability in, a secondary genre
• Engage in sharing, critiquing and reviewing a variety of writing by your peers.

How long it takes

You will be able to complete this master's qualification within two years by studying one module each year. If you do not study the modules consecutively, you must complete them in a maximum of 10 years to qualify for the degree.

The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this degree, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

• Approaches to writing several genres including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and dramatic scripts, with specific knowledge as a practitioner of sophisticated narrative and stylistic methods about at least one of those genres;
• Research methods (including information technology) relevant to creative writing study at postgraduate level;
• Both practical and theoretical aspects of the creative process;
• Professional practice in relation to writing, editing, formatting and presentation in various contexts;
• Historical, literary and contextual reading and performance relevant to practice-led postgraduate writing study.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this degree, you will have developed:

• An ability to engage analytically with a range of literary and media texts, as well as complex technical, theoretical and historical material related to the creative process
• An ability to diagnose writing problems and issues in work-in-progress, along with an appropriate vocabulary with which to discuss such editorial, technical and thematic matters
• An independent and rigorous mode of reflective practice about your writing, research and reading
• Skills in initiating, conceiving and developing ideas, subject matter, stories, characters, voices, lines, forms, narratives and themes which are appropriate to specific genres and media.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

• Write with creative energy, control, empathy and precision, realising authentic forms, characters, settings and themes;
• Work independently and set own targets, initiating ideas, organising own time and workload, as well as undertaking regular reflective practice;
• Collaborate in a mutually supportive writing and literary community via oral and written exchanges, communicating accurately and flexibly on online platforms using appropriate technical terminology.
• Edit and present manuscripts and scripts to a professional standard, specific to genre and media.
• Write clearly and imaginatively in an appropriately complex fashion, with an awareness of readership and audience and in a style which is appropriate for specific genres and media;
• Engage in productive and regular reflective activities and practices;
• Use information technology to conduct necessary contextual research connected to creative projects and critical reflections on the creative process, and also to communicate fluently and flexibly via various online forums and formats;
• Read and view published and draft work, text and performance, with a sophisticated contextual and editorial awareness

To gain the 180 credits you require for this qualification, you must study the modules in the order shown below and pass part 1 before progressing to part 2:

• MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802)
• MA Creative Writing part 2 (A803)

Please note that  MA Creative Writing part 2  (A803) is worth 120 credits. Module fees for postgraduate modules are based on the number of credits you study. Therefore the fee for this 120-credit postgraduate module will be double that for the 60-credit module  MA Creative Writing part 1  (A802).

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods

You will study both modules for the MA entirely online. You will gain knowledge and understanding through the study of published and broadcast literary texts and performance, distance-learning materials and a detailed study guide.

You will also benefit from audio-visual materials such as interviews with authors, extracts from books and performances, writing exercises, assignment and project guides, module website resources (including a study planner) and written feedback on assignments. Learning outcomes are assessed by means of assignments: creative writing projects (such as fiction, poetry and drama scripts), reflective commentaries and critical appraisals.

You will develop and practise cognitive skills through the study of the course materials, through your further reading and writing practice, and through assessment. These skills are also taught and practised through online tutor group work, carefully monitored written feedback by tutors on assignments and through developing competence in giving and receiving constructive criticism to fellow students.

Practical and professional skills are taught throughout the programme in a cumulative way. For instance, you will be producing potentially publishable creative work throughout the programme, and part of the peer and tutor assessment will gauge and discuss such work’s position in the literary or media landscape.

There is also a 'writer of the world' and professional practice strand in the modules, which considers such elements as media-specific formatting and publishing submission strategies, among other professional issues. This strand will be assessed in various ways. For instance, you will be asked to research markets and write approach letters along with synopses of your writing projects.

Peer review – the sharing and critiquing of work – is a foundational element of Creative Writing, and features on most academic courses in the subject. On this qualification, you will submit your work for review by your peers, online. In turn, you will review their writing. This crucial aspect is assessed in both modules of the MA programme.

Skills in digital and information literacy will be addressed throughout the assessment where, for instance, research for creative projects is assessed, alongside contextual reading and understanding of the creative process. You will be developing IT and information literacy skills by, for instance, using the OU library’s e-resources which include databases, e-journals and ebooks, and by participating in online activities such as asynchronous online forums and workshops.

