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8 Online Writing Sites That Pay You [Ranked For 2024]

Are you looking for online writing sites to jumpstart your freelance writing career? Check these 8 websites that offer writing gigs across all skill l

Are you looking for ways to earn money with your writing skills but don’t have the experience? You’re not alone!

The onset of COVID-19 brought freelance writing gigs to the forefront of remote employment opportunities. Research reveals over 70 million Americans did freelance work in 2022.

Of that number, 82% are freelance writers. That’s around 54 million people in the U.S. alone! Now you’d think that’s too much competition for beginners to handle, but the truth is the opposite.

Finding online writing sites that pay money doesn’t have to be taxing, and most are open to beginners!

This article introduces you to 9 freelance writing sites with extensive job postings fit for your skill level.

Best Online Writing Sites [At A Glance]

The internet has many opportunities for freelance writers, but only a few stand out for bringing in real profit and helping you become a successful freelance writer.

Here are our top picks for 2023:

• Upwork : Our Pick
• Blogging Pro : Runner-Up
• Fiverr : Also Great
• Contently : Best for Experienced Writers
• Writers Work : Best Pooled Writing Jobs
• iWriter : Best for Tiered Writing Gigs
• WriterAccess : Best for Long-term Writing Jobs
• ProBlogger : Best for Blog Writing

An Overview of Online Freelance Writing

There is no official date when freelance writing started because freelance writers have been around even before digital platforms were created.

But it’s safe to consider the early 2000s as the dawn of the online freelance writing job trend. Notable sites like ProBlogger shares their small-scale origins , which have become a huge success over time.

What are Online Freelance Writing Sites?

Freelance writing sites are the one-stop shop for businesses and startups seeking writing services. They’re central hubs for hiring writers and finding job boards with quality writing gigs.

Some more intuitive websites have features that allow clients to match their writing jobs with the ideal candidate. This results in a mutually beneficial arrangement that guarantees satisfaction for both the business and the content writers.

Why Are Freelance Writing Sites Important?

A freelance writing website reduces the need for companies to shoulder all the legwork involved in hiring talents. They don’t need complex contracts to engage experienced freelance writers.

On the writer’s side, accessing these freelance platforms streamlines the job search process and helps boost their writing portfolio.

You can have multiple freelance writing jobs in a few months, which allows you to gather referrals and recommendations from happy clients.

Do I Need an Online Writing Site to Build a Freelance Writing Career?

Freelance writing sites aren’t required to build a writing career, but they help speed up the process.

Taking on multiple writing jobs within this active community builds up your reputation, skill, and network — factors that help you stand out from the competition.

The Best Online Writing Sites at a Glance

We’ve rounded up our best picks for freelance writing websites and come up with two all-rounders.

What is the Best Online Freelance Writing Site?

With approximately 5 million clients using the platform, Upwork is our best pick for starters looking to understand how freelance writing works.

Its ‘Writing & Translation’ job board category boasts 146k+ active contracts, with clients giving an average 4.8 -star rating to writing professionals.

This includes a range of talents like proofreaders, content writers, translators, ghostwriters, and more.

What is the Best Free Online Writing Site?

Blogging Pro is our top choice for niche-focused freelance writing gigs.

It’s a job board that prospective freelancers can use for free, minus the need to create an account.

One of the things we like about this portal is its straightforward application process that details everything you need to know about a job with just a click.

Clients of this site must pay their writers a minimum of $15 per project, eliminating the risk of getting scammed.

Features to Look for In an Online Writing Website

Freelance writing opportunities have attracted many full-time professionals, so the competition is high.

This can result in some people, especially those with no experience, agreeing to jobs that don’t honor their contracts.

To avoid falling into freelance scams , you must be critical in assessing whether or not the portal you’re signing up for is legit.

Here are features to look for before taking on online writing jobs:

1. Trust Rating

Be wary of freelance websites with a Google review star rating of less than 3. While online ratings are ultimately subjective, they reflect the user experience that professionals and clients have for the platform.

You also want to check review sites like TechRadar or online forums like Reddit and Quora to see what other users think of freelance writing websites.

2. Pay Range

Online freelance writing jobs vary in pay range, and it’s primarily driven by the fact that clients have their specific project budgets. Some portals require businesses to offer a specific job price range, while others leave it to the client.

3. Job Listings

The best freelance writing sites have extensive job boards. This allows them to attract clients from all sectors and freelancers of different skill sets.

4. Application Process

Check the requirements for signing up with a portal and see if you fit their eligibility. You’re better off starting small and building your portfolio rather than trying to break the big game without a solid portfolio to back it up.

5. Online Courses or Blogs

The freelance writing industry is saturated with talent. And while there is a global demand to match that up, beefing up your skill set is necessary to ace the competition.

Check for platforms with built-in writing tools or knowledge bases. Do they have a blog you can subscribe to stay current with the freelance writing landscape?

Best Online Writing Sites: Our Top 3 Options [Ranked & Reviewed]

Here are our top 3 freelance writing sites, handpicked for their combined reach, user reviews, and job opportunities.

1. Upwork : Our Pick

Upwork is a global freelancing platform that connects businesses or startups with individual professionals. It hosts a variety of industries that include writing.

It’s a marketplace where the main currency is your skill. Housing over 12 million freelancers as of 2023, Upwork’s an attractive platform to boost your professional network too!

Key Features of Upwork

Below are features that make Upwork a powerhouse in freelancing:

• Global Network: Upwork is available in over 180 countries, making connecting with global clients easier.
• All-In Mediation: Upwork handles all the contracts, billing, and invoicing processes. This helps you focus on your craft instead of tracking all admin-related requirements before getting paid.
• Robust Writing Job Board: Upwork has 80 writing-related categories under its filter, giving you more options to check if your first few don’t work.
• Upwork Connects: A “Connect” serves as your internal currency and allows you to send client proposals or applications. Upwork’s free plan grants you 10 connects per month, while its Freelance Plus gives you up to 80 connects.
• Top Rated Badge: This one’s given to Upwork’s top freelancers who have built a strong reputation on the platform and consistently get positive feedback from clients. Acquiring this badge gives you access to Upwork’s exclusive features like premium support and in-house talent scout assistance.

Pros of Upwork

• Hassle-free Onboarding: All you need is an email address to start creating an account for free. No need for samples and exams to start searching for writing jobs.
• Seamless Portal Interface: Upwork has intuitive navigation that helps you sift through job listings without getting lost.
• Location Flexibility: Compared to some platforms that require you to be within the state or city near your client, Upwork supports fully remote jobs.

Cons of Upwork

• High Competition: Landing the first gig remains challenging for any new freelance writer. Clients looking for content writing services often look for a solid portfolio before hiring their freelancer.
• Commission Fee: Upwork takes 20% of the first $500 you bill to your clients. This can be too hefty, especially for starters with minimal projects.
• Dispute Resolution: Users report difficulty connecting with Upwork’s resolution team to settle payment disputes.

Upwork Income

Content writing jobs on Upwork have an average pay of $15 to $40 an hour. Some companies who want a long-term arrangement with writers pay a flat fee of $800 a month.

Final Verdict

Upwork is a great job search engine that offers freelance writing jobs globally. It can take a while to build a solid reputation and attract regular clients, but it is nonetheless the most robust platform for writing gigs that pay.

2. Blogging Pro : Runner-Up

Blogging Pro is an easy-to-navigate job site for professional writers looking for trusted clients. Unlike most platforms that require you to create user profiles, Blogging Pro gives you total control over when and to who you want to apply.

Key Features of Blogging Pro

Here are the top features why we recommend Blogging Pro:

• Multiple Job Setup: Most job listings in this platform are remote, though a few require onsite arrangements. They also offer freelance, contract, or part-time setups.
• Writing Tips & Tutorials: Blogging Pro has quick links to articles that help you enhance your freelance work quality. Access is free with no sign-up requirement.
• In-demand Writing Categories: The platform only advertises writing jobs such as content writing, journalism, and copywriting. This saves you time from having to sort through vast, non-writing jobs.
• Direct Apply: Once you select a writing gig, you’ll get a comprehensive list of responsibilities and requirements and a snippet of the client’s background. Hitting ‘Apply for job’ leads you to the client’s website to complete the application.
• Fast Response Time: Blogging Pro requires clients to respond to applications within 24 to 48 hours. This guarantees you’ll get a response whether you make it or not.

Pros of Blogging Pro

• Free to Use: You don’t pay anything with Blogging Pro. No add-on costs, hidden fees, or cutbacks for commissions.
• Transparent Pricing: Most jobs in this portal provide their exact pay range. If not, their websites will, which you can access when you apply.
• Reliable Clients: Blogging Pro’s client list is a combination of established companies and startups with either brick-and-mortar stores or a legitimate online presence.

Cons of Blogging Pro

• Minimal Job Updates: Unlike bigger portals with daily job streams, Blogging Pro only updates when clients choose to advertise on their platform. They do an average of weekly updates with fewer than 20 new jobs.
• Requires Experience: While all positions are open to beginners, many clients indicate specific writing experience in their eligibility requirements. This can be tough to break for anyone with no portfolio to show.
• Inconsistent Income: Blogging Pro doesn’t set any price range guideline for clients apart from the minimum $15 requirement. It’s up to you to determine if the company’s offering a competitive price for the writing service required.

Blogging Pro Income

Blogging Pro guarantees a minimum of $15 hourly pay for writers as part of its initial agreement with clients. Some jobs, like social media writers, can pay up to $300 per project.

Blogging Pro is an excellent choice for finding freelance writing jobs covering different niches.

Its direct link to clients gives you full control of the application process and an overview of the job budget, so you won’t have to do the guesswork in finding out how much you’ll earn.

Still, it doesn’t offer many jobs, and you’ll often need to showcase proof of writing experience to land a gig.

3. Fiverr : Also Great

Fiverr is the perfect platform for individuals who prefer working with other individuals instead of a large-scale company.

This website is an ideal entry-level choice since you won’t have to bid or negotiate for jobs.

You’ll also have access to a potential client or buyer’s requests, including instructions and files to assist you in delivering their expected result.

Key Features of Fiverr

Let’s look into the features we like best about Fiverr and see if it fits your ideal freelance writing website:

• Worldwide Reach: Fiverr is available in 190 countries, with 42% of its users based in the U.S. It also houses clients from Canada, India, and the U.K.
• Seller Levels: You can climb up the levels if you constantly deliver quality tasks on time.
• Pro-verified Feature: If you have the background and experience of a trusted writer, then Fiverr might approve you as part of their ‘Pro Services’ feature. You can charge higher and increase the potential of attracting high-paying clients.
• Extensive Filter Customization: Fiverr wants an ideal match for their clients, so their filters are extensive. You can consider this feature when setting up your profile, delivery timelines, price range, and writing style.
• E-learning Products: If you’re looking to enhance your skills, try enrolling in Fiverr’s business and technical courses led by niche experts.

Pros of Fiverr

• Admin-free Experience: The platform handles the admin side of things like producing invoices, promotions, transaction recording, etc.
• Option for Early Payout: While only available to select sellers, the feature is an advantage. It’s an advantage if you need cash immediately instead of waiting for the typical 14-day clearing period.
• Opportunities to Broaden Skills: Fiverr’s writing jobs range from simple content writing to more challenging gigs like technical writeups. You’ll encounter task requests you haven’t tried before that can be a great learning opportunity.

Cons of Fiverr

• Low-paying Gigs: While you can charge your services for up to $995 per project, only top-rated and long-time freelancers enjoy that profit. Most starters will have to settle for the low price of $5.
• Issues with Scams: There are reports of freelancers not getting paid by clients claiming they have yet to receive their orders. It can be difficult to dispute this unless you have complete and detailed communications with the client.
• Commission Fee: Fiverr takes 20% off your earning regardless of your seller level or service cost. If you earn $5, you’ll only receive $4 as your take-home pay.

Fiverr Income

Your Fiverr income depends on the number of services you deliver. You can price it from $5 per project up to $995.

Fiverr’s a great place for freelancers who want to start small, minus all the hassle of promoting their services. By setting up an account, your profile’s automatically pooled under your chosen gig category.

It’s entry-level at best, which might not be the best option for advanced writers with considerable writing experience.

Notable Mentions: Other Writing Sites To Check Out

If you’re looking for alternative options other than our top 3 picks, you can try out these freelance writing sites:

4. Contently – Best for Experienced Writers

Contently is for expert freelance writers looking at landing a gig with big companies. Some of their clients include Coca-Cola, Dell, Walmart, and Google.

Unlike the other platforms on our list, you don’t apply for a writing job to be a part of their team. Their in-house talent scouts choose writers from all around the web and invite them for an interview.

That being said, having a solid creative platform that showcases your diverse writing portfolio is an essential factor to be considered for any of their gigs.

Why is Contently a Great Option?

Landing a gig at Contently is a surefire way to skyrocket your freelance career. You can add your experience with them to your portfolio along with the brands or companies you worked with.

Best of all, you can negotiate your rate. If you think they’re offering lower than your regular rate, you can demand higher pay.

Drawbacks to Contently

Its obvious drawback comes from the fact that it isn’t for beginners. Contently only contacts specialists with years of experience whose consistent portfolio speaks for their work quality.

Contently Income

Contently has a proprietary rate sheet that dictates the price range options for their projects. While we can’t divulge the specifics, online writers share earnings between $300 and $1,200 per piece.

5. Writers Work – Best Pooled Writing Jobs

Writers Work is a paid freelance writing platform that offers real-time data on writing gigs worldwide. They offer a lifetime subscription of $47 or a monthly option of $15.

It’s an excellent platform allowing you to do all your writing tasks in it. It has a built-in text editor and work tracker feature to help you organize your workload and set writing goals.

Writers Work also has one of the most diverse types of writing requests, such as writing stories for magazines or even fishing equipment reviews.

Why is Writers Work a Great Option?

One thing that Writers Work does well is its writing-only job board. You won’t find other popular gigs like graphic design or video production in its pool.

It’s a great platform for getting a constant stream of gigs you can easily filter by categories like finance, tech, and entertainment.

Drawbacks to Writers Work

There’s high competition in this platform, which may deter freelancers who are looking at quick payments. While there are varied writing options, landing those high-paying gigs requires skill and experience.

Writers Work Income

Writers get paid between $20 to $65 an hour. Other projects offer a fixed rate of $100 per project.

6. iWriter – Best for Tiered Writing Gigs

iWriter is an excellent platform that offers opportunities for writers to upgrade their skills and earning potential while writing more.

The platform offers four writing levels – Standard, Premium, Elite, and Elite Plus. Accessing higher levels mean higher-paying gigs.

We found iWriter to have a diverse niche in terms of topics and ideas, with clients providing specific writing instructions, including required keywords and formatting.

Why is iWriter a Great Option?

It’s easy to join iWriter as a freelancer. You’ll only need to pass two 200-word writing tests to complete the registration. Once done, you can start using the platform to find gigs.

Happy clients also have the option to give you tips for a job well done, helping you increase your income. You also have the opportunity to get paid weekly or biweekly, with a minimum of $20 in earnings.

Drawbacks to iWriter

A significant drawback of iWriter is its steep commission. The platform takes 35% of your total earnings, which is higher than other platforms in our list charge.

Rising through the ranks may also be challenging for new writers as you must deliver 30 articles with a minimum of a 4-star rating before leveling up a step.

iWriter income

Depending on your writing tier, you can earn between $1.25 to $260 in iWriter. There’s a fixed price assigned to word counts across the board, which varies in level.

7. WriterAccess – Best for Long-term Writing Job

WriterAccess is home to over 40,000 brands, all looking for quality writers. Many freelancers who start working with the platform often receive repeat orders from companies, agencies, and small businesses they’ve worked with.

This platform’s an excellent starting point for skilled writers looking for a freelance job with the potential for long-term employment.

Why is WriterAccess a Great Option?

WriterAccess is excellent for building a freelance writing career with reliable clients. You can get hired for all sorts of jobs, from writing blogs to writing short stories.

The platform screens all interested writers. If you pass, you’re automatically given a star rating, unlocking jobs within that level. The higher the rating, the bigger the pay.

Drawbacks to WriterAccess

While joining WriterAccess is free, getting approved can be a challenge. You must provide at least two public web pages as sample works on top of your general and industry experience.

WriterAccess income

All writers are paid 70% of what the client pays for each project.

8. ProBlogger – Best for Blog Writing

ProBlogger is a must-try platform if you’re into SEO writing and blogging. Most of its job postings are from website owners who want to outsource the writing part of their content marketing strategy.

This platform is ideal if you enjoy writing across different topics and are fine communicating directly with the client or managing your workload.

Why is ProBlogger a Great Option?

ProBlogger is great because of its real-time job listings and quality clients who pay well for your services. Joining the platform is easy, and you don’t have to pay anything.

All you need is to register to create your online resume. From here, you can bookmark jobs and create job alerts to get up to speed with the most recent job ads.

Drawbacks to ProBlogger

ProBlogger’s quality clientele attracts the most talents, so expect tough competition. The fact that these clients pay $80 to post their job ads on the platform means they’re willing to pay, but they can also be picky in hiring freelance writers.

ProBlogger income

Writers earn from $25 to $200 per piece, depending on the complexity and research work required. In-house or full-time bloggers earn between $45,000 to $90,000 annually.

Other Online Gigs to Check Out

Is online writing too tough for starters? Here are alternative options to earn money online.

• High-paying Surveys: Do you like answering surveys or giving quality feedback for products and services? This article introduces you to online surveys that pay well.
• How to Get Paid Playing Video Games: Bring your gaming experience to a new level and get paid! Know websites and apps that pay money, gift cards, and other rewards.
• Get Paid to Text: This is perfect for anyone who wants easy side hustles you can do any time, anywhere, even while on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do online writing jobs pay well.

ZipRecruiter reports an average $38 hourly rate for online writers, a decent figure for remote work. The total compensation, however, will depend on other factors like the number of hours you write, the employer, and fees taken out of your earnings.

What is the Best Writing Niche?

The popularity of writing niche fluctuates, but top picks this 2023 include digital marketing, cryptocurrency, e-commerce, healthcare, and personal finance.

Wrapping Up

The freelance writing business is booming, and bagging a gig that pays well is possible if you know where to look.

Upwork is our top pick for the sheer volume of writing opportunities. Its thousands of jobs and multiple subcategories remain unbeatable, even with competitors like Fiverr.

Blogging Pro is also a favorite if you’re looking for niche-focused writing with clients that pay well.

Overall, checking out the online writing platforms we’ve listed opens you to opportunities to earn money by writing, even with little experience.

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Huge List of Paid Writing Gigs and Online Jobs for Writers

Author: Holly Reisem Hanna

May 25, 2024 156 Comments

If you’re looking for online writing jobs, keep reading! This massive list of paid writing gigs has you covered no matter what your writing niche or specialty is!

Freelance writing is one of the best ways to make money from home, and it’s perfect for beginners. You don’t need experience or a degree; the opportunities are plentiful, and you don’t even need a website to get started. As long as you can provide well-written, engaging content and you can meet deadlines, you can make good money as a writer.

Not convinced?

New York Times Best Selling Author Nora Roberts  only has a high school education. She started writing her first novel back in 1979 after being trapped at home due to blizzard conditions. To date, Nora has written over 200 romance novels – incredible!

Still don’t believe me?

A few years ago, Danny Margulies decided to quit his full-time job to pursue an online copywriting career using the freelance platform Upwork. Without any special education or training, he quickly honed his skills and earned six figures during his second year as a copywriter.

If you’d like to work at home as a freelance writer, here is a huge list of paid writing jobs, where to find them, and, in some cases, pay rates.

