Find 20 Best Free Creative Writing Courses to Improve Your Skills

Most people write every day without realizing it: texts, emails, quick notes. But the leap from everyday writing to true craft is enormous. Bending words into something meaningful is different. Craft takes time, and good writing never happens by accident. 

That's where creative writing classes can help. A free course lets you test the waters and pick up techniques you won't get just by hoping inspiration strikes. 

In this guide, we've gathered 20 of the best options available, so you don't have to waste time digging. And if you ever feel like you've hit a wall, there's another path, too. EssayService stands as a reliable platform for students who need a writing service!

Why You Should Try Free Creative Writing Courses Online

Plenty of students struggle with writing. In fact, 36% of American students say academic English feels hard. That's not a minor detail. It means more than one in three students are unsure about something as central as putting words together on a page. Free writing courses for beginners can ease that pressure by offering structure and repeatable strategies. They show you how to turn messy thoughts into paragraphs that actually land.

But these writing classes online aren't only for schoolwork. They also spark imagination, which matters just as much. Some of the best colleges for creative writing put a huge focus on voice and experimentation. Free creative writing courses now give you a taste of that world without tuition bills attached. It's practice that builds confidence, and little by little, writing fiction shifts from being a dreaded task to a tool you can actually enjoy using.

20 Best Free Creative Writing Class Options

A writer's profession often feels like fumbling in the dark, sometimes even without knowing what you're looking for. A free creative writing class can switch on the light you need. Some of the courses below are quick and practical; others allow you to dive a bit deeper into the craft. What all of these writing classes for adults have in common is giving you a place to practice your skills without the fear of wasting time and money.

1. Creative Writing

This class can be a whole toolkit if used right. It covers short stories and narrative essays, even memoirs, with each module teaching a different piece of the craft. You can, of course, move at your own pace, but by the end, you'll have touched almost every corner of creative writing.

• Course duration: 4 weeks/10 hours per week
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.7
• Start date: August 26
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: Around 145,000

2. Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot

Plot is the pull that keeps readers from putting your story down. This is one of those creative writing courses online that teaches you how to build that pull. You learn structure, tension, and pacing in a way that makes even a simple idea feel like it belongs in a finished story.

• Course duration: 7 hours to complete
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.7
• Start date: August 26
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 324,793

3. Creative Writing: The Craft of Character

Flat characters kill a story, no matter how strong the premise. Here, you get into what makes people on the page feel real: quirks, contradictions, motives that drive their choices. It's about giving your characters bones and a heartbeat so they stay with the reader.

• Course duration: 9 hours to complete
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.5
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 94,649

4. Creative Writing: The Craft of Style

Every writer has a style, even if it doesn't feel like it yet. This is one of the online writing programs that nudges you into finding yours by focusing on imagery, word choice, and rhythm. It's less about rules and more about how to make sentences carry your voice.

• Course duration: 1 week/10 hours
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.7
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 69,846

5. Write Your First Novel

The big one. This class is ambitious: you're asked to produce a full novel draft, not just dabble in ideas. It stretches across months, with clear milestones that keep you moving forward. Think of it as a guided marathon for anyone tired of saying "someday."

• Course duration: 3 months/10 hours per week
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.3
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 199,309

6. Write a Feature-Length Screenplay for Film or Television

This course will teach you how to speak fluently the language of screenwriting. Here, you'll learn how you can lay out scenes and shape dialogue. By the end, you'll know exactly how to think in shots instead of paragraphs so you can draft a screenplay you can keep building on.

• Course duration: 2.5/10 hours a week
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.6
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 90,674

7. Blogging for Business

This course takes you past the idea of “just post and hope.” It shows how you can write content that actually attracts readers. You’ll learn how to plan content with intention and connect SEO to real strategy. The lessons build toward one goal: creating a blog that actually works.

• Course duration: 5 hours to complete
• Platform: Ahrefs
• Course rating: N/A
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: N/A

8. Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself

Writing about your own life takes nerve. This course helps you turn memories into stories that others actually want to read. It guides you through picking the right details, shaping voice, and sharing personal experiences without losing control of the narrative.

• Course duration: 4 weeks/10 hours a week
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.4
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 18,290

9. Writing in the Sciences

Yes, it's designed for scientists. Still, the lessons on precision and flow make it a great side path for creative writers. If you've ever wanted your writing to be clear without being dry, this one teaches you how to balance both.