These activities will figure directly and indirectly in the assessment. In this way, throughout the programme, you will be assessed on skills valued by employers, such as critical and independent thinking, analysis, creativity and communication. There will also be online tutorials at key moments throughout the programme of study.

Many of the activities and assessments on the MA will have reflective components which invite you to consider your own learning and development. This will feed readily into ongoing personal development planning. These reflective activities will run throughout the programme of study, accompanying all formative and summative assessments of creative work. Such reflections will range from responding to tutor and peer feedback on a specific project, to considering feedback on a project proposal, to reflecting on your overall progress and development as a writer.

If you wish to pursue a freelance writing career this master's degree will equip you with the necessary writing and editorial skills, as well as equipping you with a raft of highly valued transferable communication and collaborative skills necessary to the modern writer’s usual portfolio of occupations.

If you are aiming for an academic career in higher education, this qualification will provide a route towards a higher level research or writing practice degree (e.g. PhD), which is essential for such a career. A master's degree can help to enhance your career prospects as a teacher in secondary and higher education (HE); most HE creative writing teaching now demands an MA in the subject.

If your aim is to enter professions associated with the media, culture, creative or knowledge industries, or if you already have a career in one of these areas and are seeking a further qualification as a means of career development, then a Masters degree, supplemented by relevant skills and experience, can prove invaluable.

This degree is pertinent to those careers that directly call upon knowledge of the craft of writing, editing and critiquing (for instance, journalism, publishing, copywriting). It may also be relevant for careers that demand skills in the creative use and analysis of texts of various sorts, critical thinking and organisation, and understanding of culture in a broad sense.

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Student and tutor module reviews

Ma creative writing part 1.

see module description

• Level: Postgraduate
• student reviews

Student reviews

I have enjoyed OU study until this module, which I found to be a lonely one with no tutor feedback on the writing submitted to the weekly activities. Each week you offer up your own work for critique (often bland or non-existant) by other students and your critique of their work, but never find out what a professional/tutor's opinion is on anything posted, so never feel any the wiser, or know if what you thought / have written as critique is on the right lines. Other MAs offer such tutor involvement and directed collective discussions as a matter of course, and I expected it here. Tutors just comment on your 3 graded assignments. My tutor's feedback was excellent, but not everyone was happy with their tutor, who is your one and only contact with the OU creative writing teaching staff. Overall, I was very disappointed with this course and felt demotivated. I do not think it is worth the money. I still want to continue with my MA in creative writing, but wish I had chosen to do it elsewhere.

Course starting: October 2018

Review posted: September 2019

Faculty response

It’s true to say that there are no collective tutorials on this wholly online module, with feedback mainly distributed through forum interaction and via detailed feedback on assessment. However, we do provide a wide range of tutor-moderated forums, in addition to the tutor group, where students can interact with peers and contributions are moderated by tutors with a specialism in one of the four taught genres on the course. On both modules in this masters degree, we periodically enrich this level of interaction by offering week-long forums hosted by visiting publishing industry professionals and central OU module team members.

Please note

Each of the views expressed above is an individual's very particular response, largely unedited, and should be viewed with that in mind. Since modules are subject to regular updating, some of the issues identified may have already been addressed. In some instances the faculty may have provided a response to a comment. If you have a query about a particular module, please contact your Regional Centre.

To send us reviews on modules you have studied with us, please click the sign in button below.

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MA in Creative Writing

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Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities.

Distance without attendance

Key information DATA SOURCE : IDP Connect

Qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing English Language

Course type

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

Fee: £7,635. The total cost of your qualification depends on the modules you choose to study. With us, you pay for your modules as you study them rather than the whole qualification up front.

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Fee: £11,910. The total cost you pay for your qualification is dependent on the modules you choose to study. With us, you pay for your modules as you study them, rather than the whole qualification up front.

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level.

MA, PG Cert, PG Dip Creative Writing

Anglia ruskin university, creative writing phd, creative writing mphil, ma, pg cert creative writing and publishing (12 months), ma, pg cert creative writing and publishing (15 months).