Freelance Blog Writing Gigs

Writing blog posts is a quick and easy way to earn money and showcase your expertise, as numerous sites will allow a byline with a link back to your website. Many of these sites have established guidelines in place, so make sure you carefully read through the details and follow all of the guidelines. Crafting a thoughtful pitch will greatly improve your chances of getting accepted.

• 99 Designs – Contact for rates
• A Fine Parent – $75
• AutoStraddle – $80-$200
• BDG – Contact for rates
• Bored Teachers – Contact for rates
• Budget101 – $0.02-$0.05 per word
• Cambrick Yard LLC – Contact for rates
• Christian Courier – $30-$70
• Clever Girl Finance – Contact for rates
• Copyhackers – $300-$1,000
• DIS – $25
• DollarSprout – Check listings for rates
• First Quarter Finance – Contact for rates
• Food Tank – Contact for rates
• Girls Guide to Cars – Contact for rates
• GreenPrints – $100-$150
• Grown and Flown – Contact for rates
• Hip2Save – Contact for rates
• Horse Network – $100
• How-To Geek – Contact for rates
• Income Diary – $100-$300
• Insteading – $50
• Introvert, Dear – $75
• Listverse – $100
• Loaded Landscapes – $20-$150
• Make a Living Writing – $150-$230
• Mold Busters $200-$400
• Mommy Poppins – Competitive rates
• Nutri Inspector – $60-$180
• Pregnant Chicken – $100
• Screen Rant – Contact for rates
• SitePoint – Contact for rates
• Small Biz Trends – Negotiable
• Smashing Magazine – Contact for rates
• Technology Networks – Contact for rates
• The Barefoot Writer – $100-$300
• The Krazy Coupon Lady – Full-time, pay DOE
• The Right Hairstyles – Contact for rates
• The Sportster – Contact for rates
• The Write Life – $75-$250
• Theme Park Tourist – $10-$50
• Wise Bread – Contact for rates
• Writer’s Digest – $50-$100
• Writers Weekly – $30-$60

Full-Time Writing and Editing Jobs

If you prefer not to freelance, there are plenty of options for you to work from home on writing projects full-time. These positions tend to be with marketing and advertising agencies and online content creators and publishers. To find these full-time remote work opportunities, explore the hiring companies below. 

• Dotdash Meredith
• GoBankingRates

Paid Freelance Writing Platforms

No matter what type of freelance writing jobs you’re looking for (article writing,  copywriting , creative writing,  grant writing , ebooks, technical, case studies, press releases, content writing, or white papers), you’ll be able to find them on these freelance marketplaces. Each job site works in its own manner. For some, you’ll search for projects and submit bids; for others, you’ll apply to become a freelance writer; and for others, you’ll set up your own profile and list your services.

• Capital Typing
• ContentWriters
• Express Writers
• Journalism Jobs
• Media Bistro
• People Per Hour

Writing Greeting Cards

Have a knack for writing short and sweet sentiments? Turn your ideas into cash by submitting your words to greeting card companies . According to Carol Eannarino , payment for a greeting card idea ranges from $10-$50 or more, depending on the studio.

• Blue Mountain
• Comstock – $50 per idea
• Greeting Card Universe
• Oatmeal Studios – $100

Of course, you can create your own cards and sell them on a platform like Etsy. Melanie from Simple Made Pretty chronicles her success in selling greeting cards on Etsy . 

Write Helpful Tips, Short Stories, and Magazine Articles

Print and online magazines are always looking for new content, which is why many publications are willing to pay for short stories , helpful tips, poems, and even jokes.

Here are just a few publications that pay for submissions. Payment is made only if your tip or story is published.

• Apex Magazine – $0.08-$0.09 per word
• Broadview Magazine – Negotiable
• Chicken Soup for the Soul – $250
• Cricket – Up to $0.25 per word
• Discover Magazine – Print $1 per word, $300 for web
• Grain Magazine – $50-$500
• Guide – $0.07-$0.10 per word
• Ms. Magazine – Rates vary per assignment
• Narrative Magazine $50-$1,000
• The Story People – Contact for rates
• Writers Digest – $0.30-$0.50 per word
• YES! Magazine – $0.40-$0.50 per word

Do you want to write for magazines? Check out this post , where Linda Formichelli tells you how to break into this lucrative writing niche!

Job Boards for Writers

Smaller, niche-focused job board websites are a great place to search for freelance, part-time, and full-time writing jobs. Search the sites using these key phrases that meet your criteria.

• BloggingPro
• FlexJobs – A paid job board
• Freelance Writing Jobs
• ProBlogger Job Board
• Writers Wanted – A paid job board

Mixed Writing Jobs

One of my favorite places to search for writing jobs, both full-time positions and freelance roles, is staffing agencies . With staffing agencies, you can find contract, permanent, temporary, and remote job openings. They have openings for technical writers, content strategists, copywriters, public relations writers, SEO content writers, and more! Working with a staffing agency is an excellent way to test the waters in different writing careers, as well as a good way to get your foot in the door with companies. 

Here are some staffing agencies to explore for paid writing jobs: 

• Flex Professionals
• Kelly Services
• Robert Half

Medical Writers

If you have a degree in nursing, pharmacology, social work, or another medical specialization and you enjoy writing, there are many remote writing jobs for healthcare writers. With some of these writing job opportunities, you’ll write curriculum and test prep questions; other times, you’ll write policies, continuing education materials, grants, and articles. 

See each website for submission guidelines and assignments. 

• ClearVoice  
• CrowdPharm  

Get Paid to Write Poetry

Are you a creative writer who enjoys evoking emotions in people? Then, perhaps selling your poetry can earn you some extra cash. Here are a few places you can sell your poems.

• Arc Poetry Magazine – $50 per page
• Boulevard – $50-$300
• December – $40-$200
• Palette Poetry – $50-$150
• Poem Analysis – Contact for pay rates
• Poetry Foundation – $10 per line and $150 per page of prose
• Room – $50-$200 CAD
• Three Penny Review – $200-$400
• VQR – $200-$1,000

You’ll also want to check out this list of ways to earn money with your poetry here .

Recipe Writers and Developers

If you’re talented in the kitchen and create your own recipes, there are food bloggers who will pay you for your original written recipes. Most will also want you to include photos or videos as well.

• Recipe Yum – CPM payment model

For more recipe writing gigs, check out our post on how to make money selling your recipes . 

Earn Money as a Resume Writer

Are you good at proofreading, interviewing, and persuasive writing? Then, becoming a professional resume writer may be the perfect freelance writing job for you. As a resume writer, you’ll write cover letters, resumes, and sometimes LinkedIn profiles. You may also help job seekers practice answering common interview questions.

• Career5 – Freelance
• ERW – Freelance
• Talent Inc. – Freelance
• The Job Sauce – Part-time, independent contractors
• TopStack Resume – Full- and part-time writers

Paid Revenue-Sharing Sites

With revenue-sharing sites, you contribute content to the site, and in return, you make a percentage of the advertising revenue generated from your content. Each site does it a little differently; some offer base pay, while others are strictly based on how much traffic or how many clicks your content receives. I’ve never tried to make money this way, but here are some success tips from Carol Tice .

• The Richest

Write Romance Novels

Do you want to write the next Fifty Shades of Grey? Then, submit your manuscript to one of the many romance publishers.

• Carina Press
• Extasy Books
• Harper Collins Publisher
• Sourcebooks

Of course, you don’t have to go through a traditional publisher to get your book published. With Amazon, you can self-publish your book on a shoestring budget. The nice thing about going this route is you maintain the ownership of your book, which you don’t with a traditional publisher. If you’re curious about self-publishing, check out Rachel Blaufeld’s success story with self-publishing romance novels. 

Social Media and Content Marketing

With platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and more, there is a huge demand for writers who know the ins and outs of these online marketing platforms. Sometimes, these positions are called social media managers or virtual assistants, and other times, digital content specialists. Besides writing social media updates, you may also create content for blogs, ads, newsletter campaigns, video scripts, and other forms of content creation.

General knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) is generally needed for these roles. Some companies may require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, or a related field. However, depending on your experience level, some companies may substitute a degree for experience.

• MarketerHire
• VaVa Virtual Assistants

Travel Writing

Who doesn’t dream of traveling the world and getting paid to write about their adventures ? While most travel gigs pay for free travel, food, lodging, and activities, there are a few outlets that will pay a small amount for your writing.

• Backcountry Magazine – $0.35 or less per word
• Down East – $0.60-$0.75 per word
• Go Nomad – $25
• International Living – $100 per $1,000 words
• Nomadic Matt – $250
• Outpost Magazine – Pay negotiable
• Young Adventuress – $50-$150

Probably one of the best ways to make money as a travel writer is to start your own blog. With travel blogging, you’ll write your own content, publish it, and then make money through activities like affiliate marketing, advertising networks, selling products, and paid sponsorships. If starting a travel blog sounds appealing, be sure to sign up for our free 10-day start your blog course .

Final Words About Paid Writing Gigs

As you can see, there are tons of paid writing jobs for writers!

However, if you don’t see the type or topic of writing assignments you’d like to work on, you can always pitch your freelance writing services to a potential client. If you don’t have a website with writing samples, you can create an online portfolio on LinkedIn or Contently to showcase your work.

Since most of these job opportunities are freelance positions, you’ll want to be sure to track your income and expenses and set aside money for quarterly self-employment taxes. You’ll also need a system for keeping track of clients and deadlines, and our Ultimate Online Business Planning Toolkit is perfect for running your freelance writing business like a pro!

As your freelance writing career grows, you should invest in your writing skills by taking courses, joining professional organizations, and other tools and resources you’ll need to be successful.

What type of paid writing gigs are you searching for? Do you know of another site that pays writers? Let us know in the comment section below.

Originally published on February 25, 2015. Content updated on May 2024.

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About the Author

Holly Reisem Hanna

Holly Reisem Hanna is a former nurse who decided to start a blog to make money from home while caring for her daughter. Since its inception in 2009, The Work at Home Woman has helped millions of readers find legitimate work at home jobs and business ideas. Under Holly's guidance, The Work at Home Woman was named one of the best websites for your career by Forbes two years in a row. Holly graduated from the University of Texas and has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Woman’s World Magazine, CNN, and many others.

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Reader Interactions

156 comments.

June 1, 2024 at 6:39 am

I’m interested in pursuing a remote writing job from home. What steps should I take to get started in this field?

June 2, 2024 at 8:34 am

Write a few samples for your portfolio, and start applying for gigs.

February 17, 2024 at 12:00 pm

I began pursuing a career in Copy and SEO Optimization Writing about a year ago. I had at this point been studying the art of Copywriting for about a year. I paid for a course thru the AWAI Institute and even though there was great information, not a lot of support on finding real work. I began working construction last May to make ends meet and because of the long days and hard work, my career in Copy and SEO writing came to a complete stop. I have in the last few weeks began to restart the machine and even took this week off work to start applying for writing jobs and try to keep the dream alive. I go back to work in 2 days and I am concerned the momentum I have built will fall off once again. Even worse, the situation me and my kids have been in will not get any better if I remain doing the same thing. I thank you for this post, as I have been maniacally sitting with my laptop for days on end trying to find work so I can leave my other job. I am about to go one by one thru all your links because I know what I am looking for is there. Thank you

February 19, 2024 at 9:11 am

Check out this article by Danny; he chronicles his success using Upwork as a new copywriter: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/make-money-freelancing/

Wishing you all the best!

January 28, 2023 at 4:25 am

Hi, for the poetry, do they accept international submissions?

January 30, 2023 at 7:40 am

I believe they are available globally.

January 30, 2022 at 5:12 pm

Is there anywhere to submit writing samples for songs? Thank you!

January 31, 2022 at 12:00 pm

Let me know do some research — stay tuned.

July 9, 2021 at 7:16 am

Hello, I am Robert from Nakuru, Kenya. Is there an opportunity for men? I am interested, I am willing to contribute in areas of fine arts and writing theological materials. Thank you in advance, Pastor Robert.

July 10, 2021 at 9:18 am

Yes, the information is applicable to men as well.

Just click on the company and it will take you to the opportunity.

September 24, 2019 at 2:52 pm

I have to say I never thought I would get paid to write for a living but blogging is something I never knew would exist when I was growing up either! Such much changes but writing is always a great way to get out your feelings and thoughts and if you can get paid to do so, even better!

September 25, 2019 at 9:13 am

Me either, Scarlet. I’m so glad that you found a career that you love!

Thanks for stopping by!

September 9, 2019 at 1:15 am

I would like to get a job in writing online from home where do I start? and what to do next? many thanks in advance.

September 9, 2019 at 6:44 am

Just click on the links above and follow each sites’ instructions for applying.

February 28, 2019 at 7:18 am

Wow this looks quite informative! Thanks for sharing.

June 22, 2021 at 3:54 pm

Glad you enjoyed the list, Janelle!

February 4, 2019 at 7:47 pm

Thank you for the encouraging responses that you have given your audience. I started my search to find writing gigs that would pay me @ least $75 per day for my work… Unfortunately, several of the blogs/ YouTubers had negative reviews and I was discouraged. I decided to just do a search and I found your blog. The information you listed is mind blowing!!! That is… That someone would put this amount of work into compiling this list and not ask for a dime!! But, what meant the most to me is that you took the time to advise others and encourage people. Thank you for that!

February 5, 2019 at 2:38 pm

You’re welcome!

I’m glad you found the list helpful. Let me know if you decide to apply for any of these positions, I’d love to know how they work out for you!

December 4, 2018 at 3:06 pm

Incredible work Holly! There’s so much good info here, thanks, I know we all appreciate it.

June 22, 2021 at 3:55 pm

Thanks, AJ — I’m glad you found the list helpful.

October 8, 2018 at 8:16 am

hello am a writer which website will I get a client

June 23, 2021 at 8:16 am

Shes not toting her psychic skills. Click a link.

June 6, 2018 at 4:21 am

You can even count this website https://www.gmrtranscription.com/careers.aspx in the list as well for freelance transcription jobs. They’ve plenty of work most of the time and always looking for the candidates.

June 6, 2018 at 11:17 am

Thanks for sharing!

December 2, 2018 at 12:38 pm

I really want a job

May 14, 2018 at 3:15 pm

Hiring? Need job.. Ready to work..

April 19, 2018 at 6:09 pm

I’m looking forward to perusing these sites. I love finding new niches to freelance for. Ultius has treated me well and I think they are almost always hiring ( https://ults.co/writerapply ).

April 20, 2018 at 7:48 am

Thanks for sharing, Alice!

October 20, 2021 at 9:58 pm

I want a at home job typing on the computer I’m a hard worker but people jobs want cookie cutter people yes people people that can work a lot of hours with no sleep I can work but not to much

October 21, 2021 at 6:36 am

Have you looked at temp agencies like Kelly Services?

April 16, 2018 at 12:13 pm

Wow what a great list. I’ve really enjoyed writing for https://www.constant-content.com/ but will have to check out some of the others in the list. Thanks!

February 28, 2018 at 10:42 am

I’ve noticed these gigs are all in dollars.

Can you use these sites if you live in the United Kingdom?

February 28, 2018 at 3:09 pm

You’ll have to follow up with each site to see if they allow writers from the UK.

July 2, 2018 at 6:16 pm

Hi, can i use this site if i live is SA

July 4, 2018 at 7:25 am

Hi Stanley,

Nice to meet you!

With these writing gigs, it shouldn’t matter where you live as long as you provide high-quality work and can be paid via PayPal.

Please check out this post for international listings: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/worldwide-work-from-home-jobs/

Good luck on your job hunt!

December 31, 2017 at 7:58 am

Thank you so much for this list! I drive almost an hour one way to go to work and I am looking for something I can do from home. This information will be a great start for me!

January 2, 2018 at 12:44 pm

Glad you enjoyed the list, Pam.

If you’re looking for more ideas, these articles will give you a great place to start your WAH job search:

https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/best-work-from-home-jobs/

https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/right-job/

https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/work-home-jobs-location/

December 1, 2017 at 9:29 am

Great list!! I recently started a free writing leads site as a labor of love from one writer to another. It’s a daily list of Canadian writing jobs and remote and freelance opportunities, too. Feel free to share or check it out. WritingJobsCanada.ca

November 25, 2017 at 11:45 pm

Dear holly any recommendations for offline data entry website as I have time I want to earn some money please advice ASAP FOR some critical issues thanks

November 26, 2017 at 12:31 pm

Try looking on Indeed and FlexJobs, or this post may give you some ideas: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/typing-jobs/

September 28, 2017 at 11:49 am

Holy smokes this is one heck of a list, Holly! Thanks for putting it together for us. You know I’m sharing this one!

Hope all is well. :)

Happy small Friday!

September 28, 2017 at 1:56 pm

Glad you enjoyed the list, Cori. Love that, happy small Friday! Same to you!

June 19, 2017 at 7:38 pm

As retirement approaches, a lifelong desire to simply create, write, and explore avenues that have always proven themselves a true interest and passion is rapidly pulling me in to my most deepest desires of these areas. Admittedly, there are so many areas that are catching my attention, so the question now is, “Where to begin?” Thank you so very much.

June 22, 2017 at 7:58 am

Check out this post, Patty: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/start-working-from-home-now/

June 15, 2017 at 6:35 pm

This is a great website thank you! I have just graduated with a first but want a writing job from home part time to go alongside another full time job. I like beauty/fashion/baking but having done psychology degree I like to write about current issues, including personal ones such as copying with anxiety etc Do you recommend where I could start writing? Thanks

June 13, 2017 at 5:32 am

Story writing is my hobby and want to share it more to you. Though I need my real chance to start for you.

June 7, 2017 at 12:52 am

I just wanted to let you know that you are my muse for extensive thoroughness with my writing. I’m just getting started, and you’re my go-to gal for inspiration and encouragement. As of right now I’m trying to learn the technical ropes and migrate my site to a new host. I’d love to have you in my network! Any tips you could share would be immensely appreciated!

June 12, 2017 at 7:15 am

Hi Ashley, Thanks for your kind words — they made my day!

I’m not a tech person. I use a web programmer for all of my tech issues. Her name is Susan from http://octoberskies.com . I’ve also heard great things about Grayson Bell at https://www.imarkinteractive.com/author/imark/ .

I’m on all the major social channels if you’d like to connect. Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment!

May 23, 2017 at 4:33 am

I’m sadia and please suggest me any job .

May 24, 2017 at 9:46 am

Hi Sadia, These articles will give you a great place to start your WAH job search:

May 21, 2017 at 10:43 am

Hey i would love to write. Im pretty good with short stories (usually fiction), what would you suggest?

May 18, 2017 at 11:05 am

I’m used to write in french. I tried upwork but i’m paid 5 dollars per 1000 words or 7 dollars… Can you suggest me a website where i can write in french but having good salary like those websites you posts on your blog ? And can you suggest me VA in french website please ?

May 19, 2017 at 3:32 pm

Rev.com hires French translators: https://www.rev.com/translation

Also, Anna has a great list of translation jobs on her website: https://realwaystoearnmoneyonline.com/money-earning-directory/translation/

Good luck and keep me posted!

May 15, 2017 at 3:12 pm

Hi Holly, My passions include being a life long runner and outdoor enthusiast, having owned a fairly large business in that niche. In addition, healthy pro-active nutrition, and politics are included. Do you have any recommendations as to what writing industries or companies to pursue? I’m interested in doing reviews, blogs, copywriting but open to suggestions. Thank you very much! Kathy

May 18, 2017 at 7:28 am

Hi Kathy, What about Live Strong? They are always hiring writers in a variety of categories. Also, check out your favorite brands and companies and research their blog posts. Maybe they haven’t added any new content in a long time, and you can send them a proposal, or you can pitch them a few ideas that they haven’t covered. Good luck!