• Course duration: 3 weeks/10 hours a week
• Platform: Coursera
• Course rating: 4.9
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 583,199

10. Duke Graduate School Scientific Writing Resource

Scientific writing has a bad reputation for being dense. The Duke University course focuses on how to write research that says what you need to say without weighing the reader down. It guides you through structure and pacing until the writing feels both precise and readable.

• Course duration: 3 modules, 45 minutes each
• Platform: Duke University
• Course rating: N/A
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: N/A

11. Basic Theory of Creative Writing

Every skill has its ground floor, and this one is no different. Think of the course as your first walk-through, like someone handing you the map before you start the journey. You'll get a feel for characters and a glimpse of poetry and screenwriting. It gives just enough to shift you from saying "someday I'll write" to actually putting words on a page with confidence.

• Course duration: ~1.5–3 hours
• Platform: Alison
• Course rating: 340+ people liked this course
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 36,448

12. Principles of Creative Writing

Stories are built on principles. They're held together by a framework: beats that build tension, a climax that sticks, and an ending that ties it all together. This course strips storytelling down to its skeleton. It's quick to follow, but it leaves you looking at novels you love with a different eye.

• Course duration: 1.5–3 hours
• Platform: Alison
• Course rating: 200+ people liked this course
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 19,871

13. Technical Writing One

Documentation only works if people can use it. This course sharpens that skill by teaching how to write in a way that is clear and direct. It’s short, almost blunt at times, but that’s the point: you learn how to get out of your own way.

• Course duration: 4.5 hours to complete
• Platform: Google
• Course rating: N/A
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: N/A

14. Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

This Harvard creative writing course shows how powerful words can be when they’re used with intention. You study famous speeches and see how leaders shaped their arguments to connect with people. The lessons help you write with clarity and speak with confidence. 

• Course duration: 8 weeks/2-3 hours per week
• Platform: EdX
• Course rating: 4.6
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 851,995

15. What Is Poetry?

Poetry often feels like a puzzle with half the pieces missing. This course doesn't solve every riddle, but it does nudge the door open. You'll look at rhythm, imagery, and theme, the small elements that give a poem its echo. It's just enough to make you realize how a single line can land heavier than a whole page of prose.

• Course duration: 12 hours to complete
• Platform: OpenLearn
• Course rating: N/A
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: N/A

16. Writing for Young Readers

Children tune out lectures in seconds, but they'll lean in for a story that sparkles. This course shows you how to adjust your voice for younger readers and turn your writing into something lively enough for picture books. It keeps the fun upfront while slipping in the structure.

• Course duration: 1.5–3 hours
• Platform: Alison
• Course rating: 35+ people liked this course
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 26,126

17. Scriptwriting (Screenwriter Courses)

Screenwriting is like designing a film on paper. This is one of those courses in writing that push you to think in scenes and shots, trimming every extra word until only what matters stays. Dialogue takes center stage, movement drives the flow. For anyone itching to draft the script that plays in their head like a Netflix pilot, it's a sharp place to begin.

• Course duration: 2–3 hours
• Platform: Alison
• Course rating: 150 people liked this course
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 22,712

18. Memoir Writing Mini-Course

There are only three lessons in this writing class online, but they get right to the heart of it. How do you start? How do you keep momentum? This mini-course offers answers in a way that feels more like encouragement than instruction.

• Course duration: Self-paced, 3 lessons
• Platform: Red Lounge for Writers
• Course rating: N/A
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: N/A

19. English Writing Skills – Revised

This one leans less on imagination and more on nuts and bolts. It drills into grammar, sentence flow, and the mechanics that quietly hold a piece of writing together. Not the flashiest material, but still essential if you want your creative work to read smoothly instead of stumbling over clunky lines.

• Course duration: 1.5-3 hours
• Platform: Alison
• Course rating: 200+ people liked this course
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 92,181

20. Business Communication - Fundamentals of Business Writing

This course flips the writing lens toward business, showing how storytelling techniques can make professional writing sharper and more persuasive. It's about giving pitches and marketing pieces the same energy that keeps a reader turning pages.

• Course duration: 1.5-3 hours
• Platform: Alison
• Course rating: 330+ people liked this course
• Start date: Flexible
• Level: Beginner
• Number of people who joined: 44,292