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MA in Creative Writing Open University

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MA - Master of Arts

Open University

Distance / Online

OCT-24, FEB-25, APR-25

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Course summary

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

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Earning A Master’s In Creative Writing: What To Know

Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 1:51pm

Do you want to create written work that ignites a reader’s imagination and even changes their worldview? With a master’s in creative writing, you can develop strong storytelling and character development skills, equipping you to achieve your writing goals.

If you’re ready to strengthen your writing chops and you enjoy writing original works to inspire others, tell interesting stories and share valuable information, earning a master’s in creative writing may be the next step on your career journey.

The skills learned in a creative writing master’s program qualify you to write your own literary works, teach others creative writing principles or pursue various other careers.

This article explores master’s degrees in creative writing, including common courses and concentrations, admission requirements and careers that use creative writing skills. Read on to learn more about earning a master’s degree in creative writing.

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What Is a Master’s in Creative Writing?

A master’s in creative writing is an advanced degree that helps you develop the skills to write your own novel, poetry, screenplay or nonfiction book. This degree can also prepare you for a career in business, publishing, education, marketing or communications.

In a creative writing master’s degree program, you can expect to analyze literature, explore historical contexts of literary works, master techniques for revising and editing, engage in class workshops and peer critiques, and write your own original work.

Creative writing master’s programs usually require a thesis project, which should be well-written, polished and ready to publish. Typical examples of thesis projects include poetry collections, memoirs, essay collections, short story collections and novels.

A master’s in creative writing typically requires about 36 credits and takes two years to complete. Credit requirements and timelines vary by program, so you may be able to finish your degree quicker.

Specializations for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are a few common concentrations for creative writing master’s programs. These vary by school, so your program’s offerings may look different.

This concentration helps you develop fiction writing skills, such as plot development, character creation and world-building. A fiction concentration is a good option if you plan to write short stories, novels or other types of fiction.

A nonfiction concentration focuses on the mechanics of writing nonfiction narratives. If you plan to write memoirs, travel pieces, magazine articles, technical documents or nonfiction books, this concentration may suit you.

Explore the imagery, tone, rhythm and structure of poetry with a poetry concentration. With this concentration, you can expect to develop your poetry writing skills and learn to curate poetry for journals and magazines.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting is an excellent concentration to explore if you enjoy creating characters and telling stories to make them come alive for television or film. This specialization covers how to write shorts, episodic serials, documentaries and feature-length film scripts.

Admission Requirements for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are some typical admission requirements for master’s in creative writing degree programs. These requirements vary, so check with your program to ensure you’ve met the appropriate requirements.

• Application for admission
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Transcripts from previous education
• Writing samples
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essay

Common Courses in a Master’s in Creative Writing

Story and concept.

This course focuses on conceptualizing, planning and developing stories on a structural level. Learners study how to generate ideas, develop interesting plots, create outlines, draft plot arcs, engage in world-building and create well-rounded characters who move their stories forward.

Graduate Studies in English Literature

Understanding literature is essential to building a career in creative writing. This course prepares you to teach, study literature or write professionally. Expect to discuss topics such as phonology, semantics, dialects, syntax and the history of the English language.

Workshop in Creative Nonfiction

You’ll study classic and contemporary creative nonfiction in this course. Workshops in creative nonfiction explore how different genres have emerged throughout history and how previous works influence new works. In some programs, this course focuses on a specific theme.

Foundations in Fiction

In this course, you’ll explore how the novel has developed throughout literary history and how the short story emerged as an art form. Coursework includes reading classic and contemporary works, writing response essays and crafting critical analyses.

MA in Creative Writing vs. MFA in Creative Writing: What’s the Difference?

While the degrees are similar, a master of arts in creative writing is different from a master of fine arts in creative writing. An MA in creative writing teaches creative writing competencies, building analytical skills through studying literature, literary theory and related topics. This lets you explore storytelling along with a more profound knowledge of literature and literary theory.

If you want your education to take a more academic perspective so you can build a career in one of many fields related to writing, an MA in creative writing may be right for you.