May 9, 2017 at 6:20 pm

Wow! Thank you so much for this blog post! I have never seen so much accurate and helpful information in one post! I have bookmarked this page and will be checking all of them out! Thank you so very much!

May 10, 2017 at 1:30 pm

Glad you enjoyed the list, Courtney!

April 7, 2017 at 10:57 pm

I am interested in a stay at home career in writing. I am a mother of two and I have been writing for many years. Nothing has been published. I write short stories, children’s stories and some poetry. can you please let me know in which direction I should be looking to get started.

April 8, 2017 at 7:29 am

It depends. Do you want to set up a business? Or are you just looking for a little extra side cash?

Here are some hand-picked articles that can help guide your way:

https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/4k-writer/

https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/start-working-from-home-now/

https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/make-money-freelancing/

Good luck and keep us posted!

February 27, 2017 at 8:45 pm

I m interest in writing. Can u plss give me the instruction??

February 26, 2017 at 4:05 pm

This may seem a rather daft question, and it is, but: I’m a man. Now, can men, even incredibly heterosexual ones such as me (lol), utilize and take advantage of these services as a means to market their writerly talents? Also, I have found that, for me personally, nonfiction writing is easier than fiction. However, I must strongly emphasize that this opinion is tempered by and only true of those times when one finds that they can be just as creative and imaginative and fluid and free and freewheeling in their nonfiction as they are in their fiction. To that end, I have furthermore discovered that, for me personally, in addition to the writing of certain essays and ersatz/satirical articles and the prosy like, poetry is also relatively easy to write. Indeed, it is EASIER to write. At least, it is for me, anyway. Now, don’t get me wrong, I also like to fiction, but I can’t write it as speedily and with as much insouciant ease as I can various forms of essay and poetry. Again, that’s just me, though. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity of using this forum as a means of getting a few things off my chest. However, I have one last query to advance: As I have recently written a great, semiautobiographical (or perhaps pseudoautobiographical) seriocomical/jocoserious short story that has a great deal of erotic imagery, action and description in it, I wonder where I might publish this story? It is not, I must stress, despite it’s sexual nature and the intrinsic, crucial importance of the eroticism therein, a bona fide erotic story. It is not erotica, as they call it. It is far above and beyond the trashy simplicity of erotica. Yet, as I said, the middle section of it is a sex scene, but one that I twist and manipulate every sort of human emotion out of, and that sex scene is not gratuitous, it is essential to the story and the plot. I am not one to, even in the writing of the very few forays into erotica and eroticism that I have attempted over the past seven years, write of sexuality overmuch, or at all, or gratuitously, but as this was integral, I saw no reason to withhold the sexual from the bounds of my prose.

Regardless, and for comedic effect a few very dirty vulgarities and smutty colloquialisms are used within the context of my tale, but still I wonder: Who would publish such an esoteric, unidentifiable, eclectic work?

I am rightly proud of the story, it being one of the best and funniest yet most strangely sad stories I’ve ever written, and long to see it in all the unbounded glory of print.

(I did not mean this thing to turn out to be some abridged story of my life, but as the next revelation that I am about to parenthetically reveal is somewhat imperative, I feel I must, if only as a means to create an understanding of me, my works and, most especially, my STYLE and TECHNIQUE as a writer, share the following bit of semi-personal data with you: Namely, that I am an avid reader in general and in particular of the greatest Anglo-American/European/Russian/Near-Eastern/Mediterranean writers of all manner of prose of the past several millennia, but with an especial focus on the greatest writers of the 1700’s-1960’s: and before and beyond: and it is them and their monumental and intellectually-stimulating, descriptive, sublime works that inform all my writing….therefore, that’s why I’ve elected to write in the way in which I’ve done here….not to impress, except by diffusion and osmosis, but rather because it is just the general, natural way I always have of speaking and, most especially, writing. Thank you bearing with me through this difficult digression….which, if I was going to submit and publish this essay-length comment, I think that would make an excellent title for it! lol)

February 27, 2017 at 12:06 pm

Yes, these opportunities are applicable to both women and men.

February 24, 2017 at 6:47 am

Hi Holly, I’d appreciate knowing about your favorite freelance writing opportunities for elementary educators. Thanks!

February 24, 2017 at 7:26 am

Hi Lesley, Have you thought about curriculum writing or instructional design? Really, the sky’s the limit, you can write for education blogs, magazines, newsletters. It just depends on your area of expertise within the education field and what type of writing interests you.

February 22, 2017 at 1:47 am

I’m interested in writing in several categories: my worldwide travel experiences; the 23+ years of meeting, taking pictures and talking to hundreds of celebrities in NYC.

I’m also interested in writing book, TV and movie reviews. I’ve done quite a few travel reviews on TripAdvisor. I’ve written a couple of book reviews and received thank you notes from the author.

Can you give me some advice where I can do this and get paid for it? Thank you.

February 22, 2017 at 8:48 am

Hi Diane, Have you thought about starting a review blog?

February 17, 2017 at 3:40 am

Hi, I am Rashid from India.Just recently I had started blogging and I had published two based on my personal experience.Now I am willing to write a short fictional story.Can you suggest me any site where I could begin with?

January 26, 2017 at 8:41 am

I also have had a lot of luck scoring paid contracts on freelancing websites like Upwork. I t’s tough to build up a profile initially, but after about a year I was able to make solid money – between $500-$1000 per week. It’s all about building up a profile and reputation, just like any business.

Thanks for these tips!

January 26, 2017 at 12:15 pm

That’s great — congrats on your writing success!

January 16, 2017 at 2:35 pm

I am interested in writing about women’s life experiences. Its been suggested to me because of my sense of humor and the way I look at life, especially mine!! Blogging has been suggested but boy I feel lost and not so sure. Main ideas?

January 16, 2017 at 4:37 pm

Hi Paula, This post will give you a great place to start: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/setup-blog/ Let me know if you have further questions — happy to get you going in the right direction.

January 15, 2017 at 6:12 am

Hi I’m also interested in writing ….I’m from India….how can I be helped…..

January 16, 2017 at 6:25 am

Hi Rosy, Most of these sites pay via PayPal, so if you’re able to accept payment via PayPal — just start pitching and applying. Good luck!

December 2, 2016 at 4:07 pm

I just stumbled on this informative gift from your stable by luck today. I like to earn from writing and online typing. I’m in Nigeria. Guide me.

December 4, 2016 at 7:52 am

As long as you’re able to accept payments via PayPal, you should be able to write for the majority of these sites. Good luck!

November 29, 2016 at 12:49 pm

All this being said if you’re a fast writer, and you don’t spend a lot of time on each article, maybe you could make minimum wage working on Demand Studio stuff. Which would be cool if you’re working from home and that’s all the money you were looking for. But long-term, other “freelance” writing jobs would be likely to net you a lot more. Blogging is my favorite.

I’ve done quite a bit of freelance writing, myself–not the website, but jobs you hunt down for yourself in corporate America–and the income can be excellent, but often requires a lot more personal marketing or a good list of personal contacts. And you’ll need to be able to prove you can do the work with a combination of references, education, and samples. You also need to have the good aptitude for customer service, so you can keep your clients happy.

November 5, 2016 at 12:47 am

Thanks for the informative post. I’ve been trying to assess the validity of the site writingjobz.com for a potential scam without much luck. I notice that it isn’t on your list. Have you ever heard anything about them? If not, could you please look into this? I’ve given my info (basic application stuff, but still) and am, sadly, backward fact-checking. Thanks!

November 7, 2016 at 6:53 am

The one thing that stands out to me is they’re hiring writers, but nowhere on the website are they selling the articles to clients. Most legit sites have a page for customers and another for writers. They are based in India, not the US — I’d steer clear of this one.

September 26, 2016 at 2:28 pm

Hi Holly! There are a ton of awesome ideas here that I am eager to explore! I recently started a blog that I’m going to use as a portfolio for my pieces and hopefully will submit them somewhere for pay and future writing gigs. I am currently working in a full time office job and would like to move from this lifestyle that allows me to write remotely on a more flexible schedule. I have just submitted an essay to a contest about my experiences as a person with a disability. I’m wondering if you have any additional suggestions on where to send my essay, or else any information you can provide as I try to embark upon this difficult career change. Thanks so much!

September 27, 2016 at 7:18 am

Hi Brittany, Glad you enjoyed the list! It sounds like you have a good plan in place.

Here are some pieces that I think will help you on your journey:

Gina Horkey has had tremendous success as a freelance writer and virtual assistant and she gives some great advice in this interview: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/4k-writer/

This article by Katie McDonald has some excellent information on identifying strong freelance leads: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/promising-leads/

Oh, and this article has some advice from four successful freelancers (Carol Tice, Kristi Hines, Mary Jaksch, and Heather Robson) on how to make more money with your writing: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/make-more-money-writing/

September 27, 2016 at 8:49 pm

This is great, thanks so much!

September 28, 2016 at 8:54 am

You’re welcome, Brittany!

August 18, 2016 at 6:46 am

I have around 7 years of experience in IT currently a stay at home mom with two naughty boys.. I love to write and earn a living.. what would be the best site for me to start with

August 18, 2016 at 11:35 am

Have you written articles before? Or is this your first stab at freelance writing? If you’re new to the game, I’d suggest looking at the ProBlogger job board or Upwork. Get some articles under your belt, then go after higher paying gigs.

August 15, 2016 at 11:09 am

Its one of the best posts full of good resources on writing content. I have not visited all of the sites yet but I am going to check them all one by one. Thank you so much.

August 16, 2016 at 3:02 pm

Glad you enjoyed the list!

July 31, 2016 at 1:28 pm

Scary Mommy is no longer offering payment for submissions.

August 1, 2016 at 10:24 am

Thanks for letting me know, Jessica. I’ll take it off the list.

August 3, 2016 at 1:42 pm

Such a bummer! Still a good opportunity to build up a portfolio though :)

August 3, 2016 at 4:39 pm

Definitely!

July 6, 2016 at 1:11 am

Hi holly I love to write on life and experience and many more but could not find website

July 6, 2016 at 7:07 am

Have you checked Carol Tice’s website? She too has a great list of paid opportunities: http://www.makealivingwriting.com/earn-money-online-websites-that-pay-writers-spring-2016/

June 7, 2016 at 6:59 am

Looking to get hired. How do I start?

June 11, 2016 at 10:05 am

Hi Angel, Just click on the links and it will take you to each gig. Good luck!

June 5, 2016 at 10:46 pm

Hi I live in India n love to write so please let me know how I can do that . Thanks

June 11, 2016 at 10:15 am

Hi Damanpreet, Click on the links above and each site will tell you how to apply. Good luck!

April 28, 2016 at 6:54 pm

I don’t have website but looking and love writing. I had been writing on agony aunts column I enjoy helping other people. Love to follow my dream and do this for a job.

April 29, 2016 at 10:32 am

With these sort of gigs you don’t need a website. However, if you’re interested in getting a website for free – this article has some good options: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/35-free-resources-to-help-manage-your-business-life/

Good luck on your writing journey!

April 9, 2016 at 8:32 pm

We pay $100 per post if you want to add our site. All details are here: http://www.blessthislist.com/write-get-paid/

April 9, 2016 at 9:01 pm

Thanks for sharing your writing gig!

July 27, 2016 at 5:40 pm

Hi holly I enjoyed reading your post on writing I love writing and would like to start blogging How can I find a how to guide to begin blogging? And with no experience what best choices are there for hiring fresh writers

July 27, 2016 at 6:31 pm

Hi Meandra, Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to setup a blog: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/setup-blog/

This post explains how to get started: https://www.theworkathomewoman.com/blogging/

April 8, 2016 at 10:17 am

Thanks for all the information. I am a homemaker and enjoy writing picture book stories, I have been looking for some freelance work and your article has been a blessing. I will be checking at the sites you recommend, thanks again and take care.

April 9, 2016 at 2:20 pm

Good luck, Denita!

April 4, 2016 at 3:15 am

I would like to recommend my site 20four7va. We currently need lots of writers and VA’s for different kind of business.

April 5, 2016 at 10:16 am

Thanks for sharing, Catherine. How much does 20four7va pay per article?

October 6, 2016 at 7:01 am

i live in india… i m a home maker… i love writing…. creative work like designing cards, dresses… plz let me know how can i work from home….

October 6, 2016 at 6:56 pm

The Work at Home Woman is geared toward U.S. residents.

March 15, 2016 at 11:44 am

So many interesting information, thanks. I also would like to recommend another source paperwritingonline.com. I often write to this site. If it’s interesting for somebody, you can visit a site or write me for more information.

March 15, 2016 at 12:03 pm

Thanks for the lead, Selena!

March 31, 2016 at 7:55 am

They do not have current openings for writers. Contacted them through their site chat..

March 2, 2016 at 7:24 am

Thanks for sharing this huge list. very nice list for writers

March 2, 2016 at 8:38 am

Glad you enjoyed it, Ranjeet!

February 26, 2016 at 12:49 pm

Once I get started writing a blog how would I get paid for it?

February 26, 2016 at 1:34 pm

Hi Amber, Most of these opportunities pay via PayPal. However, you’ll need read each companies terms to verify the exact payment method. Good luck!

February 21, 2016 at 9:33 pm

Great tips Holly! always enjoy your posts :)

February 22, 2016 at 9:12 am

So glad you enjoyed it, Mandi. Thanks for stopping by =)

February 18, 2016 at 12:45 pm

This looks interesting. I like to type and I would like to make some extra money. Please send me some info

January 29, 2016 at 4:31 am

i want a writing job

January 28, 2016 at 4:38 pm

Holly, I just wanted to thank you for this incredible post. It’s full of SO much good information and resources to find freelance writing work online. I can tell you spent a lot of time on it, so thank you, thank you, thank you! And I had NO idea about Nora Roberts only having a high-school education! That is a great cocktail party fact, too! Hope you’re well.

January 29, 2016 at 9:30 am

You’re welcome, Lisa! I love to do research — so it was a fun post to write!

January 28, 2016 at 11:07 am

I’m a Social Work student, who cares about special needs and social needs in public.IS there any sites to become a writer in this field? :)

January 29, 2016 at 9:31 am

Try looking at LiveStrong. If I come across any others — I’ll drop the links here. Good luck!

January 10, 2016 at 8:42 am

This is by far the most complete list I have come across of the highest paying writing jobs. I have been seriously considering working as a freelance writer, however many of the jobs that I have seem are not as generous in compensation as the ones listed here in your article. I look forward to checking out these opportunities! Thank you!

January 11, 2016 at 7:56 am

You’re welcome, Clara! Good luck on your freelance writing journey and keep us posted =)

January 6, 2016 at 10:53 am

I’m a yoga teacher an a Nutritionist. What do you think the best place to start would be for my knowledge? Thanks.

January 7, 2016 at 7:35 am

Have you tried LIVESTRONG? They hire writers for fitness and wellness articles. Also try looking at Upwork and Problogger.net for fitness gigs. Good luck!

December 17, 2015 at 2:06 pm

Would anyone happen to know a good place to write opinion articles? Maybe 300 to 500 words for $10 a pop? Whenever I find these lists of blogs and publications that pay, they are almost never looking for opinion. Maybe the niche is not profitable.

January 4, 2016 at 10:37 am

Try looking at magazines — many publications will pay a small stipend for short stories, jokes, recipes, and poems. Good luck and keep us posted!

December 10, 2015 at 5:28 pm

Parents, teachers and homeschoolers – Get paid to share your expertise and ideas with thousands of readers!! -Opportunities for paid blog posts on the Educents blog (blog.educents.com) -Receive a quarterly newsletter with blog topic ideas -Receive invitations to submit pitches for blog posts -Get your name out there! Every blog post published on Educents has an author bio

More info: http://blog.educents.com/join-the-educents-all-star-blogger-program/

December 2, 2015 at 1:08 pm

Greetings Holly, Top Tenz is no longer excepting submissions until further notice. They are now using their inside staff writers.

This information was on the website.

December 2, 2015 at 2:03 pm

Thanks for letting me know, Tangela. I’ll have to find a replacement =)

January 4, 2016 at 4:14 am

Accepting is the appropriate word, not excepting.

October 30, 2015 at 6:19 pm

Hi I have just written a short story about an old pit bull telling his life story. It’s approx 20,000 words. Any suggestions as to where I go next with this

November 2, 2015 at 7:25 am

Here’s a great list of places to submit your short stories: http://thewritelife.com/where-to-submit-short-stories/

October 7, 2015 at 4:36 pm

Thanks Ms. Hanna! I love doing recipes and this article will really be a blessing!

October 9, 2015 at 7:42 am

You’re welcome, Leiann! Glad you found the recipe section helpful. I’ll keep you posted if I find some more sites.

September 25, 2015 at 2:23 am

The Intense Blog link leads to the Dollar Stretcher page. (It isn’t hard to Google the write for us link, just thought you should know anyways!)

September 25, 2015 at 8:45 am

Thanks for letting me know, Kali. The link has been corrected =)

September 5, 2015 at 6:15 pm

I enjoy writing poems. I don’t see any place for me to submit a freelance poem here though.

Heading Onward makes one Lag when Learning of the Yearly traffic gag.

September 8, 2015 at 8:02 am

Try submitting to greeting card companies, magazines, and contests.

July 16, 2017 at 10:17 am

There’s an app you could download for writers and although its free to use and doesn’t necessarily pay you for each poem u post theirs perhaps some leads on paying opportunities and contests…. Mirakee

August 19, 2015 at 10:11 am

Good Morning!

I’m glad I came across this site. I am inspired to express myself through the written word again. I am new to blogging, but excited to get my feet wet learning about it.

August 19, 2015 at 9:51 am

hey there holly, always love the info you send! ps-elance & odesk are now upwork.com keep up the great work! best, jo-anna

August 26, 2015 at 12:40 pm

Thanks for letting me know, I’ll get that corrected.

July 17, 2015 at 7:56 pm

This is very helpful. Writing for a living is something I’ve always wanted to do, but finding legitimate resources is a difficult tasks. You’ve made this journey easier to bear. Thanks!

April 29, 2015 at 10:54 am

So going to check all this out.

February 26, 2015 at 7:31 am

Holly, thanks for including Write Naked on your list of blogs that compensate writers. Just wanted to let you know the rate posted is incorrect. I do not pay $100. (I ran a promotion a few years ago for that rate, so perhaps you saw an old page.) I pay $50 per guest post, but if I am particularly wowed with a pitch I pay $200. Thanks again–really appreciate the exposure and love the site you have built here.

February 26, 2015 at 11:14 am

You’re welcome, Tara. I’ll update that information =)

March 22, 2016 at 6:36 am

Are you still looking for writers?

December 4, 2016 at 4:59 am

I need aa job

January 11, 2017 at 1:35 pm

I would like to help you, first you read and then decided to how much pay.

November 17, 2017 at 4:30 am

I need job..my Gmail I’d is [email protected]

January 21, 2017 at 4:14 am

I’m an enthusiast guy and currently looking for writing jobs. I’m available at all times and would really appreciate for working with you Tara.regards

May 10, 2017 at 5:57 pm

If there is any alert me please

May 10, 2017 at 5:56 pm

Okay no problem with that

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100 Writing Practice Lessons & Exercises

by Joe Bunting | 50 comments

Want to become a better writer? How much time do you spend on your writing practice? Perhaps you want to write novels, or maybe you just want to get better grades in your essay writing assignments , or maybe you'd like to start a popular blog .

If you want to write better, you need practice. But what does a writing practice actually look like? In this post, I'm going to give you everything you need to kick off your writing practice and become a better writer faster.

What Is Writing Practice?

Writing practice is a method of becoming a better writer that usually involves reading lessons about the writing process, using writing prompts, doing creative writing exercises , or finishing writing pieces, like essays, short stories , novels , or books . The best writing practice is deliberate, timed, and involves feedback.