An MFA prepares you to work as a professional writer or novelist. MFA students graduate with a completed manuscript that is ready for publishing. Coursework highlights subjects related to the business of writing, such as digital publishing, the importance of building a platform on social media , marketing, freelancing and teaching. An MA in creative writing also takes less time and requires fewer credits than an MFA.

If you want to understand the business of writing and work as a professional author or novelist, earning an MFA in creative writing might be your best option.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Creative Writing?

Below are several careers you can pursue with a master’s in creative writing. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Postsecondary Creative Writing Teacher

Median Annual Salary: $74,280 Minimum Required Education: Ph.D. or another doctoral degree; master’s degree may be accepted at some schools and community colleges Job Overview: Postsecondary teachers, also known as professors or faculty, teach students at the college level. They plan lessons, advise students, serve on committees, conduct research, publish original research, supervise graduate teaching assistants, apply for grants for their research and teach subjects in their areas of expertise.

Median Annual Salary: $73,080 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in English or a related field Job Overview: Editors plan, revise and edit written materials for publication. They work for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, media networks, and motion picture and video production companies. Editors work closely with writers to ensure their written work is accurate, grammatically correct and written in the appropriate style for the medium.

Median Annual Salary: $55,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Journalists research and write stories about local, regional, national and global current events and other newsworthy subjects. Journalists need strong interviewing, editing, analytical and writing skills. Some journalists specialize in a subject, such as sports or politics, and some are generalists. They work for news organizations, magazines and online publications, and some work as freelancers.

Writer or Author

Median Annual Salary: $73,150 Minimum Required Education: None; bachelor’s degree in creative writing or a related field sometimes preferred Job Overview: Writers and authors write fiction or nonfiction content for magazines, plays, blogs, books, television scripts and other forms of media. Novelists, biographers, copywriters, screenwriters and playwrights all fall into this job classification. Writers may work for advertising agencies, news platforms, book publishers and other organizations; some work as freelancers.

Technical Writer

Median Annual Salary: $79,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Technical writers craft technical documents, such as training manuals and how-to guides. They are adept at simplifying technical information so lay people can easily understand it. Technical writers may work with technical staff, graphic designers, computer support specialists and software developers to create user-friendly finished pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About a Master's in Creative Writing

Is a master’s in creative writing useful.

If your goal is to launch a career as a writer, then yes, a master’s in creative writing is useful. An MA in creative writing is a versatile degree that prepares you for various jobs requiring excellent writing skills.

Is an MFA better than an MA for creative writing?

One is not better than the other; you should choose the one that best equips you for the career you want. An MFA prepares you to build a career as a professional writer or novelist. An MA prepares you for various jobs demanding high-level writing skills.

What kind of jobs can you get with a creative writing degree?

A creative writing degree prepares you for many types of writing jobs. It helps you build your skills and gain expertise to work as an editor, writer, author, technical writer or journalist. This degree is also essential if you plan to teach writing classes at the college level.

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Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation. Sheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and she received her teacher certification training through Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program.

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Open Futures – Creative Writing Scholarships available for Black Students

The Open University is offering a select number of students the opportunity for a full fee waiver scholarship to study the MA in Creative Writing. Three scholarships are available in 2023/24.

A scholarship will cover the full tuition cost of your qualification, up to 180 credits in total. Applications close at midnight on 24 July 2023. If you’re successful, we’ll email you by 14 August 2023 to confirm. To apply, or for more information please visit https://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/creative-writing-scholarship

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Has anyone done the OU MA in Creative Writing?

pineapplesoda · 09/01/2022 19:43

I've seen this course mentioned on MN several times so I'm sure there must be grads here who can tell me what they thought of the course. I'm in the throws of a break up, house move and youngest dc will leave home in a couple of years. What I want is to do something for myself that I'll enjoy, and also to give me the structure to get back into writing regularly, work out how to improve, get constructive feedback, etc. I need to do an online course because I'm juggling too many things at the moment and I think travelling to a face to face course might end up being an extra source of stress, rather than something I'm doing for my own satisfaction. Obviously I'd love to get published, but that's not really my motivation and I don't need writing to be a source of income. I have always loved writing and want to learn to do it better. So I'm less interested in a course that provides industry contacts than in a high quality course that will improve my writing and give me deadlines and assignments. I'm hoping someone who has done this course, or looked into doing it, can give me their views on whether it's likely to be what I want.

I haven’t, but wondered if this might be worth cross-referencing: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students/4409185-Good-online-Continuing-Education-Lifelong-Learning-courses-English-Writing My entirely personal impression is that the best way to ‘learn to do it better’ is to spend a fair bit of time amongst other people doing the same thing. A year of post-seminar coffee and chat and noting their career progressions will tell you, quicker than anything else, whether your own ideas, modes of expression and connection to the zeitgeist are disappointingly unoriginal, or safely mainstream, or intriguingly eccentric - or whatever. Contact with your peers and potential competitors (even if you don’t think you want to compete!) really bucks up one’s ideas. But I do understand why you might not want to use additional energy on that right now. (PS I’m sure you meant to write ‘in the throes of’ but your device was feeling uncooperative!)

Oh no, not really! I'm a researcher for my job, and I love throwing myself into a big project. I think I've made myself sound like a dabbler, but I am very willing to put in the time and effort needed. Writing has always been a passion, but I've lacked focus over the years, because of children, work, ageing parents, other commitments. I'm now at a point where I'll have a lot more free time because of my impending divorce and older dcs who don't need so much of me, and I also feel I need some kind of project to commit to. I like the idea of an MA because it will require a lot of hard work, discipline, commitment, etc.

Have you made any progress in your investigations, OP ? They’re already listed in the linked thread above but it occurs to me that a one week tutored Arvon course might be particularly helpful for you at this stage. The total immersion means that at least 50% of what you learn comes from conversation with other participants. Choose an area of writing you really want to pursue and see how you get on. (Unusually, perhaps, the fees for these courses are fully justified. And the grants generous if needed.) Also have a look at the Oxford MSt. The structure of the course might suit you - but it is extremely competitive so you’d need to have a record of relevant achievement (prizes and / or attachment to a desirable organisation) before applying. It really is worthwhile attending a few open days (in person if possible!) to get an idea of what places look for and who you’re competing with.

Have a look at Faber Academy, they do some excellent smaller online courses that are really good and less of a commitment than ma.

Have you thought about doing a creative writing evening class at a university or adult education centre? A lot of places are doing these online at the moment so the place running them doesn't even need to be local to you. I have done some of these courses which involve some writing exercises and workshopping a piece of writing submitted by a member of the class. Everyone reads the piece and gives their constructive feedback. I found this input very useful in getting an impartial view of my work. We would submit a short story or a chapter of a larger piece we were working on and would on average submit twice a term. We quickly built up good supportive relationships with each other and many in the group were writing very seriously with a view to try to get published. The tutor was a published author and part of the course was strategies for getting published. Might be a good way to start to get you motivated to write without diving into the MA straight away?

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I came on to look at threads about MAs in Creative Writing. The OU one is significantly cheaper (about £4000 less) than the one I had researched with the University of Hull, which is also online only. I have done a F.E. creative writing course some years ago. It was dominated by a very loud male participant, and not well controlled by the tutor, so I am looking for something more professional to get my teeth into. I work part-time and description writing is part of my job role, but it's not terribly creative. Any recent feedback on the OU course would be much appreciated. I am also researching in person courses locally, but I would quite like a MA!

@trumpisagit how have you got on with looking at courses? The OU one is so much cheaper, and for me I think more practical because I would have more time to do it rather than having to juggle childcare and work around seminars etc. I would like the whole campus experience though, bouncing ideas off others etc.

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Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

understand the importance of reading as part of a creative writer’s development

engage analytically and critically with a range of literary and media texts

recognise how critical reading supplies writers with inspiration and ideas

understand through writing practice one or more of the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and scriptwriting

engage with postgraduate modes of reading and writing practice.

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What is a Creative Writer and What Do They Do?

Understanding the Numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

Many of life’s great stories that are told in the form of literature, film, short stories and poetry, among many other outlets, first get their start in the minds and on the pages of creative writers.

Creative writing is a professional discipline that is unique in many ways and has the potential to take your career in a vast array of different directions.