How Do You Practice Writing?

This was the question I had when I first started The Write Practice in 2011. I knew how to practice a sport and how to practice playing an instrument. But for some reason, even after studying it in college, I wasn't sure how to practice writing.

I set out to create the best writing practice I could. The Write Practice is the result.

I found that the best writing practice has three aspects:

Deliberate . Writing whatever you feel like may be cathartic, but it's not an effective way to become a better writer or build your writing skills. You'll get better faster by practicing a specific technique or aspect of the writing process each time you sit down to write.

This is why we have a new lesson about the writing process each day on The Write Practice, followed by a practice prompt at the end so you can put what you learned to use immediately.

Timed . It's no secret writers struggle with focus. There are just too many interesting distractions—Facebook, email, Kim Kardashian's Instagram feed (just kidding about that last one, sort of)—and writing is just too hard sometimes.

Setting a timer, even for just fifteen minutes, is an easy and effective way to stay focused on what's important.

This is why in our writing practice prompt at the end of each post we have a time limit, usually with a link to an online tool egg timer , so you can focus on deliberate practice without getting distracted.

Feedback . Getting feedback is one of the requirements to deliberately practice writing or any other craft. Feedback can look like listening to the reactions of your readers or asking for constructive criticism from editors and other writers.

This is why we ask you to post your writing practice after each lesson, so that you can get feedback from other writers in The Write Practice community. It's also why we set up The Write Practice Pro community , to provide critique groups for writers to get feedback on each finished piece of writing.

Our 100+ Best Creative Writing Practice Exercises and Lessons

Now that you know how we practice writing at The Write Practice, here are our best writing practice lessons to jumpstart your writing skills with some daily writing exercises, for beginner writers to even the most expert writers:

All-Time, Top 10 Writing Lessons and Exercises

These ten posts are our most viewed articles to boost your writing practice:

1. What is Plot? The 6 Elements of Plot and How to Use Them . Great stories use similar elements in wildly different ways to build page-turning stories. Click here to read what they are and learn how to start using them !

2. Top 100 Short Story Ideas . Here are over a hundred writing prompts in a variety of genres. If you need ideas for your next story, check this out!

3. How To Use Neither, Nor, Or, and Nor Correctly . Even good writers struggle figuring out when to use neither/nor and either/or. In this post, our copy-queen Liz Bureman settles the confusion once and for all. Click to continue to the writing exercise

4. Ten Secrets To Write Better Stories . How does Pixar manage to create such great stories, year after year? And how do you write a good story? In this post, I distill everything I've learned about how to write a good story into ten tips. Click to continue to the writing exercise

5. 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust . To get to know my characters better, I use a list of questions known as the Proust Questionnaire, made famous by French author, Marcel Proust. Click to continue to the writing exercise

6. How a Scene List Can Change Your Novel-Writing Life . Creating a scene list changed my novel-writing life, and doing the same will change yours too. Includes examples of the scene lists from famous authors. Click to continue to the writing exercise

7. Why You Need to be Using the Oxford Comma . Most people I've met have no idea what the Oxford comma is, but it's probably something that you have used frequently in your writing. Click to continue to the writing exercise

8. Six Surprising Ways to Write Better Interview Questions.  The interview is the most-used tool in a journalist's bag. But that doesn't mean novelists, bloggers, and even students can't and don't interview people. Here's how to conduct a great interview. Click to continue to the writing exercise

9. Why You Should Try Writing in Second Person . You've probably used first person and third person point-of-view already. But what about second person? This post explains three reasons why you should try writing from this point-of-view. Click to continue to the writing exercise

10. The Secret to Show, Don't Tell . You've heard the classic writing rule, “Show. Don't Tell.” Every writing blog ever has talked about it, and for good reason. Showing, for some reason, is really difficult. Click to continue to the writing exercise.

12 Exercises and Lessons To Become a Better Writer

How do you become a better writer? These posts share our best advice:

• Want to Be a Better Writer? Cut These 7 Words
• What I Mean When I Say I Am A Writer
• How to Become a Writer: 3 Simple Steps
• 72% of Writers Struggle With THIS
• 7 Lies About Becoming a Writer That You Probably Believe
• 10 Questions to Find Your Unique Writing Voice
• The Best Writing Book I’ve Ever Read
• The Best Way to Become a Better Writer
• The Creative Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Tools You Can’t Write Without
• Should You Write More or Write Better: Quantity vs Quality
• How to Become a Better Writer in One, Simple Step
• 11 Writing Tips That Will Change Your Life

6 Lessons and Exercises from Great Writers

If you want to be a writer, learn from the great writers who have gone before you:

• 23 Essential Quotes from Ernest Hemingway About Writing
• 29 Quotes that Explain How to Become a Better Writer
• 10 Lessons Dr. Seuss Can Teach Writers
• 10 Writing Tips from Ursula Le Guin
• Once Upon a Time: Pixar Prompt
• All the Pretty Words: Writing In the Style of Cormac McCarthy

12 Genre and Format Specific Writing Lessons and Exercises

Here are our best writing lessons for specific types of writing, including essays, screenplays, memoir, short stories, children's books, and humor writing:

• Writing an Essay? Here Are 10 Effective Tips
• How To Write a Screenplay: The 5 Step Process
• How to Write a Great Memoir: a Complete Guide
• How to Write a Short Story from Start to Finish
• How to Write a Thriller Novel
• How to Write a Children's Book
• How to Write a Love Story
• How to Write a Coming of Age Story or Book
• How to Write an Adventure Book
• 5 Key Elements for Successful Short Stories
• 4 Tips to Write a Novel That Will Be Adapted Into a Movie
• Humor Writing for People Who Aren’t Funny

14 Characterization Lessons and Exercises

Good characters are the foundation of good fiction. Here are our best lessons to create better characters:

• Character Development: How to Create Characters Audiences Will Love
• Writing Villains: 9 Evil Examples of the Villain Archetype
• How NOT to Introduce a New Character
• The Strongest Form of Characterization
• The Most Important Character Archetype
• How Do You Build A Strong Character In Your Writing?
• 75+ Antihero Examples and How to Use Them
• How to Explore Your Characters’ Motivations
• 8 Tips for Naming Characters
• The Protagonist: How to Center Your Story
• Heroes vs. Anti-Heroes: Which Is Right For Your Story?
• The Weakest Form of Characterization
• How to Write With an Accent
• How To Create a Character Sketch Using Scrivener

15 Grammar Lessons and Exercises

I talk to so many writers, some of whom are published authors, who struggle with grammar. Here are our best writing lessons on grammar:

• Is It Okay To End A Sentence With A Preposition?
• Contractions List: When To Use and When To Avoid
• Good vs. Well
• Connotation vs. Denotation
• Per Se vs. Per Say
• When You SHOULD Use Passive Voice
• When Do You Use “Quotation Marks”
• Polysyndeton and Asyndeton: Definition and Examples
• The Case Against Twilight
• Affect Versus Effect
• Stop Saying “Literally”
• What Is a Comma Splice? And Why Do Editors Hate Them?
• Intra vs. Inter: Why No One Plays Intermural Sports
• Alright and Alot: Words That Are Not Words
• The Poor, Misunderstood Semicolon

5 Journalism Lessons and Exercises

Want to be a journalist? Or even use techniques from journalism to improve your novel, essay, or screenplay? Here are our best writing lessons on journalism:

• Six Ways to Ask Better Questions In Interviews
• How to Conduct an Author Interview
• Interview In Person or Via Email?  
• What If They Don’t Want to Talk to You?
• Eleven Habits of a Highly Effective Interviewers

16 Plot and Structure Lessons and Exercises

Want to write a good story? Our top plot and structure lessons will help:

• The Nine Types of Story and How to Master Them
• Points of a Story: 6 Plot Points Every Story Needs
• How to Shape a Story: The 6 Arcs
• 7 Keys To Write the Perfect First Line of a Novel
• The Secret to Creating Conflict
• 4 Tips to Avoid Having Your Short Story Rejected by a Literary Magazine
• 7 Steps to Creating Suspense
• 5 Elements of Storytelling
• 3 Important Rules for Writing Endings
• A Writer’s Cheatsheet to Plot and Structure
• Overcoming the Monster
• How to Satisfy Your Reader With a Great Ending
• Pow! Boom! Ka-Pow! 5 Tips to Write Fight Scenes
• The Dramatic Question and Suspense in Fiction
• How to Write a Memorable Beginning and Ending
• How to Write the Perfect First Page

6 Lessons and Exercises to Beat Writer's Block

Writer's block is real, and it can completely derail your writing. Here are six lessons to get writing again:

• How To Write Whether You Feel Like it Or Not
• This Fun Creative Writing Exercise Will Change Your Life
• When You Should Be Writing But Can't…
• What to do When Your Word Count is Too Low
• 7 Tricks to Write More with Less Willpower
• When You Don’t Know What to Write, Write About Your Insecurities

7 Literary Technique Lessons and Exercises

These writing and storytelling techniques will teach you a few tricks of the trade you may not have discovered before:

• 3 Tips to “Show, Don’t Tell” Emotions and Moods
• 3 Reasons to Write Stream of Consciousness Narrative
• 16 Observations About Real Dialogue
• Intertextuality As A Literary Device
• Why You Should Use Symbolism In Your Writing
• 6 Ways to Evoke Emotion in Poetry and Prose
• 3 Tips To Write Modern Allegorical Novels
• Symbol vs. Motif: What’s the Difference

3 Inspirational Writing Lessons and Exercises

Need some inspiration? Here are three of our most inspiring posts:

• Why We Write: Four Reasons
• You Must Remember Every Scar
• 17 Reasons to Write Something NOW

3 Publishing Blogging Lessons and Exercises

If you want to get published, these three lessons will help:

• The Secret to Writing On Your Blog Every Day
• How to Publish Your Book and Sell Your First 1,000 Copies
• How to Submit a Short Story for Publication

11 Writing Prompts

Need inspiration or just a kick in the pants to write. Try one of our top writing prompts :

• Grandfathers [writing prompt]
• Out of Place [writing prompt]
• Sleepless [writing prompt]
• Longing [writing prompt]
• Write About Yourself [writing prompt]
• 3 Reasons You Should Write Ghost Stories
• Road Trip [writing prompt]
• Morning [writing prompt]
• The Beach [writing prompt]
• Fall Writing Prompts
• How to Use Six-Word Stories As Writing Prompts

Is It Time To Begin Your Writing Practice?

It's clear that if you want to become a writer, you need to practice writing. We've created a proven process to practice your writing at The Write Practice, but even if you don't join our community, I hope you'll start practicing in some way today.

Personally, I waited  far  too long to start practicing and it set my writing back years.

How about you? Do you think practicing writing is important?  Let me know in the comments section .

Choose one of the writing practice posts above. Then, read the lesson and participate in the writing exercise, posting your work in the Pro Practice Workshop . And if you post, please give feedback to your fellow writers who also posted their practices.

Have fun and happy practicing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

Work with Joe Bunting?

WSJ Bestselling author, founder of The Write Practice, and book coach with 14+ years experience. Joe Bunting specializes in working with Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, How To, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Nonfiction, Science Fiction, and Self Help books. Sound like a good fit for you?

50 Comments

You have THE BEST content for writing on this blog!!

Thank you, Kristen. This made my morning. 🙂

Thanks Mitch. 🙂

I can’t remember when I started following this website. I have to look in my notebooks because that’s where I did these practices. I didn’t have access to a computer when I did them, so I wrote them out, setting the time limit. But even when I do get to a computer, I have my reservations about putting my practices on the page. even though it’s practice, I want them to be the best, almost perfect. But I know it won’t be. I’ve gotten feedback before that says so. It still gets to me that I didn’t put something together that not everyone liked. I need to get over it. After all, that is what these practices are about: to learn and improve on our craft.

I don’t know either, George, but it’s been several years. Perfectionism is something so many of us face, and it’s made worse when you don’t have a critique community as warm and encouraging as ours is. I hope you and everyone here are always willing to try something new, even if it comes out a little messed up, because you know we’ll support you and try to make you better.

What a great share! Thanks so much!

You’re so welcome, Elizabeth. Thank you for commenting.

when I ran writing classes I wrote. when I am “a member of writing classes” the teacher/leader/facilitator is NOT MY AUDIENCE and so I don’t write as well/as much. I don’t get the feedback I need from fellow students because most of them have never run their own writing projects/workshops. So many people expect you to write their story for them. I’ve actually got quite a few stories of me own. I have finally decided I like owning them. 😉

It sounds like you need a new critique group, Patience! Hope you can find a place where you get the feedback you need.

Wow! Terrific round-up of resources. 🙂

Thanks Stephanie. 🙂

Practice is necessary, period. It doesn’t matter what you want to learn. If you want to improve, practice is vital.

It’s odd. I’ve known and applied that principle for years on a variety of things. Painting. Drawing. Blogging. Gardening. Laundry.

But never writing.

Like you, I had the notion that just writing every day was all it took to improve. Why not the same level of dedication to writing?

Perhaps it’s time to change that!

I can relate, Carrie. It’s easy to confuse the craft of writing with journaling, thinking that you can just write whatever you feel like and you’ll get better, write something worth reading. The truth is that writing interesting things to read is a skill, but the good news is that you can get better at it with practice. Thanks for practicing with us! 🙂

I love these suggestions , and have set Writing Practice as my homepage so the first 15 minutes of my day is spent writing, whether its a practice or exercise here or another that is sprinkled through out this site, Thank you for all you do everyone here at The Write Practice

This is great Debra. I want to write the first 15 minutes of my day too!

I agree with Joe, Do it. Could be your to do list… ( that could lead to something else story wse later)

I love that, Debra. Such a good way to start your day.

Thanks Joe!

The best! Thank you so much for this.

You’re very welcome!

I simply LOVE all the tips and suggestions given on this blog. They are super helpful!

THANK you. We love sharing them with you. 🙂

Hi! You forgot the link to How to Write a Story a Week: A Day-by-Day Guide.

Thanks a lot for your work! This post is amazing.

It’s a great post Thiago. Definitely one of our most shared. Thanks for mentioning it! BTW here’s the link:

https://thewritepractice.com/a-story-a-week/

Wow!! There are so many exercises…. I just love it..! I am gonna really enjoy it..!

Awesome! Thank you for reading and practicing with us. 🙂

I only read halfway , My tootie is jumping all over me, and typing this is a struggle when a 3yr old wants his Toy Story movie on Youtube in this computer. Thank you for this article, will come back later to finish reading.

I know the feeling! Good luck!

Can’t wait to get stuck in with this! 🙂

Very helpful! Thank you!

I’ve just bookmarked this page. Thanks for this wonderful list.

This is awesome! So many helpful tips. I will be coming back to this often. Thanks for posting this!

Wow, so many goodies! Thank you for always providing such amazing content!!

I have enjoyed all these articles. Thank you for the help an inspiration to get my writing on its way. My creativity is boosting with confidence. Tootle loo.

Amazing contents for beginners like me Joe. I am highly inspired by your commitment. Thank you.

Hey, thanks!

Although I have only read half of thisc article, the practice exercises are excellent. Some of them are exactly what a beginning writer like myself needs. I am committing to at least try ALL of them. Thanks Joe!!

very helpful! thank you..

Amazing articles! Thanks so much for sharing!

My god this article made me love this site . You know it’s kinda hard for a beginner writer, who don’t know where to start and fixing goals, even samll ones give us a direction . A place to go , an aim for our creativity so thanks you , this community and this site. Love you all . At your pens ! 😉

Wow. This is great. I find all your posts informative, but this one is the best for me to use as a guide to get my self starting to write….Thank you.

I’m an old lady who wants to publish one more book before I die — have published several, all non-fiction, and done two under contract to a major publisher (reference books). So help me, the BIGGEST problem I have all along, is keeping track of the damned paper work and research that goes into a book!!! Yet I never ever see articles on something as simple as “How to file” — Oh I know, there’s wonderful software these days so probably I will never find a way to get paper organized — everybody will use software and do it on the computer. I’m too old for that — just one look at the learning curve for software, even putting the damned stuff into computer files is even MORE frustrating than paper!! Oh well, somehow I managed in the past to get books published, I may be able to do it one more time.

you enjoy writing more than anything else and you do indeed care to help others write. I love writing but translation from Arabic into English and English into Arabic is taking all of my time from the early hours of the morning till the evening. I will soon get all of your books in order to read them as soon as possible. One thing I am sure of. You know what you are doing very well. Hamzah

Excellent! Many useful tips. Many thanks!

Liz and Joe, I have only looked at a few exercises. Already, I am convinced that your site is one of the best sites out there. Thank your for sharing your wisdom.

Wow, these are the best lessons and exercises for writing. Actually i’m participating in a compitition this wendsday. so, i’m quite nervous and exited. this helped me a lot

Magnificent post ever I have read. This article will help me a lot to write a right way. Thank you.

i need your help to improve to become a better writer please. i think i usually commit moist of these errors and i don;t pay attention to many advices too.

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[2024] 180 Free Online Writing Courses to Improve Your Skills

From grammar to creative writing to technical writing, these free online courses will help you hone your writing skills.

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Quick note:All of the featured courses in this article are either entirely free or free-to-audit. If you want to explore paid courses to help you become a better writer, simply type your topic of interest into the search field or browse our Humanities subjects .

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Conjunctions, Connectives, and Adverb Clauses University of California, Irvine via Coursera In this course, you will learn about a lot of different ways to join ideas to make more complex and interesting sentences.

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Perfect Tenses and Modals University of California, Irvine via Coursera In this course, you will learn about important intermediate verb tenses, including present perfect, present perfect progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive. You will also learn about common modal verbs used in English. ★★★★★ ( 6 ratings )

Tricky English Grammar University of California, Irvine via Coursera While it’s easy for non-native speakers to get overwhelmed by confusing grammar rules, in this course, we’ll provide you with tips that will help you understand the rules more easily and give you lots of practice with the tricky grammar of everyday English. ★★★★☆ ( 2 ratings )

Noun Clauses and Conditionals University of California, Irvine via Coursera In this class, you will learn about the advanced grammar concepts of noun clauses and conditionals.

Just Reading and Writing English 1 Tsinghua University via Coursera Do you want to communicate with English speakers fluently? The course consists of 6 units with different topics: feelings, staying healthy, learning, university, cultural differences, and cities. From this course, you will have a good knowledge of primary English reading and writing skills in your daily life.

Just Reading and Writing English 2 Tsinghua University via Coursera Do you want to read and write better in English? The course consists of 6 units with different topics: education, manners, personal communication, purpose of living, cultural studies, life science. From this course, you will have a good knowledge of intermediate English reading and writing skills.

Just Reading and Writing in English | 生活英语读写 Tsinghua University via edX Learn how to read and write in English in the context of lectures and academic texts. 以读促写，以写辅读！掌握正确的阅读技巧和写作技巧，让你实现一次英语读写的飞跃！ ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order University of Michigan via Coursera This course will teach you how to use your written words to become more persuasive. ★★★★★ ( 2 ratings )

Writing and Editing: Drafting University of Michigan via Coursera This third course in the “Good with Words: Writing and Editing” series will give you a number of strategies to help with what is often the most intimidating, even paralyzing part of the writing process: getting started.

Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization University of Michigan via Coursera This second course in the Good with Words: Writing and Editing series will help you become an effective architect of information, both with your sentences and with your paragraphs. You’ll learn that the traditional advice to “Show, don’t tell” is incomplete and that skilled writers actually switch back and forth between showing and telling.

Writing and Editing: Revising University of Michigan via Coursera This fourth and final course in the “Good with Words: Writing and Editing” series will help you master perhaps the most important step in the writing process: revising. You’ll learn about the difference between editing and proofreading.