If creative writing is a field you’re interested in pursuing, it’s important to keep in mind that while it can be a challenging and competitive profession, it also offers a number of distinctive benefits.

What Are the Different Types of Creative Writing?

“Creative writing” is a broad term that, when it comes to professional careers, encapsulates many different forms of writing.

“There are so many genres,” said Melissa Hart , an instructor in the online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Creative Writing  at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

Hart, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing, has authored seven fiction and nonfiction books and published articles and essays in The New York Times, Smithsonian, CNN, The Washington Post, Slate and The Los Angeles Times, among others.

She said the career pathways for creative writers are virtually unlimited.

“Creative writers can be poets and screenwriters, personal essayists, novelists, short story writers,” Hart said, explaining that even within the world of creative writing , there are a number of creative avenues you can take. Some of these include:

• Flash fiction
• Hybrid forms
• Researched nonfiction
• Writing that embraces audio and video

What Are the Main Duties of a Creative Writer?

Much like their earning potential, the daily duties of a creative writer can vary greatly depending on what projects they’re working on at any given time, Hart said.

“I think duties differ writer to writer,” she said. “In my work, I practice writing almost every day — usually rough drafts, and then revisions, of novel chapters and nonfiction book chapters, magazine and newspaper articles and essays and newsletter posts.”

According to the BLS , how you spend your days as a creative writer depends largely on what type of writer you are, some of which include:

• Biographer – writing about the accounts of an individual’s life.
• Copywriter – working in advertising and marketing writing persuasive ad copy.
• Novelist – authoring books of fiction based on imaginary plots and characters.
• Screenwriter – creating scripts for movies and television.
• Speechwriter – developing orations for government leaders, political candidates and business leaders.

And in today’s digital world, another form of writing that continues to thrive is blogging , which is defined by global website development leader Wix as articles posted to a website focused on a specific area of interest.

Social media writing , too, continues to emerge with many large organizations like Mailchimp establishing specific standards for its social media writing.

What Credentials Do You Need to Become a Creative Writer?

Hart pointed out that creative writing is a unique profession in that it doesn’t require a degree or academic credential of any kind in order to succeed.

“You don't need any credentials," she said. "You just need an open mind and a willingness to learn your craft in the genre that most interests you.”

However, high-quality college programs in creative writing can be an excellent way for writers who have natural talent and abilities to further develop their skills, Hart said. For instance, in the SNHU online Bachelor of Arts (BA) program in Creative Writing and English, students develop and sharpen their skills in a number of areas, including:

• Writing and editing techniques
• Literary form, genre, structure, style, analysis and critical thinking
• Application of storytelling elements
• Use of genre conventions  and techniques
• Professional portfolio building

There is also an abundance of resources you can look into on your own to better position yourself for a career as a creative writer .

“There are piles of books, for instance, on how to write children's fiction,” Hart said. “Ditto poetry, screenplays, creative nonfiction... and there are so many resources online, as well.”

Is Creative Writing a Skill or a Talent?

Another aspect of creative writing that makes it a unique professional field, Hart said, is that it involves both natural talent and skills that can be learned.

“Perhaps a person is born with an innate talent for storytelling, but reading and practicing and studying creative writing for years will give you the skills you need to write fiction and nonfiction and poetry that appeals to readers,” she said.

Hart said that she’s had a love of language since the age of five, which is when she started writing short stories. It was her passion for writing and storytelling that inspired her to work hard developing her skills.

“All that practice gave me skills as a creative writer,” she said. “I believe I developed a talent for writing in particular genres because I studied them so deeply.”

Is it Hard to Learn Creative Writing?

While for many, learning to be a creative writer could be characterized as hard, Hart explained that “time consuming” is probably a better way of putting it.

“For instance, I just spent three years learning to cross-country ski when I’d never been on skis before,” she said. “I think it generally takes people at least three years to grow adept at creative writing in a particular genre because you’re constantly reading and deconstructing literature and thinking about it and writing and rewriting and rewriting some more.”

That said, among the many benefits of a career in creative writing is the flexibility and freedom it provides, Hart said.