Effective Writing Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee via Swayam The purpose of this writing course is to familiarise students with the nuances of effective writing so that they can better understand the subtle art of writing. It allows them to write with clarity, precision, and subtlety to express their ideas on various occasions while considering the concepts of appropriateness and accuracy. ★★★★★ ( 2 ratings )

English Grammar and Style University of Queensland via edX Learn key concepts and strategies in grammar and style to help enhance your writing and confidently respond to the demand of high levels of literacy in the 21st century. ★★★★☆ ( 32 ratings )

Enhance your Writing with Adverb Clauses University of California, Irvine via Coursera In the first part of the course, you’ll learn some basic information about adverb clauses. Then, we’ll dive into the categories of ideas that adverb clauses express, and you’ll practice using subordinating conjunctions–the many grammar words that start adverb clauses.

Enhance your Writing with Adjective Clauses University of California, Irvine via Coursera Do you have a hard time describing things, people, and places in English? This course will show you how to be more descriptive in your writing by incorporating adjective clauses in complex sentences.

Enhance your Writing with Noun Clauses University of California, Irvine via Coursera This course is designed to hold your hand step-by-step through the most basic concepts of noun clauses all the way to the end goal of writing a paragraph with varied noun clauses.

A Beginner’s Guide to Writing in English for University Study University of Reading via FutureLearn Learn how to use English for study at university or college and develop your writing skills, vocabulary and grammar. ★★★★☆ ( 23 ratings )

Common English Grammar Mistakes and How to Fix Them–Sampler via Udemy Master Your Grammar Errors, Master Commonly Confused Words and Phrases, and Achieve Success and Credibility as a Writer

English Grammar and Speaking Course: Essential Verb Tenses! via Udemy Practice using Essential Verb Tenses in Conversation!

English Foundation Course 2023: Grammar and Speaking Upgrade via Udemy Become fluent by improving all your English Skills. Build a strong English foundation in grammar, speaking, and more!

English Grammar via Udemy Learn the English grammar you need to understand and use English today!

Basic English Grammar Course in Hindi via Udemy Level 1 for beginners

Grammar via Independent Grammar is the collection of rules and conventions that make languages go. This section is about Standard American English, but there’s something here for everyone.

Grammar matters The Open University via OpenLearn Grammar matters because, combined with vocabulary choice, it is our main way of making meaning. This free course introduces you to one approach used to understand how meanings relate systematically…

Vocabulary, Phrases, Idioms, Grammar via YouTube ★★★★★ ( 2 ratings )

Free Essay Writing Courses

Getting Started with Essay Writing University of California, Irvine via Coursera By introducing you to three types of academic essays, this course will especially help prepare you for work in college classes, but anyone who wants to improve his or her writing skills can benefit from this course. ★★★★☆ ( 18 ratings )

How to Write an Essay University of California, Berkeley via edX An introduction to academic writing for English Language Learners, focusing on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. ★★★★☆ ( 28 ratings )

Advanced Writing University of California, Irvine via Coursera After completing this course, you will be able to plan and write a more sophisticated argument essay. ★★★★☆ ( 7 ratings )

Writing a Personal Essay Wesleyan University via Coursera This class is the chance to create your personal essay or extend into a full memoir — from planning and structure to bold narrative brushstrokes to the layering of significant detail.

Memoir and Personal Essay: Managing Your Relationship with the Reader Wesleyan University via Coursera The blank page can be the most daunting obstacle in writing. In this course, aspiring writers will assemble a “starter kit” for approaching the blank page by developing constructive ways to think about the writing process as a whole. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Writing your World: Finding yourself in the academic space University of Cape Town via Coursera In this course, we provide practical insights into how to write an academic essay. We show you how to develop the academic skills needed to be a competent academic writer. ★★★★★ ( 3 ratings )

Developing Your Research Project University of Southampton via FutureLearn Undertaking an Extended Project Qualification, IB extended essay or any other scholarly research? This guides you step-by-step. ★★★★☆ ( 6 ratings )

Writing Skills for University Success University of California, Irvine via Coursera In this course, you’ll learn how to write effectively in different academic formats, especially essays and longer research papers. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Essay Writing Course via YouTube

Essay Writing via YouTube

Introduction to Research for Essay Writing University of California, Irvine via Coursera This is the last course in the Academic Writing specialization before the capstone project. By the end of this course, you will be able to complete all the steps in planning a research paper. ★★★★★ ( 7 ratings )

Essay and report writing skills The Open University via OpenLearn Writing reports and assignments can be a daunting prospect. Learn how to interpret questions and how to plan, structure and write your assignment or report. This free course, Essay and report …

The PTE 85+ Academic Essay Writing Course via Udemy Mastering the Writing Exam

Free Journalism Courses

English for Journalism University of Pennsylvania via Coursera This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in developing the skills needed for a career in modern journalism. ★★★★☆ ( 15 ratings )

Digital Culture and Writing University of Burgundy via EMMA Born from the desire to support a wide public facing the emergence of digital technology, the team of teachers from the university of Burgundy (uB), accompanied by colleagues from other universities, offers its MOOC DCW (Digital culture and Writing) publish and share on the web.” It provides an overview of the potentialities of digital writing and culture, for publish, share and communicate.

English for Journalists, Part 1 University of California, Berkeley via edX Improve your English grammar, vocabulary and writing skills through exciting topics in journalism and world news.

Writing and Disseminating Grey Literature Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) via Coursera If you are a researcher, academic, student, development sector professional or a practitioner who is keen to reach the research-based knowledge you have created to a wider audience, this course is for you. Using formats such as data stories, photo narratives, opinion pieces and infographics, digital, print, and multimedia channels can help researchers reach a much wider audience when they adopt newer writing techniques.

What is news? Michigan State University via Coursera This course will guide you through the basic elements of professional journalism and the news values and ethics of covering real-world issues and events. The overview and examples of the types of news coverage helps introduce the different types of journalism, such as social media, multimedia, print, visual and broadcast, and how professional journalists effectively use each format. ★★★★★ ( 3 ratings )

Effectively delivering the news to your audience Michigan State University via Coursera You will learn the process, planning, requirements of how journalists develop their news reports. There are many ways to report news reports, and you will learn different forms of how to perform reporting and writing to serve different audiences.

Journalism 101 via YouTube This series covers topics such as Newswriting, finding story ideas, interviewing sources and quoting sources, leading a lead and organising news stories, covering breaking news and ethics in journalism. ★★★★★ ( 3 ratings )

English for Journalism via YouTube

Journalism, the future, and you! Michigan State University via Coursera You will explore areas such as being an international correspondent, self-publishing in journalism, as well as how to freelance in the field. ★★★★★ ( 2 ratings )

Investigative Journalism for the Digital Age Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas via Independent We are now making the content free and available to students who took the course and anyone else who’s interested in investigative reporting and data journalism basics, including experienced investigators who seek to deepen their skills on complex investigations, collaborations and data journalism. ★★★★☆ ( 4 ratings )

Equity & ethics in data journalism: Hands-on approaches to getting your data right Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas via Independent During this four-week course, you will learn about tools and techniques that will help you tell data stories fairly and ethically. Specifically, this course will guide you hands-on through the process of learning to identify inequity and hidden bias at seven key stages of the data journalism lifecycle. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Data Journalism and Visualization with Free Tools Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas via Independent This resource page features course content from the Knight Center for Journalism in the America’s massive open online course (MOOC) titled “Data Journalism and Visualization with Free Tools.”. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Journalism in a pandemic: Covering COVID-19 now and in the future Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas via Independent Produced in collaboration with the W.H.O., UNESCO and UNDP, this course helps journalists to improve their coverage of the pandemic. It’s also offered in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Introduction to Journalism and Reporting University of Kent via FutureLearn Explore what makes good journalism as you learn about its origins and where news reporting stands today.

English for Journalists, Part 2 University of California, Berkeley via edX Improve your English grammar, vocabulary and writing skills through topics in journalism including free speech, sports, humor and broadcast writing.

Teaching Writing Process Johns Hopkins University via Coursera Half a century ago, a revolution took place in the teaching of writing. Educators asked, “What if we were to study how professional writers wrote, as a way to learn how we might teach writing more effectively?”

Free Creative Writing Courses

Start Writing Fiction The Open University via FutureLearn Get started with your own fiction writing, focusing on the central skill of creating characters, with this hands-on course. ★★★★☆ ( 21 ratings )

Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest Commonwealth Education Trust via Coursera This course is for curious students and aspiring authors with a passion for writing for young readers. This course will guide you with a combination of video lectures, online readings, peer reviews, and guest appearances from world-renowned children’s authors. ★★★★☆ ( 13 ratings )

Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot Wesleyan University via Coursera In this course aspiring writers will be introduced to perhaps the most elemental and often the most challenging element of story: plot. We will learn what keeps it moving, how it manipulates our feelings, expectations, and desires. We will learn how to outline and structure a plot, discuss narrative arc, pacing and reversals and reveal the inevitable surprise: connecting the beginning, middle and end. ★★★★☆ ( 15 ratings )

Creative Writing: The Craft of Style Wesleyan University via Coursera Your style is as unique and distinctive as your face, your voice, except that you can choose it, you can can work on it, enhance it. In this course we will introduce aspiring writers to the art of putting pressure on written language. We will study the use of metaphor and imagery, and demonstrate how clarity, grace, and inventiveness in word choice are imperative to a story’s success. ★★★★☆ ( 8 ratings )

Script Writing: Write a Pilot Episode for a TV or Web Series (Project-Centered Course) Michigan State University via Coursera In this project-centered course, you will design a series bible and write a complete pilot episode for your own unique television or web series, be it drama or comedy or something in between. You’ll learn to break down the creative process into components, and you’ll discover a structured process that allows you to produce a polished and pitch-ready script in just a few weeks. ★★★★☆ ( 3 ratings )

Transmedia Writing Michigan State University via Coursera In this project-centered course you will develop your own, original, intellectual property (IP) into a transmedia project containing written versions of your IP on various platforms. You will begin your novel, adapt the first chapters of your novel into the opening scenes of a film or TV show and create a game design concept of your IP.

Writing in First Person Point of View Wesleyan University via Coursera If you have always wanted to tell your own story—in a memoir, first-person essay, or any other form of autobiographical non-fiction—but felt you lacked the tools or the framework, this is the class for you.

Creative Writing: The Craft of Setting and Description Wesleyan University via Coursera In this course aspiring writers will be introduced to the techniques that masters of fiction use to ground a story in a concrete world. From the most realist settings to the most fantastical, writers will learn how to describe the physical world in sharp, sensory detail. ★★★★☆ ( 12 ratings )

Writing Stories About Ourselves Wesleyan University via Coursera In this course, creative nonfiction writers will explore traditional storytelling methods, especially those which overlap between fiction and memoir.

Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop California Institute of the Arts via Coursera Why just write poems when you can write better ones? This course is built on the notion that the most exciting writing begins after the first draft. ★★★★☆ ( 19 ratings )

Writing successfully for the Stage University of Cambridge via edX Learn to structure your dramatic writing to a professional standard, as well as develop professionally transferable communication skills. This course will broaden your understanding of how to write engaging and interesting stories in order to attract producers and directors to your work. You will understand how to write effective dialogue, and how to edit your work.

Stand Up!; Comedy Writing and Performance Poetry University of Cambridge via edX Prepare to perform your comic writing and/or poetry to a live audience, as well as develop transferable writing skills and communication expertise that will be relevant in any profession. This course will broaden your understanding how to structure a stand-up comedy set, as well as allow you to understand how to use narrative form in your performance poetry texts.

Finding your voice as a playwright University of Cambridge via edX Learn to deepen your creative practice as a playwright, as well as develop professionally transferable writing skills and communication expertise. This course will broaden your understanding of how to start a career successfully as a professional dramatist, as well as offer you insights in how to maximise and enjoy the processes of your personal creativity.

Write Your First Novel Michigan State University via Coursera Write your first novel.

Creative Writing Brigham Young University via YouTube I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers. Learn about plot, wordbuilding, short stories, character, and publishing. ★★★★★ ( 6 ratings )

Video Game Writing Essentials The University of British Columbia via edX Learn the essentials of writing for video games, from how games are developed and what game writers do, to the ways game stories differ from other kinds of stories.

Writing Video Game Characters The University of British Columbia via edX Learn how to make effective, memorable video game characters, from protagonists and antagonists to NPCs.

Writing Video Game Scenes and Dialogue The University of British Columbia via edX Learn the fundamentals of writing cinematics, cutscenes, and in-game dialogue.

Working as a Game Writer The University of British Columbia via edX Learn what it takes to work as a video game writer: from resumes to writing tests to contracts and NDAs.

Interactive Narrative The University of British Columbia via edX Learn how to use player choice and interactivity to create compelling game experiences

Building your Screenplay University of Cambridge via edX Learn to strengthen you skills as a screenwriter, while diversifying your knowledge and understanding of the demands of global film and TV production. Find out how to become a powerful visual story-teller; understand how to build effective structure within your screenplay; develop professionally transferable writing skills and communication expertise.

How to Write Your First Song The University of Sheffield via FutureLearn Get a practical introduction to the mechanics of songwriting and meet established songwriters with this free online course ★★★★★ ( 166 ratings )

Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics Berklee College of Music via Coursera There’s a songwriter lurking somewhere inside you, peeking around corners, wondering if it’s safe to come out. Now it is. This course is an invitation to let your inner songwriter step into the sunlight. All it takes is a simple “yes” and you’ll be climbing that windy hill, marveling at the view. ★★★★★ ( 24 ratings )

Creative Writing: The Craft of Character Wesleyan University via Coursera At the center of a good story are the characters in it. In this course aspiring writers will discover how to build and bring to life complex, vivid and unforgettable characters. ★★★★☆ ( 7 ratings )

Creative writing and critical reading The Open University via OpenLearn This free course, Creative writing and critical reading, explores the importance of reading as part of a creative writer’s development at the postgraduate level. You will gain inspiration and ideas…

Creative Writing – Writer’s Block Workbook Volume 1 Month 1 via Udemy Five weeks’ worth of beginnings to create 100+ new pieces with tips to help your writing ongoing. Plus bonus content.

Creative Writing – Writer’s Block Workbook Volume 2 Month 1 via Udemy Five weeks’ worth of keywords to create 100+ new pieces with tips to help your writing ongoing. Plus bonus content.

Start writing fiction: characters and stories The Open University via OpenLearn Start writing fiction is a free course that helps you to get started with your own fiction writing, focusing on the central skill of creating characters. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Playing with Poetry: Creative Writing and Poetics University of Newcastle via FutureLearn Have fun writing poetry as you explore and create various forms of poetry and experiment with different poetic ideas.

Start writing fiction The Open University via OpenLearn Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This free course, Start writing fiction, will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and settings. … ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Free Copywriting Courses

Copywriting: Improve User Experience One Word at a Time via openSAP In this course, you’ll learn why copy is so important for your users’ experience and how copywriting fits into the design-led development process. Domain experts provide insights and best practices, and by participating in the exercises, you’ll get practical experience in writing copy. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Copywriting Foundations: Sell Using Your Words In 2020 via Udemy How To Listen To Your Target Market & Focus Your Message To Make Your Copywriting 10x As Effective

155 Years of Copywriting Insights Taught In 1.5 Hour Course! via Udemy “This is the most refreshing, clear, straight forward and useful course on copywriting you could wish for.” – Eva ★★★★★ ( 5 ratings )

Copywriting Secrets via YouTube Get tips on how to start your career as a copywriter, write better emails and increase your income as a copywriter ★★★★★ ( 14 ratings )

Learn Copywriting via YouTube

The Science of Copywriting via YouTube ★★★★☆ ( 3 ratings )

Copywriting for Beginners and Pros With Exercises via YouTube Copywriting is the practice of composing persuading texts. Copywriting is used to sell products, ideas, ideologies, etc. Copywriting is an important component on web pages, in blog posts, advertisements, social media posts, videos, and podcasts. This video series is the first one in the free online copywriting course Professional Copywriting Made Easy. ★★★★☆ ( 42 ratings )

Copywriting Course via YouTube This playlist covers everything you need to know to start a freelance copywriting business in 2021. ★★★★☆ ( 6 ratings )

Copywriting 101 – Training Sessions for Freelance Writers via YouTube ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Copywriting Persuasion Challenge via YouTube ★★★★★ ( 11 ratings )

Copywriting para Iniciantes via Udemy Descubra o que é Copy, como funciona, para que serve e de que forma utilizar para aumentar suas vendas com persuasão

Free Academic Writing Courses

Writing in English at University Lund University via Coursera This course aims to give you an understanding of the conventions of academic writing in English and to teach you the components and benefits of what is called process writing.

Discovering Your PhD Potential: Writing a Research Proposal via FutureLearn Learn how to research and write a high-quality research proposal for postgraduate applications.

An Intermediate Guide to Writing in English for University Study University of Reading via FutureLearn Improve your academic English skills further, learning about critical analysis, using sources, avoiding plagiarism and more. ★★★★☆ ( 1 rating )

Project: Writing a Research Paper University of California, Irvine via Coursera Welcome to the capstone project for the Academic English: Writing Specialization! This project lets you apply everything you’ve learned and gives you the practice you need for college classes by having you write a research paper.

College Composition Modern States via Independent This course will prepare you to pass the College Board’s CLEP College Composition exam

Writing in the Disciplines Professional Development Course (HE) Excelsior College via Canvas Network This course on Writing in the Disciplines offers a modular curriculum that explores the meaning of genre, why and how to develop genre-based writing assignments, and effective techniques for using writing to enhance learning.

Academic Writing in English for ESL Learners University College London via FutureLearn Develop your academic writing skills in English as a second language (ESL) learner and advance your English writing at university.

论文写作初阶（Academic Writing and Research） Peking University via Coursera 本课面向有志于学术研究和具有论文写作需求的高年级本科生和研究生同学，适合人文社会科学、特别是法学专业的学生学习，也欢迎理工科学生选修。教学内容主要集中于学术研究的基本方法与一般理念，既包括学术论文的提问、选题、谋篇、布局和实际写作，也包括学术资源特别是综合性与专业性数据库的检索和使用。

La recherche documentaire École Polytechnique via Coursera Ce cours vise principalement à permettre aux étudiants d’identifier les sources pertinentes dans un domaine donné, leur apprendre à construire un état de l’art et à évaluer les sources, en particulier celles en accès libre sur Internet.

Academic English: How to Write an Essay University of Queensland via edX A practical and introductory course to build your skills in academic writing. ★★★★★ ( 2 ratings )

College Foundations for English Composition University System of Georgia via Desire2Learn English Learning Support Course is an English preparatory course focusing on the skills required for effective writing in a variety of contexts, with emphasis on exposition, analysis, and argumentation, and also including introductory use of a variety of research skills.

English Composition I Duke University via Coursera You will gain a foundation for college-level writing valuable for nearly any field.

Academic Writing Made Easy Technische Universität München (Technical University of Munich) via edX Struggling with writing an academic text? This MOOC will ease the pain – and make your writing shine. ★★★★★ ( 48 ratings )

Academic Writing H.N.B Garhwal University (A Central University) Srinagar Garhwal via Swayam This course aims to fill this gap by providing the fundamental knowledge required for effective and result oriented academic writing. It is a foundation course and the application of this knowledge completely depends on an individual learner and his or her area of research. ★★★★★ ( 1707 ratings )

Academic Writing University of Adelaide via edX The academic writing course targets individuals transitioning from non-academic backgrounds, catering to school leavers and professionals re-entering higher education.

Introduction to Academic Writing O.P. Jindal Global University via Coursera Welcome to the Introduction to Academic Writing course! By the end of this course, you will gain an in-depth understanding of reading and writing as essential skills to conduct robust and critical research.

Teaching Writing Final Project Johns Hopkins University via Coursera One of the goals of the Teaching Writing specialization has been to help every learner consider ways to adapt what they are learning and apply it to their specific situation, needs and interests.

Free Business Writing Courses

High-Impact Business Writing University of California, Irvine via Coursera Effective writing is a powerful tool in the business environment. Learn how to articulate your thoughts in a clear and concise manner that will allow your ideas to be better understood by your readers. ★★★☆☆ ( 8 ratings )

Writing Professional Email and Memos (Project-Centered Course) University System of Georgia via Coursera Want your workplace writing to make a positive impression? At the end of this course, you will be a more confident writer, able to create higher quality professional documents more quickly. ★★★★☆ ( 12 ratings )

Better Business Writing in English Georgia Institute of Technology via Coursera Do you need to write more easily and effectively in English? This course will provide the tools to help you do just that.

English for Effective Business Writing The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via Coursera This course aims to improve your Business English writing skills by developing your use of vocabulary, grammar, understanding of different business writing genres, and your ability to write professional business documents. ★★★★☆ ( 1 rating )

Business Writing University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera This course will teach you how to apply the top ten principles of good business writing to your work, how to deploy simple tools to dramatically improve your writing, and how to execute organization, structure, and revision to communicate more masterfully than ever. ★★★★☆ ( 5 ratings )

Write Professional Emails in English Georgia Institute of Technology via Coursera This is a course to help you write effective business emails in English. ★★★★☆ ( 5 ratings )

Business Writing Techniques Doane University via edX Business Writing Techniques, will expand on the different communication styles and discuss the best practices of business writing by providing real-world scenarios and applications.

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking Harvard University via edX Gain critical communication skills in writing and public speaking with this introduction to American political rhetoric. ★★★★★ ( 5 ratings )

English for Doing Business in Asia – Writing The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via edX Introducing strategies for developing your written English communication skills in the context of doing business in Asia.

Redacción de documentos empresariales de gran impacto University of California, Irvine via Coursera En el ambiente empresarial, el saber escribir con eficacia es una poderosa herramienta. Aprende a expresar tus pensamientos de una manera clara y concisa para que las personas que lean lo que escribes capten mejor tus ideas. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

(Business Writing) الكتابة في مجال الأعمال University of Colorado Boulder via Coursera لا شك أن إتقان الكتابة من أهم المهارات التي يمكنك تعلمها بُغية تحقيق النجاح في مجال الأعمال. وقد استخدمت أكثر من سبعين شركة وعشرين ألف طالب – من الكتاب المحترفين والموظفين الجدد والمتحدثين باللغة الإنجليزية لغير الناطقين بها وحتى المديرين المتمرسين – الأساليب المستخدمة في الكتابة في مجال الأعمال لتعزيز قدرتهم على التواصل وإطلاق أفكارهم. ستعلمك هذه الدورة التدريبية كيفية تطبيق المبادئ العشرة الأفضل للكتابة الجيدة في مجال الأعمال على عملك وكيفية نشر أدوات بسيطة لتحسين كتابتك بشكل كبير وكيفية تنفيذ التنظيم والبنية والمراجعة للتواصل بشكل أكثر براعة من أي وقت مضى.

English for Business and Entrepreneurship University of Pennsylvania via Coursera This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in learning more about the global business economy. ★★★★★ ( 7 ratings )

Using Email for Networking in English University of Washington via edX Improve your writing skills. Write effective emails including great subject lines, greetings, and closings. You’ll be more confident as you communicate for business, send messages, expand your network, and search for jobs in English. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Smart English Basics for Professionals – Spoken English – Communication Skills Great Learning via YouTube Great Learning brings you this video on “Smart English Basics For Professionals”. This course will help you improve your business communication in a professional environment.

Learn Business English Great Learning via YouTube

Academic and Business Writing University of California, Berkeley via edX An introduction to academic and business writing for English Language Learners, focusing on grammar, vocabulary, structure, editing, and publication. ★★★★☆ ( 18 ratings )

Writing for Business Advanced University of Glasgow via Coursera This course will teach you how to apply advanced principles and strategies to produce successful business writing.

Free Technical Writing Courses

Writing in the Sciences Stanford University via Coursera This course teaches scientists to become more effective writers, using practical examples and exercises. Topics include: principles of good writing, tricks for writing faster and with less anxiety, the format of a scientific manuscript, peer review, grant writing, ethical issues in scientific publication, and writing for general audiences. ★★★★★ ( 14 ratings )

Discovering Science: Science Writing University of Leeds via FutureLearn What science discoveries will you choose to write about? ★★★★☆ ( 28 ratings )

How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper (Project-Centered Course) École Polytechnique via Coursera In this project-based course, you will outline a complete scientific paper, choose an appropriate journal to which you’ll submit the finished paper for publication, and prepare a checklist that will allow you to independently judge whether your paper is ready to submit. ★★★★★ ( 5 ratings )

Writing Skills for Engineering Leaders Rice University via Coursera In this course, you’ll learn essential writing skills that you can apply in your daily activities on the job as an engineering leader.

Writing, Presenting and Submitting Scientific Papers in English | 英文科技论文写作与学术报告 Tsinghua University via edX Learn how to properly write a scientific paper, based on international standards, and effectively make a presentation to submit proposals for funding. 表达与交流是拔尖创新科技人才最重要的综合能力。培养英文科技论文写作与学术报告的能力，帮助你打开世界科坛大门，与国际同行平等交流。 ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Requirements Writing University of New South Wales via Coursera Welcome to “Requirements Writing”. As the title indicates, over the next four weeks, we will be looking at the important task of writing of text-based requirement statements.

Technical Report Writing for Engineers The University of Sheffield via FutureLearn Get an introduction to technical report writing. Find out how to communicate your ideas through well-written engineering reports. ★★★★★ ( 177 ratings )

English Language for Competitive Exams Indian Institute of Technology Madras via Swayam The course aims to help participants develop their English language skills, particularly those planning to appear for competitive exams that test their English language abilities.

Writing Case Studies: Science of Delivery Princeton University via edX Learn how to write “science of delivery” case studies, which help us understand how practitioners implement complex policies or programs.

The Language of Leaders: Learn to Write with Confidence State Bank of India via edX Enhance your leadership role through powerful writing skills.

NIeCer 103: Scientific Writing in Health Research AICTE via Swayam Communicating research findings to the scientific community is the responsibility of every researcher. Our course will explain the fundamental concepts in drafting a scientific manuscript to effectively communicate research findings.

Writing READMEs via Udacity Documentation is an important part of the development process. Learn to write READMEs using Markdown so your code can be used by other humans! ★★★☆☆ ( 2 ratings )

ENGL210: Technical Writing via Saylor Academy

Technical Writing: A Quick Start to Software Documentation via Udemy A quick and direct overview of the end-to-end processes for writing software documentation

Free Résumé Writing Courses

Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters University of Maryland, College Park via Coursera How can you bring your resume to the top of the pile? You will learn how to convert a boring resume into a dynamic asset statement that conveys your talents in the language that an employer understands. ★★★★☆ ( 6 ratings )

How to Succeed at: Writing Applications The University of Sheffield via FutureLearn This free three week course will help you produce a perfect CV, application and online profile when applying for a job or course. ★★★★★ ( 440 ratings )

How to Write a Resume (Project-Centered Course) State University of New York via Coursera In this project-centered course, you will craft an essential cornerstone of the modern-day job or internship search: the resume. When you complete the course, you’ll have an eye-catching resume that lets your professional strengths shine. ★★★★☆ ( 15 ratings )

Refresh Your Resume Grow with Google via Udacity Create a targeted resume that gets the attention of recruiters and lands you an interview in tech. ★★★★☆ ( 1 rating )

Craft Your Cover Letter via Udacity Write a compelling narrative that showcases your value to the company. ★★★★☆ ( 2 ratings )

How to Write a Winning Resume – Top Resume Writing Tips via YouTube In this series of videos, you’ll learn how to write a resume that will get you noticed. You’ll learn some of my top resume writing secrets! You’ll also discover where to find a sample resume template and example that you can download today and tailor to apply for your next dream job. Enjoy! ★★★★★ ( 2 ratings )

How to Write a Resume – Animated via YouTube

PRDV102: Resume Writing via Saylor Academy ★★★★★ ( 3 ratings )

Comprehensive guide for resume writing via Udemy Resume writing and template creation for all QA professionals. Learn some cool resume writing tricks to maximize calls

How to Make a Good Resume – Resume for Jobs Great Learning via YouTube Great Learning brings you this video on “How to Build a Good Resume’ where the video starts off by discussing the importance of a CV, followed by discussing six essential steps of writing your resume. ★★★★☆ ( 1 rating )

Free Screenwriting/Script Writing Courses

Write A Feature Length Screenplay For Film Or Television Michigan State University via Coursera Write a Full Length Feature Film Script.

The Fundamentals of Screenwriting via YouTube ★★★★★ ( 3 ratings )

An Introduction to Screenwriting University of East Anglia via FutureLearn This online course explores the key concepts and fundamental principles involved in the process of screenwriting. ★★★★★ ( 6 ratings )

Screenwriting Masterclass for Beginners via YouTube

Screenwriting via YouTube

Screenwriting Tips via YouTube

The Screenwriting Life via YouTube

Free Grant Writing Courses

Grant Writing and Crowdfunding for Public Libraries University of Michigan via edX Learn how to increase your impact, innovate, and overcome often static funding through various fundraising and grant writing approaches.

Grant Writing Texas Instruments via YouTube ★★★★☆ ( 4 ratings )

Grant Writing for Beginners via YouTube Grant Writing For Beginners playlist provides you with insight to help you write winning grant proposals that get funded! These videos help you to learn grant writing quickly. ★★★★☆ ( 4 ratings )

Grant Writing for Nonprofits via YouTube We’ve included some videos on various Grant tips like Walmart Community 1 HR Grants, Grants in a Box and Grant Templates. Other helpful topics revolve around Program Officers, Letters of Inquiry (LOI), Unsolicited Proposals and various other Grant processes. ★★★★★ ( 1 rating )

Amazing People Share Nonprofit & Grant Writing Advice via YouTube

Comments 40

Sabihe Tavakoli 11/2/2014 at 11:26pm

I would like to write children books and I am interested in taking a course to help me with that.

Kiki 4/29/2019 at 10:07pm

Have you ever found any learning resources for that? I would also love to improve my children-book writing skills.

Looking forward to your reply!

Venu 11/12/2019 at 10:18pm

I really enjoyed this course. https://www.coursera.org/learn/writing-for-children

Purushottam Tamang 12/8/2014 at 10:20pm

I would like to improve my English writing skills that helps me for report writing and I am very interested in taking report writing course. please help me with that.

Augustine Kastherody 6/27/2015 at 1:44am

I enrolled already and want to do my master of Science in Infection Prevention and Control through online and I am interested in taking a course to assist me in managing my study.

P. Davis, Sr 5/21/2021 at 8:17am

I am a retired senior citizen [85 years] who enjoys writing. I have a Bachelors’s Degree and plan to enroll in a graduate humanities course that requires heavy writing. My plan is to refresh my writing skills and I am searching for an online [graduate level] academic writing refresher course. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. My e-mail address is [email protected] .

roV83 1/22/2015 at 8:55am

I am interested in non-fiction writing and want to learn the basics

J Sheen 5/27/2016 at 8:08pm

Have you found a creative nonfiction course online by chance you’d want to recommend?

mir shaukat ali 2/9/2015 at 2:43pm

Dear sir, I am engineer , i job iptv company but my writing English knowledge is very poor ,please tell me how to improve writing skill such as email writing, mag writing etc, please any body help me

Fatima Camelo 11/26/2018 at 12:39pm

My name is Fátima and I’m also an engineer but my friend you should read more and more because this way you’re going to write beter and will develop your english.

SH 4/27/2015 at 12:07am

This is a great collection. Thank you very much Mr Dhawal.

Nathanel TEGAYOMBI 4/28/2015 at 12:48pm

Dear sir,I appreciate your programs which help a big number of people from different corners of the world.So as a student of school of journalism,I would like to improve my English in terms of writing skills,and I wish you to help me become a future storyteller.Thanks

Yours faithfully

Cathy Johns 6/10/2015 at 5:32am

Am very intrested in this.

kakar 8/6/2015 at 3:32am

sir we have a lot of problem in English understanding as well as in writing so sir tell us the perfect way that help in all skill of english.

Arvind Ramanujam 8/9/2015 at 11:56pm

Thanks for the info.

Jaylee M Wayne 9/26/2015 at 8:49am

I would like to write a novel and I am also interested in taking coures

Alexiaga 9/28/2015 at 2:07pm

Whatever kind of English you want to write, mastering essential English grammar is essential. Here is a good site wher you can check out the main topics of English grammar, including points not always dealt with in grammars, such as style and sentence-structure. http://linguapress.com/grammar/

jaspreet singh 11/3/2015 at 9:51am

The one which i need to recommend is http://www.pariswritersretreat.com/online-courses.html this is not free but this can help you to enhance your skills

berna gurning 5/30/2016 at 8:41pm

Dear Disqus, i am interested in writing essays so i can write excellent journals, articles, and assignments as well

Mark Sandel 7/8/2016 at 4:43am

Thanks that an awesome course list. I was looking for “how to write better” courses for a long time until finding this one. The list looks reasonable and much longer than I have expected. However, I still have doubts, is it possible to learn how to write better, just interacting with a tutor online (and this is the best option) or watching the video? Well right now, I am pretty concerned with the quality of my writing and readers experience. Starting from the winter, I started to user style checkers http://www.paragraphchecker.com/ . They are a bit unusual for me but undoubtedly helpful.

kilopko 8/27/2016 at 5:12am

Free online courses are the best as well as sometimes it’s very much worthy way out to learn something innovative as well as profession in proper manner. in order to make the move precise as well as professional each stated way out is the key factors to do well in writing the essay part in proper manner so that anyone could get the possible approaches in precise manner.

Alexis 1/12/2017 at 6:22pm

If you’re looking how to make money online as a freelance writer, I highly recommend http:/ecareers.online. It’s a free e-course that teaches you how to get started as a freelance writer online. So far, it’s been amazing and membership is free!

Elisheva Reynolds 2/21/2017 at 7:52pm

I would like to write fantasy/romance/adventure type fiction novels…I would like to be an author, one whose books I would even read.

Damien Clarke 3/1/2017 at 9:12am

I am currently working on developing my writing skills, so as to tackle the various hot topics in my niche, which is technology. Can anyone advise if there are good topics, which work on this specifically ?

Susie Bell 4/30/2017 at 6:39am

I am writing stories for young people and adults. I have a learning difficulty so I can’t do any courses. I am a new writer who is an unsolicited writer, can’t find a literary agent. Susie Bell.

ellaalex 5/10/2017 at 1:30am

Article Snipper Online tool is a one-click article rewriter that requires no signup or registration if you want to use the free version. All you need to do is enter human readable text and you will get human readable text out. check our free article spinner tool: http://www.articlespinneronline.com

Wan Smith 1/7/2018 at 11:00pm

Surely one would be suggested with these online courses to develop a clear sense of writing and develop great story telling vibes in one self. if you lack the major ideas than you should take online classes as above mentioned that these classes provides well information and intense thinking skills.

homework doer 4/2/2018 at 5:05am

Firstly you have to know some basic tips for writer. They are pretty simple but forget about the. Reread on the next day. Many errors don`t come up right away. Re-reading the text immediately after writing will help cross out a couple of errors, but it’s best to do it after a while, ideally – the next day. So you can come up with a fresh mind to check your creativity, and I assure you that you will want to correct and remake a lot.

In the book “”American Psycho”” extensive descriptions of how the main character shaves, applies gel on the body and dresses in a suit from Brioni and shoes from Prada are an artistic feature. You’d better get rid of excess water. Don`t write as much as possible. Short sentences is only what is really needed. There is too much information on the Internet, and nobody will read meaningless paragraphs of the text. To write interesting, you should have interesting life. I came to this conclusion after spending five days at home, not going anywhere and doing nothing. I had no idea in my head, and there was no question of writing anything. You have to try something new, to leave the comfort zone, because without it you will be the same as everyone else. And you don`t want to, do you? Write every day

At least something. Don`t tell yourself that you have no ideas. They are always:

What you dreamed about today. What interesting things did you learn today / yesterday / this week. What would you do if you got a million dollars (you can even dream about a billion). Why this day was good. How could one live this day better. What would you like to change in today’s day. Why do you have no inspiration and what needs to be done to make it appear. What is useful you have done. What would you teach a stranger. Why do we need an appendix

Kathy Bretz 4/12/2018 at 10:13pm

I would like to learn technical writing, can I do this without a certificate or degree? thanks.

Author Thison Schultz 4/29/2018 at 7:12pm

I can’t afford a writing class, is this free? I want to follow my passion to become a writer. I need your advice how to write a novel. I really want to do this. I love to read mystery novels. I can’t do anything else, Except to become a writer. I can’t succeed if I don’t take this writing course. This is my only chance to become a writer. If don’t I will fail of my future. I can’t take this anymore. I really want to become a great writer. I don’t have the money to do it.

Isla 12/12/2018 at 3:03pm

i love to write and i wanna be a writer too

TB 1/10/2019 at 2:39pm

@ Dhawal Shah

I just wanted to point out that not all of these courses are actually free. For example the two UBCx How to Write courses are $295 each with no option, that I could find, to audit or even to take a limited version.

https://www.classcentral.com/course/edx-how-to-write-a-novel-edit-revise-10018 https://www.classcentral.com/course/edx-how-to-write-a-novel-writing-the-draft-3938

I’m sure there are others from this list as well, particular those on EdX as they (EdX) have been moving away from offering their courses for free.

mamta prasad 2/12/2019 at 11:20pm

great resources keep it up! ! !

Nihal Singh 3/22/2019 at 5:20am

Nice Article, Your article helps to improve the writing skills for all the thesis writers and the students and the online courses are helped to gain knowledge from home itself. Thanks for sharing.

Corpely.com 8/21/2019 at 3:51am

Learning how to write a good essay with a powerful introduction, clear arguments and well-crafted conclusion is a great way to build a foundation of writing skills. This 8-week course starts with the basics of grammar and sentence construction and quickly advances to thesis development and essay writing with tools for creating outlines and editing your work. Dr. Maggie Sokolik of the College Writing Programs at the University of California, Berkeley guides students through this excellent introductory writing course in which participants can get a great deal of practice writing and interact with other students from around the world. Links to optional online textbooks are provided.

David Walker 5/10/2020 at 3:28pm

I’m looking for a writing course that teaches you how to hand write smoothly and legibly. To have flow in writing , that looks elegant on the sheet of paper. Were all the letters are easily read by anyone. The art of writing.

DSW David Walker

David Walker 5/14/2020 at 2:22pm

Do you have a penmanship course?

Andrew Ralphs 7/12/2023 at 5:00pm

FutureLearn is NOT FREE – I hate the way these types of sites either deliberately mislead or do not get their facts right !!!

BRIAN LOPEZ 5/7/2024 at 2:42pm

This feels a bit outdated and the ratings are awkward so I have no idea how efficient some of these are. Having Technical Writing/Business writing in your pocket is not a bad thing! I forgot the other one…

Danielle Wright 6/29/2024 at 7:03pm

This was advertised that it is for free. But it is not

Leave a reply

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August 10, 2020

Seven Facts About the Online Master’s in Journalism Program at NYU

The spread of the coronavirus has meant that universities around the country have been forced to embrace online classes. But, as The New York Times noted , “good online education is easier said than done.” You can’t take a course that was designed for the classroom and simply move it online. Online classes require advance planning, the design and creation of engaging course materials, and the proper infrastructure.