“Creative writers can work anywhere they want,” she said. “I've written novel chapters in my car outside my daughter's dance studio, on airplanes, on the bank of a local river while my kid looked for newts.”

According to Hart, many of her students work in a corner of their house with noise-canceling headphones, while others write on their lunch breaks or in bed late at night.

“You can train yourself to get into a creative writing space the moment you open your laptop,” she said. “It just takes a while.”

Find Your Program

Is creative writing a good career.

What determines if writing is a “good” career will vary person to person, but there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind if it’s a path you’re interested in following, Hart said.

“It’s a good career for me, because I get to write about topics and issues which interest me,” she said. "However, it's my husband who has the great health insurance. If I didn't have health insurance, it might not be a viable career option because freelance writers and authors don't get subsidized health insurance — we must pay for our own."

While freelance writers and authors typically do find and fund their own health insurance, there is a growing number of writer unions and guilds that can assist with health insurance plans, according to Find the Plan , an online hub for freelance writers. And non-freelance copywriters, social media writers and blog writers usually get health benefits through the organization for which they work.

Does Creative Writing Pay Well?

Unlike other professional fields — in areas like business, engineering, education, medicine and law, among others — that typically have a salary range based on experience and the level of your degree, there is a vast disparity in what creative writers earn.

While high-profile, bestselling authors can command six-figure advances for their work, they comprise just a small fraction of those earning a living as creative writers, Hart said.*

“Most of us are midlist writers, earning modest advances and royalty checks,” she said. “It's interesting to note that I can earn as much off of two 4,000-word researched essays for magazines as I can for one of my young adult novels.”

Hart said that it’s common for creative writers to generate their income from a combination of different forms of writing for a variety of outlets, along with other professional activities where they’re paid for their professional expertise. For example, Hart said she earns her living through a combination of:

• Fiction writing
• Nonfiction writing
• Private teaching and instruction through her website
• Teaching college-level creative writing

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage for writers and authors in 2023 was $87,590.*

“But creative writing isn't about the money, for me,” she said. “It's about getting to join the conversation and put something beautiful and inspiring out into the world.”

Discover more about SNHU's online bachelor’s in creative writing : Find out what courses you'll take, skills you'll learn and how to request information about the program.

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

Cary Jordan is an Iowa-based writer with more than 20 years of writing and editing experience on a wide range of issues related to higher education. Cary has held administrative and cabinet-level positions at multiple colleges and universities, and his writing has spanned topics related to undergraduate education as well as graduate education in the areas of business, law, medicine and engineering, among others.

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About southern new hampshire university.

SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU  page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.

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Archive for August 14th, 2024

On establishing creative writing programmes.

The below is part of a posting written on an OU blog by Linda Anderson in 2018.

I fetched up at the OU in 2002, already a designer and deliverer of a successful distance learning writing course. Here’s what I knew. Distance learning widens participation in a dramatic way. It is a truly intimate form of shared learning. It empowers shyer people to have their say. Students benefit from a permanent record of feedback and discussions that they can return to as necessary. I also knew about the risk of quarrels that can blaze suddenly, leaving relationships in tatters. I knew on a deeply personal level about tutor burnout. I had been warned about it on the OU training course but had naively failed during the first couple of years to set limits to word counts or frequency of submissions to tutors. In the production of A215, I hope I kept in mind the tutors’ right to have a life.

I still remember how thrilled and challenged I felt by the job. At its core was a highly demanding form of teaching that had to be lucid and accessible as well as replete with lively, planned activities to both practise and test skills. But there was a cluster of other exciting elements: team management, peer review, editing, programme-making, interviewing famous writers, liaising with publishers internal and external, and ultimately, tutor training and supervision.

In the making of A215, what I wanted to import from the Lancaster model was the student-centred approach, to mix tutor-led online conferencing with occasional face-to-face day schools. I wanted students to try their hand at the three main genres of fiction, poetry, and life writing, finally being free to specialise in their chosen form or forms. The production team was a superb one, and despite our fair share of arguments and injured feelings, our work was relatively frictionless. The main authors were myself; Mary Hammond, an expert on publishing; Sara Haslam, a prime mover in the establishment of the ‘Start Writing’ series; W.N. Herbert, award-winning poet based at Newcastle University; and Derek Neale, who was steeped in the UEA writing culture both as an MA and PhD graduate and tutor for many years. Bob Owens, despite his workload as head of department and staff tutor in London, edited the Readings section of the Workbook. He and Shirley Coulson (course manager) contributed their extensive knowledge of how to navigate OU systems, a vital role in a team with so many new staff. Clare Spencer gave us an AL perspective.