As its name indicates, the Online Master’s in Journalism Program at NYU was designed to be online. It’s in our DNA. What’s more, it embraces the concept of a professional program. We aren’t academics. We’re journalists. And the program was created by professional journalists to train the next generation of professional journalists.

It’s why we use the same platforms that most media companies use. Like virtually every other college we rely on Zoom for live classes, but we also use Slack for discussions and WordPress for publishing. We exchange documents through Google Drive. We license Adobe Premiere for video and audio editing. That way, when our students graduate with their master’s, they are ready to hit the ground running at any media outlet.

Here are seven facts about the program you should know about.

Every Course Is Taught By A Working Professional Journalist

The professors at NYU’s AJO Master’s Program are journalism insiders and leaders. New Yorker writer Eliza Griswold , who last year won the Pulitzer Prize for her book, “Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America,” teaches Feature Writing. So does Julia Dahl , a former crime and justice reporter for CBSNews.com, as well a critically acclaimed novelist. Award-winning CNN investigative reporter Melanie Hicken handles our Investigative Reporting course, and our multimedia instructors have been on staff at NBC News, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. I teach the Journalism Law & Ethics course and have published seven books and published my work in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wired, the Economist, Forbes, and elsewhere.

Because our instructors can live anywhere in the world, we can tap an enviably deep pool of talent.

Small Classes

Our philosophy is that in education smaller is better. We are the opposite of a massive open online course (MOOC). Writing classes are capped at 13 students. Multimedia classes enroll a maximum of nine. Small classes mean that students receive individual attention, intense line-by-line feedback on all of their assignments, and ample face-to-face time with their professors.

Customized to Suit Each Student’s Career Goals

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Students learn by doing – whether it’s recording a podcast or writing an investigative feature or – and we consider it our job to help each student achieve their individual dreams through intense feedback and practical advice.

If a student is interested in broadcast news, she can weight class assignments accordingly and we provide additional technical support. If the goal is to become a freelance magazine writer, we help with detailed line edits and pitching protocol. Want to become a better investigator? We have librarians whose entire job is to help journalism students dig deep in databases and parts of the internet most people don’t even know about.

We encourage students to pursue the kind of journalism they want, whether it is hard news, audio storytelling (podcasts), opinion writing, long-form narrative or anything else. We then help them adjust the courses and curriculum to fit their needs. Not the other way around.

Course Materials Written and Produced by Professional Journalists

We don’t assign textbooks. Instead we have commissioned top professionals to create interactive course materials. An award-winning photojournalist explains how to be a photojournalist in a war zone. A veteran business reporter shows students how to read a balance sheet to find hidden gems. Another explains how a beat reporter can develop and foster a source network to help stay one step ahead of the competition. Other original materials teach students how to protect the identity of confidential sources, how to detect fake news, how to fact check, how to cover an event, while others delve into journalism law and ethics, grammar, punctuation, and dozens of other topics.

We pair each student with a professional journalist mentor who works in an area of interest to the student. Mentors offer career advice. They offer support and show students the ropes. They answer questions and put students in contact with potential sources and even prospective employers. Currently, students in the program have connected with mentors from Wired Magazine, Forbes, NBC News, Reuters, and from many other media companies.

Equal in Rigor and Workload to NYU’s Traditional Journalism Programs

The Online Master’s in Journalism Program is not for the faint of heart. It is a fully accredited master’s program equal in rigor and workload to the other master’s in journalism programs at NYU. Our goal is to train the journalism stars of tomorrow. Every student has to earn their master’s. And your degree will be no different from the degree a student receives if they are enrolled in the on-campus graduate program.

Flexible to Suit Each Student’s Life, Work and Needs

We offer full- and part-time options. Students working full-time might take one or two courses a semester. Others able to devote themselves to the program closer to 40 hours a week take three courses a semester. It’s entirely up to you.

Full-time students can graduate with their Master’s in as little as nine months. Students taking two courses a semester can earn the same degree in 16 months. If you need more time, you can take up to five years.

Interested in learning more? Visit our website .

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Free tools to make your students better writers and readers .

Quill.org, a non-profit, provides free literacy activities that build reading comprehension, writing, and language skills for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Writing Across the Curriculum: Quill's nonprofit mission is to now build both reading and writing skills through free, OER content across the curriculum. Over the coming years, we will be building a library of free ELA, social studies, and science activities that engage students in deeper thinking through writing prompts that provide immediate feedback.

9 million students have written 2 billion sentences on Quill.

Quill Reading for Evidence

Provide your students with nonfiction texts paired with AI-powered writing prompts, instead of multiple-choice questions, to enable deeper thinking.

Students read a nonfiction text and build their comprehension through writing prompts, supporting a series of claims with evidence sourced from the text. Quill challenges students to write responses that are precise, logical, and based on textual evidence, with Quill coaching the student through custom, targeted feedback on each revision so that students strengthen their reading comprehension and hone their writing skills.

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Help your students advance from fragmented and run-on sentences to complex and well structured ones.

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The Quill Lessons tool enables teachers to lead whole-class and small-group writing instruction.

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Quill Grammar has over 150 sentence writing activities to help your students. Our activities are designed to be completed in 10 minutes so you have the freedom to use them in the way that works best for your classroom.

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Gain practical industry knowledge through real-world case studies and examples, and get first-hand tips and advice on producing engaging journalism from the biggest names in the business.

Set Yourself Apart

Earn a Certificate of Completion in Modern Journalism from NYU journalism school to add to your LinkedIn profile and resume to help you stand out from the rest.

The M odern Journalism course consists of six online modules and related skill-building activities. Each module is 3-5 hours, broken into shorter lessons that students complete at their own pace. Upon finishing the course, students earn a non-credit certificate of completion from NYU journalism school.

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Exercises, Assignments, and More

The activities below explore key principles and practices of community-centered journalism. they’re all designed to foster a spirit of playful experimentation in students— from this will emerge new and better ways of empowering communities through journalism..

These exercises and assignments can be used with any level of journalism student. Educators should feel free to tweak the specifics of the assignment while making use of the playful structure upon which they are built.

Resource Type

These exercises can be used with any level of journalism student. Educators should feel free to tweak the specifics of the assignment while making use of the playful structure upon which they are built.

Fairy Tale Ledes

Theme: journalism basics, type: exercises, interviewing 102: the transcript, layouts and wireframes, theme: design, jacob’s ladder ledes, mind-mapping and storyboarding, theme: general, mapping and observing, theme: general, design, empower the audience, theme: community news, meet the audience, the elevator pitch, theme: general, journalism basics, story development: look, listen, map, interviewing 101: the vox pop, style guide, style hunt, interviewing 101: the sit-down, what is news, questions to ask + habits to build, theme: systems thinking, uncover assumptions + beliefs driving the system, uncover patterns in your story, map your story as a system, identify key stakeholders + information needs, visualize the systems in your reporting, create a guiding vision for your reporting, journalism ethics, newspapers and community, developing community agreements, theme: general, community news, what’s at stake and how to address it, develop a north star, community engagement, theme: community news, systems thinking, surfacing underlying patterns in a system, longreads analysis, stakeholder mapping, capture, cluster, connect, activity cards, type: cards.

Below is a sampling of syllabi used in actual undergraduate Journalism + Design courses at The New School since the program began in Fall 2014. Some of these courses have been taught many times by multiple instructors, who continue to iterate as they teach them again. Others were one-time experiments. Whatever the case, each syllabus reflects events that were current at the time as well as the perspective and passions of the instructor. The syllabi also reflect access to New York’s rich professional communities of journalists and designers.

Designing Digital Communities

Theme: experimental, community news, type: syllabi, news, narrative & design i, visualizing data, theme: design, data, podcasting & audio narratives, theme: multimedia, expanding your audience: designing for accessibility, news, narrative & design ii, engagement journalism, reporting for visuals, interaction design for news apps, designing news games, theme: systems thinking, design, journalism design toolkit, theme: code, general, design for journalists, data journalism bootcamp, theme: data, news, narrative & design iii, facts/alternative facts, theme: general, experimental, race & ethnicity in journalism, feature writing for the 21st century, theme: experimental, product design strategy for news organizations, web fundamentals, theme: code, evaluation rubrics.

These evaluation tools can help assess student understanding of design processes and how they are applied to journalism practice. Use them at the end of a project as a tool for assessment or reflection.

Journalism + Design Process Rubric

Type: evaluation rubrics, questions or feedback.

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Online Journalism Courses & Programs

Explore and compare a list of accredited schools to enroll in your next program.

Discover online courses that teach cutting-edge journalism skills

Thanks to the emergence of digital media over the past two decades, traditional journalism—the journalism of radio, newspapers, and television—is moving to the online world to stay relevant. Now the average person can be a citizen journalist as long as they have a smartphone and some news. This guide can help anyone find the courses they need, from the traditionally-trained professional staying on the forefront of new technology to the amateur building a sturdy foundation in interview techniques.

What Types of Online Journalism Classes Are Available?

Online courses can give individuals with any kind of journalism experience the opportunity to learn about a new subject like business journalism, a different medium such as podcasts, and new techniques needed to be a successful freelancer or land a steady job in the industry. Someone interested in trying out sports journalism might be best suited for a short informational course, whereas a professional music journalist looking at new opportunities in the job market may want a more formal course. Whether you are looking to explore the field of journalism for the first time or seeking to bolster your portfolio and attract higher-caliber clients, the table below will help you decide what course type is right for you.

Certificate

Description, what takes this type of course, informational, who takes this type of course, 10 best online journalism courses for student and professionals.

Through online journalism courses, enrollees can learn the ins and outs of social justice journalism, sharpen their video editing skills or brush up on their grammar. Look below for some of today’s top online journalism courses and find classes for beginners, professionals, and writers of all skill levels.

Journalism for Social Change

• Offered by:  UC BerkeleyX
• Price:  Free, optional verified certificate for $49
• Length:  Self-paced
• Format:  Video lectures, submitted assignments, discussion boards
• Eligible for college credit? No

This lecture-style course teaches students to propose solutions to social issues through journalism. The course also studies the ethics of journalism by highlighting media coverage of vulnerable children. This course would best serve introductory-level students and those passionate about current social activism.

English for Journalism

• Offered by: University of Pennsylvania
• Length:  Five units, self-paced
• Format:  Video lectures, downloadable readings

English for Journalism is intended to help non-native English speakers develop their media literacy and reporting skills. Students learn the fundamentals of journalism, including the basics of interviewing. This class is most beneficial to non-native English speakers and those who want to improve their English skills.

Journalism Masterclass: The Ultimate Guide to News Writing

• Offered by:  Udemy.com
• Price:  $25
• Length:  26+ hours of video lectures, self-paced
• Format:  Video lectures

This course intends to teach students the fundamental mechanics of journalism and to provide them with methods they can use to get their work published in major magazines and newspapers. Students looking to break into mainstream media will benefit most from this journalism masterclass.

Mobile Journalism: 100+ Tips to Shoot and Edit Videos

• Offered by: Udemy.com
• Price:  $40
• Length:  7.5+ hours of video lectures, self-paced
• Format:  video lectures
• Eligible for college credit?: No

Students enrolled in this course learn how to create and broadcast video using apps and smartphones with emphasis on using videos on social media. Those interested in creating visual media will learn the most from this class, along with students interested in modern online and independent journalism.

Video Journalism Storytelling Technique

• Offered by: Lynda.com
• Price: subscription-based website; $19.99/month basic or $29.99/month premium access
• Length:  2 hours

Through this course, students learn how to produce videos from the inception of the idea to the final edits, with specific emphasis on how to collaborate with clients. This course is best suited for journalists—professional and amateur alike—looking to improve their video editing and storyboarding skills.

Journalism: How to Write a Killer Magazine Article Pitch

• Offered by: SkillShare.com
• Price:  Subscription-based website, $9.95/month or $96/year
• Length:  45 minutes, self-paced

Students learn how to pitch stories to magazine editors and write engaging article proposals; the emphasis is not on writing articles but rather getting them published. Journalists with a solid background in writing who are looking to find publication opportunities for their work will find this course most beneficial.

Law of Mass Communication (COMM403)

• Offered by:  Pennsylvania State University World Campus
• Price:  $1,600 (2016 tuition rates)
• Length:  16 weeks
• Format:  Textbook readings, exams, submitted work
• Eligible for college credit?: Yes

With special emphasis on the First Amendment, this course studies the legal protections and responsibilities of journalists as well as the difference between the laws and the ethics of journalism. This course will best serve those seeking careers in professional journalism who need to know their rights.

Gender, Diversity, and the Media (COMM205)

• Format:  PDF downloads, films, quizzes, submitted work

Enrollees study diversity in media and its implications for larger society with class, sexual, gender, and ethnic differences as the primary focuses. Although this course is intended for anyone interested in media, students who are passionate about the inclusion of diverse social groups in media will learn the most.

Cultural Codes in Communication (COM484)

• Offered by:  University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education
• Price:  $1,880
• Length:  10 weeks, self-paced
• Format:  PDF downloads, videos

Students learn different communications styles and methods with a focus on the variety of American subcultures. This course emphasizes face-to-face communication, so it will be most useful for students interested in conducting interviews with individuals from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds.

Sports and Media (MCO465)

• Offered by:  Arizona State University Online
• Price:  $1500
• Length:  7.5 weeks
• Format: Video lectures, quizzes, submitted assignments, downloadable readings, discussion boards

This course emphasizes the social importance of sports journalism, including material on the overall ethics and principles of journalism. Although this class is typically taken by those working towards a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and Media Studies, anyone aspiring to improve their sports journalism skills would benefit from this course.

Key Advantages to Studying Journalism Online

While in some ways the field of traditional journalism—the journalism of the radio, television, and newspapers—is shrinking, ultimately the career is becoming more accessible to the average person with the rise of social media and citizen journalism. As a result, modern journalism courses are increasingly relevant in today’s technology- and internet-driven society, so taking online courses in journalism can provide multiple advantages for those looking to improve their standing in the field.

Learn Digital Media Skills

A growing majority of today’s journalism happens on the internet and taking classes online will help students prepare for that. Many of these courses are geared towards teaching the current trends in the field, such as visual storytelling and writing for digital platforms like blogs and online magazines.

Improve Social Media Know-How

Many online journalism courses cover an emerging medium that traditional classes haven’t fully caught up with: social media. With apps and websites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and others acting as hubs for the creation and dissemination of news, it is essential that modern journalists know how to use these tools to their advantage.

Build Your Journalism Portfolio

Online courses often end with a capstone project that can be used as an example of your work. A strong portfolio is essential for freelance journalists and can help land the right job. Many online journalism courses also focus on getting published, which is a powerful addition to any journalist’s resume.

Stay Up-to-Date in Journalism: Must-have Apps and Podcasts

Journalists follow current trends by nature of the profession, so apps and social media have become important tools for professional and novice journalists alike. Apps are increasingly used to promote and to create news, and journalists can use them to follow breaking stories, find new writing subjects and publish their writing. Luckily, journalists stepping into the field have a wide variety of apps at their disposal.

While some journalists have chosen podcasting as their primary reporting method, anyone interested in journalism has a variety of podcasts they can benefit from. Some podcasts can help listeners explore new kinds of journalism—like music or local interest journalism—while others feature news stories and issues relevant to those working in the media. Listen to the podcasts below to find inspiration, new events, and new ideas.

National Public Radio Politics Podcast

Tamara Keith, Scott Detrow, Sam Sanders, and Domenico Montanaro among others Recent Episode to Try: Quick Take: Supreme Court Strikes Down Texas Abortion Law

National Public Radio (NPR) is a high-profile radio program producer with award-winning news journalism. The Politics Podcast blends light humor with friendly discussion to present current events. While more informal than a traditional radio broadcast, it still typically covers the same material.

Journalism.co.uk

Catalina Albeanu, Caroline Scott, Mădălina Ciobanu Recent Episode to Try: On air: Advice for women journalists working in broadcast media

is a news outlet for journalists, by journalists. The podcasts focus on issues and current events relevant to journalists as well as provide tips and stylistic ideas for reporters to use when honing their skills.

Sarah Koenig Recent Episode to Try: Season Two, Episode One: Dustwun

The first season of Serial, focusing on the death of high schooler Hae Min Lee, uncovered evidence that brought the murder conviction against Adnan Syed into question. Serial has won multiple awards, including a Peabody, so it’s an excellent example of high-quality journalism.

Brooke Gladstone, Bob Garfield Recent Episode to Try: Sad!

WNYC’s podcast On Media focuses on both current global events, with emphasis on the United States, and on how the media covers those events. This podcast provides the news while also stepping back and discussing how that news is covered.

Jakob Lewis Recent Episode to Try: The Genius Improviser

Neighbors is a high-quality local interest podcast based in Nashville, Tennessee, and centered around the idea that Nashvillians should get to know their fascinating neighbors. The host Jakob Lewis skillfully blends extensive interviews with relevant background information.

Expert Advice for Taking Online Journalism Courses

Q. There are some advantages to online schooling that most or all disciplines share, such as flexibility of scheduling. What are the advantages of taking media studies classes specifically online? How does the study of media and media literacy lend itself to an online course?

Although not all subjects lend themselves to totally online delivery, media analysis and criticism courses are especially well suited because of the opportunity online students have to review media examples (video, .pdfs, etc.), which are a major part of these courses, as many times as they wish as well as when they wish-aspects of online education that I find particularly beneficial. In a traditional classroom setting, students often miss parts of a presentation (and sometimes classroom equipment fails), and sometimes they miss an entire presentation due to absence for legitimate reasons, although there’s no way to obtain a “re-run.”

Q. Are there any media literacy skills that may be more difficult to learn in an online classroom setting? Any skills that may be easier to learn online?

That really depends on individual students’ learning processes, mind-set, and motivation—and the instructor. […] My own online courses included a variety of presentations and exercises that I hope addressed a variety of learning styles and preferences. And I believe media courses should include instructor presentation of a wide variety of media examples and interviews with outside experts as well as student submission of a significant number of critical analysis essays. In many ways, this kind of course works better via online delivery.

Q. What are some of the rewarding aspects of teaching courses about media literacy online?

Media literacy is my passion—and my “mission”! The most rewarding aspect of teaching ANY course is when students tell you that you’ve changed their lives for the better. Nothing beats that for me. Moreover, my own research convinced me that serious students appreciate the considerable benefits of online delivery of these courses. I also enjoy creating and presenting online content, so I was personally gratified that the hybridized format I’d introduced in my classroom mega-courses served as a launching pad for our totally online degree in mass communication and media studies, which enabled me to serve thousands of students around the world.

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How To Use Your College’s Online Writing Center

Updated: Jul 2, 2024, 5:41am

Key Takeaways

• Writing centers can assist students with academic writing in all subjects, as well as with professional writing such as cover letters and résumés.
• Any student can use their school’s writing center, regardless of major.
• Writing center tutors can offer improvement suggestions, but they won’t edit or proofread your writing for you.
• Writing center appointments typically last about 20 minutes to an hour and can take place in person or online.
• To get the most out of your writing center tutoring appointment, come prepared with ideas and questions and make sure your tutor understands the assignment details.

If you’re a student at a college or university that has a writing center, you have a valuable resource at your fingertips. Writing skills can benefit you throughout your life, no matter what career path you choose.

Consider visiting your school’s writing center whenever you need assistance with writing projects, from term papers to résumé updates. In this article, we’ll introduce you to everything you need to know about your school’s writing center and how it can help you become a better writer.

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What Are University Writing Centers?

University writing centers employ tutors who provide feedback on their peers’ writing. Writing centers offer generalized writing support and are not set up to provide editing or proofreading services.

Writing centers can assist with any type of writing, regardless of type and subject matter. You can visit your writing center at any point in the writing process as well. For example, you can schedule a consultation to brainstorm ideas for a writing assignment before you’ve written anything at all. You might also visit the center just before the assignment’s due date to discuss your final draft.