I was surprised at how much teamwork kept us to a tight schedule while not curbing our creativity. Different colleagues often pushed the boundaries to create ambitious or unexpected elements, such as Sara Haslam’s recorded panel discussion by eminent biographers – Michael Holroyd, Blake Morrison, and Jackie Kay, chaired by Robert Fraser – a beautifully realised debate. Derek Neale included a range of innovative styles of biographical writing in the Workbook, showing how to mix fact and fiction. Within a couple of years we had an array of audio CDs, a study guide, and a 600 plus page book, Creative Writing: A Workbook with Readings, co-published with Routledge.

The course launched in 2006 with approximately 2500 students and gained the highest retention level in the University as well as high scores of student satisfaction. The Workbook was acclaimed and is still in wide use in other universities. Over a hundred ALs, most of them new to the OU, were trained and supported in online teaching. These successes remained consistent over eight years, so that 22,000 students had taken the course by the time I left in 2013. It was Maggie Butt, our first external examiner, who made what felt to me like the best tribute to the course: ‘You have managed the industrial scale without losing the personal touch.’

Creative Writing has gone from strength to strength. Derek Neale chaired A363: Advanced Creative Writing, which launched in 2008. Although I had some hand in the production, the course materials were largely written or produced by Derek Neale and Bill Greenwell. Derek designed a distinctive approach of experimenting with form. He aimed to deepen students’ engagement with fiction, poetry, and life writing while also introducing scriptwriting for various media. The core text A Creative Writing Handbook: Developing Dramatic Technique, Individual Style and Voice was co-published with A & C Black. When both courses were up and running, we were organising teaching and assessment of more than 3000 students annually with a very small course team.

Research developments

The PhD programme began in 2008. Of the four researchers I co-supervised with Derek Neale, two won internal scholarships against Faculty-wide competition and all gained their doctorates either shortly before or shortly after I retired. Three of their four novels have now been published and widely reviewed: The Longest Fight by Emily Bullock was named as ‘a fine addition to the canon of boxing literature’ in ‘The Independent’; Owl Song at Dawn by Emma Sweeney was shortlisted for the Amazon Rising Star Award in 2016; Heather Richardson’s Doubting Thomas was recently listed by ‘The Independent’ as one of the nine best Scottish fictions of 2017.

In the spring of 2012 I founded The Contemporary Cultures of Writing research group with my creative writing colleagues. I organised and chaired our first series of seminars at the Institute of English Studies, University of London on the theme of ‘The Rise of Creative Writing’ to coincide with just over forty years of Creative Writing in higher education in the UK. We explored the question of whether writing courses had a traceable and positive impact on literary culture. I found that eminent authors and academics like Maureen Freely, Andrew Cowan, and Alison MacLeod, were prepared to travel to London and speak for expenses only. (It’s a generosity that my colleagues have subsequently also been able to rely on.) The audiences were gratifyingly large, with about 25 people showing up to two events and a dozen for one on poetry. These series are still going strong and have given colleagues experience in event organisation and panel chairing as well as raising the public profile of the OU.

Linda Anderson worked as Reader in Creative Writing at The Open University from 2002 – 2013. She is a contributor to the short story anthology The Glass Shore, ed. Sinead Gleeson, which won the 2016 Irish Book of the Year Award. She is co-editor with Dawn Sherratt-Bado of the acclaimed anthology Female Lines: New Writing by Women from Northern Ireland (New Island 2017), described by Arts Council Head Damian Smyth as ‘one of the most important books to be published about Northern Ireland in half a century.’ Her novel Cuckoo, first published in 1986 by The Bodley Head, will be reissued in 2018 as a modern Irish classic by Turnpike Books.

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Source: https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/english/on-establishing-creative-writing-programmes/

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