The most recent National Census of Writing , released in 2017, showed that 100% of participating four-year higher education institutions operated writing centers. Most writing centers offered services beyond assistance with academic papers, including help with grad school and job applications, oral and multimodal presentations, and online research.

Who Can Use the Writing Center?

Your university’s writing center is available to all students at your school, regardless of their enrollment status, their major or the type of writing task at hand. It’s a misconception that writing centers are only for aspiring writers or English majors; likewise, it’s a misconception that if English isn’t your first language, you won’t be able to seek help at a writing center.

How Do Writing Center Sessions Work?

Every writing center functions differently, but they all aim to help students become better writers.

Some schools require you to make an appointment to visit the writing center. Others accept drop-ins. Harvard’s writing center, for example, offers both: You can schedule an appointment if you don’t want to run the risk of having to wait for a writing tutor, or you can simply drop by at your convenience. Sessions can run from 20 minutes to an hour.

Are Writing Centers Available Online?

Many writing centers offer online services. Using Harvard as an example again, writing center clients can complete their consultations over Zoom. The Indiana University of Pennsylvania even offers asynchronous online tutoring, which does not involve a live consultation with a tutor. Instead, the tutor and client work on the same document online.

What to Expect From Your Writing Center Session

Before we discuss what to expect from your school’s writing center, we’ll outline what you won’t experience there. A university writing center isn’t a place of punishment for poor writers. It also isn’t a drop-off editing service or a place where tutors will write your papers for you.

Writing centers offer clients free assistance with their writing assignments with a broader goal of helping students build strong, lasting writing skills.

Below, we’ll discuss a few tips for maximizing the success of your visit to your school’s writing center.

Ask Lots of Questions

Whether you’ve drafted your entire paper, you only have a rough outline or you aren’t sure what you want to write at all, come prepared with questions for your tutor and some issues you want to tackle. If you’re working on a particular assignment, make sure to give your tutor a sense of the assignment’s instructions so they can properly advise you.

Collaborate With Your Peer Tutor

A writing center session is a collaborative process that inspires you to come up with new ideas and approach your writing assignments with a fresh perspective. Come prepared to work with your tutor, rather than taking a backseat while they drive the process.

Brainstorm for Writing Assignments

You might have an upcoming term paper or essay due, but you can’t figure out which angle to take. Or maybe you’ve written half of a creative writing assignment, but your plot has become unfocused. Your writing center tutor can help you brainstorm new ideas and come up with a writing plan that helps you reach the finish line.

Read Through and Discuss Your Draft

If you’ve got a draft in hand, your writing center tutor can look it over and make suggestions for improvements. Writing center tutors commonly ask clients to read their own work out loud; this helps to catch mistakes and odd phrasing. (That said, you never have to read your writing out loud if you aren’t comfortable doing so.)

Do Not Expect Your Tutor to Edit or Proofread

As previously mentioned, a writing center isn’t a university-provided editing service. While writing center tutors will certainly make suggestions and help you identify improvement areas, it’s up to you to take action and implement changes. Think about a writing center tutor like a coach: They do not play the game for you, but they can help you play the game the best you can.

Writing Center Benefits

Create a comfortable tutoring environment.

Since all writing center tutoring is peer to peer, student writers can feel more comfortable seeking help in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment. Your tutor is not an authority figure.

Coach Students Through the Writing Process

Writing centers can help with the entire writing process, from brainstorming to outline creation to polishing the final draft. This can help you save time on assignments by ensuring you’re on the right path from beginning to end.

Help Build Strong Writing Skills for the Long Term

University writing centers take a “teach-a-man-to-fish” approach with the goal of shaping clients into better writers. The skills you learn at a writing center can apply in many facets of your life even after you graduate and enter the workforce.

Online Writing Labs (OWLs) for Everyone

If your school doesn’t have a writing center or you are unable to attend tutoring sessions, check out these fantastic resources. The below online writing labs offer free writing services for anyone who needs them.

Purdue OWL®

One of the best-known online writing centers, Purdue OWL offers video- and print-based writing resources and instructional material for students everywhere. Whether you want assistance with grammar basics or you need help putting together a resume, Purdue OWL can help.

Excelsior OWL

Excelsior OWL offers a comprehensive suite of online writing topics. Information is presented in article format and is concise, easy to use and helpful. Topics covered include avoiding plagiarism, rhetorical styles and citation guides.

Writing@CSU

Colorado State University’s online writing hub allows anyone to get feedback on their writing. Writing@CSU includes a university writing center, which serves all writers; CSU Writes, which serves academic writers and professional researchers; and a host of resources for writing tips and practice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online College Writing Resources

What is a writing center in college.

A writing center is a physical—and often virtual—space where college students can receive help with writing class assignments, from brainstorming to research, composition and editing. Writing center tutors also assist learners with grad school and professional applications, presentations and more.

What are the benefits of writing centers in college?

Writing centers provide collaborative, peer-to-peer support for students who want to become better writers, researchers and communicators. Using your school’s writing center can help you improve your grammar, sentence structure, organization and understanding of your audience, which can boost your grades, help lower your stress and improve your self-confidence.

What degree has the most writing?

Degrees in the humanities and social sciences are often among the most writing-heavy. However, strong written communication skills can benefit students in all majors.

What should you major in if you want to be a writer?

Many students planning careers in writing major in subjects such as English, journalism or communications. However, it depends on what type of writing you hope to pursue. For example, an aspiring technical writer might choose a degree in the field they want to write about, such as computer science or health sciences, and learners who plan to use their writing skills in a business context might choose a marketing or public relations major.

How can you be a better writer in college?

One of the best ways to improve your writing in college is to get a fresh outside opinion. You can ask a friend for help—or better yet, use your school’s writing center to receive support from trained tutors—for free.

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Christin Perry is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets, including WeddingWire, The Knot, Parents and Verywell Family. When she's not working, Christin enjoys reading, gardening and hanging out with her husband and four young kids. She also loves to do small home improvement projects any chance she gets.

10 News Writing Exercises for Journalism Students

Test your ability to produce well written news stories on deadline

• Writing Essays
• Writing Research Papers
• English Grammar
• M.S., Journalism, Columbia University
• B.A., Journalism, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Looking for a way to hone your news writing skills ? Try these news writing exercises. Each provides a set of facts or a scenario, and it's up to you to produce a story from it. You'll have to fill in the blanks with imaginary but logical information that you compile. To get the maximum benefit, force yourself to do these on a tight deadline:

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

It's 10:30 p.m. You're on the night shift at the Centerville Gazette and hear some chatter on the police scanner about a car crash out on Highway 32, a road that runs through a rural area of town. It sounds like a big crash, so you head to the scene.

Peopleimages/Getty Images

You're on the night shift again at the Centerville Gazette. You phone the cops to see if anything's going on. Lt. Jane Ortlieb of the Centerville Police Department tells you there was a shooting tonight at the Fandango Bar & Grill on Wilson Street in the Grungeville section of the city.

Shooting Follow-Up No. 1

Hill Street Studios/Getty Images

You're back at the Centerville Gazette on the day after the shooting outside the Fandango Bar & Grill on Wilson Street in the Grungeville section of town. You phone the cops to see if they have anything new on the case. Lt. Jane Ortlieb tells you that early this morning they arrested an ex-con named Frederick Johnson, 32, in connection with the shooting.

Shooting Follow-Up No. 2

VisitBritain/Getty Images

It's the day after police arrested Frederick Johnson in connection with the shooting death of Peter Wickham outside the Fandango Bar & Grill. You call Lt. Jane Ortlieb of the Centerville Police Department. She tells you that cops are having a perp walk today to take Johnson to the Centerville District Courthouse for his arraignment. She says to be outside the courthouse at 10 a.m. sharp.

It's Tuesday morning at the Centerville Gazette. Making your usual phone checks, you get word from the fire department about a house fire early this morning. Deputy Fire Marshal Larry Johnson tells you the blaze was in a row house in the Cedar Glen section of the city.

School Board Meeting

You’re covering a 7 p.m. meeting of the Centerville School Board. The meeting is being held in the auditorium of Centerville High School. The board begins with a discussion of ongoing cleanup at McKinley Elementary School, which experienced water damage during heavy rains and flooding  two weeks ago in the city’s Parksburg section, near the Root River.

Plane Crash

Paul A. Souders/Getty Images

It’s 9:30 p.m. You're on the night shift at the Centerville Gazette. You hear some chatter on the police scanner and call the cops. Lt. Jack Feldman says he’s not sure what’s happening but he thinks a plane crashed near Centerville Airport, a small facility used mostly by private pilots flying single-engine craft. Your editor tells you to get over there as fast as you can.

RubberBall Productions/Getty Images

You're on the day shift at the Centerville Gazette. The city editor gives you some information on a teacher who has died and tells you to bang out an obit. Here's the information: Evelyn Jackson, a retired teacher, died yesterday at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home, where she had lived for the past five years. She was 79 and died of natural causes. Jackson had worked for 43 years as an English teacher at Centerville High School before retiring in her late 60s. She taught classes in composition, ​ American literature , and poetry.

Yuri_Arcurs/Getty Images

The Centerville Chamber of Commerce is holding its monthly luncheon at the Hotel Luxe. An audience of about 100, mostly local ​businessmen and women, is in attendance. The guest speaker today is Alex Weddell, CEO of Weddell Widgets, a local, family-owned manufacturing firm and one of the city’s largest employers.

Soccer Game

Photo and Co/Getty Images

You're a sportswriter for the Centerville Gazette. You’re covering a soccer game between the Centerville Community College Eagles and the Ipswich Community College Spartans. The game is for the state conference title.

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• Learn to Write News Stories
• 7 Copy-Editing Exercises for Journalism Students
• Avoid the Common Mistakes That Beginning Reporters Make
• 15 News Writing Rules for Beginning Journalism Students
• The Pros and Cons of Getting a Journalism Degree in College
• What is Hyperlocal Journalism?
• Here Is a Brief History of Print Journalism in America
• The Basics of Associated Press Style
• How to Cover Meetings as News Stories
• Why Newspapers Are Still Important
• These Are Frequently Used Journalism Terms You Need to Know
• Use Verbs and Adjectives to Brighten up Your News Stories
• Understanding Citizen Journalism
• Tips for Producing Great Trend Stories

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Course Descrpiton

Course name:online journalism by mr. engdawerk tadesse ; course code: joco2064.

This course examines the online news landscape and introduces students to the application of internet technologies into journalism practice. Students are taught of which principles of traditional journalism can and should be applied to the Web, and what makes online journalism unique. Students gain this knowledge through reading assignments, class activities, and a series of reporting, writing, and multimedia reporting assignments. Students will also learn the basics of HTML and other soft wares used to design website and Blogs, web site management and editing web copy, how to write for the web, and Ethical and legal issues in web writing.

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Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing: Foundational Skills for a Digital Age

Student resources, newswriting assignments.

Assignment 1: Storify it

Description of Assignment: Social media has forced journalists to rethink how they approach their jobs. The writing and reading now happen on both sides of the conversation, with readers and journalists often discussing issues through Twitter exchanges and Facebook posts.

There is a tool to help journalists tell compelling stories by putting social media posts into order and context. Turn what people post on social media into compelling stories. It’s called Storify.

Sign up for a free Storify account at storify.com. Then pick any event where you know people were microblogging or sharing to social media. It could be the fire department’s dramatic rescue of a cat in a tree, or it could be an outdoor music festival. Whatever--use keyword searches to identify and collect the posts and then use Storify to stitch them together with your own narrative.

Public Domain Source Material: https://storify.com/  

Assignment 2: Twitterstorm--A class assignment

Description of Assignment: Of all of the microblogging platforms, Twitter has become the dominant force for both disseminating and receiving short bits of information. Each tweet is sent to a group of followers the user has established.

Your assignment will take a few weeks to complete. The first step is creating a Twitter handle for a small group of newsgatherers, or one for the whole class. Give yourself a descriptive and accurate name, for example: Truman State News Group. Over several days, use that account to follow all of the movers and shakers in your community--the college administration, any professional journalists, or other prominent people. Chances are they will follow back.

When you finally have a healthy following of at least a few dozen, it’s time to report a story. Use a smartphone to cover a contentious city council meeting, or a football game. Share photos, short videos, and brief descriptions of what you experience. It’s OK to be somewhat informal, but write with a professional tone and steer clear of silliness or opinion. Follow the principles described in the textbook.

When you get back to class, use Storify (see above) to collect the tweets into a social media story.

Public Domain Source Material: Twitter.com  

Assignment 3: Blog it

Description of Assignment: The term “blog” is short for ‘web log.” In its purest form, a blog takes on a diary-style approach that demonstrates the writing style and mindset of the author in a way that is more personal than a traditional news article could. The most effective blogs are written in the first person, and loaded with insights into the author’s life and belief system. But an effective blogger cannot rely simply on personality. The best blogs have great reporting in them as well.

Here are four popular blogs:

• Gary Vaynerchuk’s blog about wine: https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/blog/
• Pat Flynn’s blog about online money making: https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/blog/
• The TechCrunch blog on all things tech: https://techcrunch.com
• Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician (a Syracuse University sports blog): https://www.nunesmagician.com/

What about the writing style and reporting in these blogs (or others) appeals to you?

Now take what you’ve learned from your text and work on a blog in a small group of classmates. You can either work separately or together. The blog item should be written as if it were to appear in a blog about campus life, with the audience being other students at your college or university.

Public Domain Source Material:  (See above.)

Assignment 4: IG me

Description of Assignment: Instagram is a visually-based social networking tool that gives people the space to share photos from their phones or other mobile devices. Unlike other forms of social media, Instagram is almost entirely designed for mobile use--you can’t even post to Instagram from a PC.

Instagram is a place where words take a backseat to images, but captions are still important and help provide important context for the photo.

It’s a great tool for primarily print reporters to hone their photography skills. Using the principles behind the “rule of 3”--skim ahead in your textbook--spend 30 min out of class documenting campus life, finding beautiful or hidden scenes on campus that your audience will find interesting. Don’t forget to use the principles of interviewing you’ve already learned--make sure the people in your photos are identified in your captions and try to get a great quote for every picture.

Post three images and come back to class and compare you work with that of other students’. Which images were the most appealing?

If you have enough good images to document a day in the life of your college, feel free to use Storify to collect them all--and then use Twitter to tweet out the link to your Storify story.

Public Domain Source Material:

instagram.com

twitter.com

storify.com

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Writing Curriculum

Teach Writing With The New York Times: Our 2024-25 Curriculum

Our nine writing units are based on real-world features like reviews, photo essays, narratives, podcasts and more.

By The Learning Network

Please note: Fully updated versions of each unit, as well as all supporting materials, will be published before each related contest opens for submissions.

What can the news, features, essays, interviews, photos, videos, podcasts and graphics in The New York Times teach your students about composing for a real audience? So much, we hope, that the units we detail below are just a beginning.

Our writing curriculum is a road map for teachers as well as an invitation to students. For teachers, it organizes our offerings into nine units, each of which focuses on a different genre or type of composing that your students can find not just in The Times but also in all kinds of real-world sources.

For students, these units offer confirmation that they have something valuable to say, choices about how to say it and a global audience eager to listen. Promoting student voices has always been a pillar of our site, and through the opportunities for publication woven into each unit, we want to encourage students to go beyond simply consuming media to becoming creators themselves.

Though some of the units spotlight mediums like photography or podcasting, writing is at the heart of each one. All our units begin and end with written reflection and depend on writing throughout — to plan and organize, to outline and script, to summarize and process. Increasingly, Times journalists are composing in multimedia, weaving photos, illustrations, video and audio into their written reports. We’re inviting students to do the same.

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Writing as a College Student

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Writing at the college level involves new expectations that may require new strategies. While specific genres of writing have distinct purposes, college writing helps you develop skills such as thinking critically, communicating professionally, and articulating yourself well. Although common writing expectations and strategies are listed below, always follow assignment guidelines and write with your audience in mind.

General College Writing Expectations

Writing as a college student can seem daunting, but drawing on your previous writing experience and relying on instructors and campus resources can help to ease the transition. Although writing assignments may differ, many have similar expectations to those listed below.

• Understand what the assignment is asking . Assignment guidelines can be confusing or lengthy, and reading carefully and slowly can help to make sense of them.
• Refer to assignment guidelines , rubrics, and class policies for questions about the assignment
• Learn the conventions of your discipline , including genre, audience, citation style, and AI policies. Notice the writing style used in your field, then practice using it in your assignments.
• Ask questions of instructors, writing center tutors, and librarians.
• Present clear, coherent ideas . Consider if a reader would understand what you intend to say.
• Maintain a professional tone appropriate for your audience and their needs.
• Improve writing mechanics , such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Writing mechanics can be complicated, but your skills can improve with practice.
• Read feedback on your assignments, and incorporate those suggestions into your future work.

Refining Your Writing Skills

Using effective strategies when approaching writing assignments can help you mitigate worries, strengthen writing skills, increase confidence, and improve writing efficiency.

• Start assignments early to ensure you have ample time to pace your work.
• Break projects into smaller, manageable tasks ; set reasonable and achievable goals.
• Organize your work by using consistent note-taking techniques, such as highlighting, color-coding, or annotating. Experiment with different ways to accomplish your writing assignments, and keep track of any requirements, deadlines, and rubrics.
• Join a study group to encourage accountability, collaborate with others, and receive support.
• Regulate your time and energy for writing. One part of an assignment may require more effort than another part. Allocate your energy mindfully to help make writing sessions more productive
• Set aside time for both writing and self-care . Scheduling time to work and take breaks can improve your writing capacity and save you time in the long run.
• Create an environment for your writing needs. Consider different times, locations, and comforts that work for you (e.g., morning, evening; library, bedroom; snacks, lighting).
• Approach writing assignments with a positive and confident attitude . Remember that college work is centered on continual learning, and the writing process will have ups and downs.
• Use campus resources and opportunities . Consult with peers, talk with instructors or advisors, explore library services (in-person and online), and attend university workshops.

Developing Your Writing Process

College writing assignments can be complex, and assignments can build on each other within a course. It may also involve in-depth academic research. Create and maintain a personal writing process to organize your writing, research, and personal time.

• Prewriting : Understand the assignment requirements and identify your audience and tone. Brainstorm potential topics to expand on when writing later.
• Outlining : Determine your main point for the writing assignment. Create sections with brief notes and develop your thoughts from prewriting.
• Drafting : Elaborate on your outline and form sentences or paragraphs. Write about your thoughts and arguments in detail. If needed, add sources by using quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.
• Revising : Read your draft and adjust it to clarify points and strengthen the argument.
• Editing : Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Change the format according to a style guide, example, or template.
• Writing processes are cyclical and take time . The first draft is not your final draft. Steps such as drafting and revising often occur more than once.
• Read the assignment guidelines carefully, and ask your professor about research requirements such as the number and type of sources required (e.g., primary, popular, peer-reviewed, etc.).
• Adjust your research topic to fit the requirements of the assignment. Narrow or broaden your topic by considering timeframes, locations, demographics, and contemporary issues.
• Identify your audience and adapt to their level of familiarity with your topic. Determine whether terms and concepts need to be explained. Your audience determine your tone or style.
• Identify patterns of feedback you receive from instructors, peers, or writing consultants. Use that feedback (both positive and negative) to inform your future writing.
• Avoid plagiarism by tracking and citing sources using your assigned citation style.
• Contribute to a larger academic conversation by connecting your ideas to sources through summary, analysis, and synthesis.
• Use library resources such as the physical library, online academic databases, and library research tutorials to become familiar with your field of study and help you identify relevant, credible sources to incorporate in your writing.
• Chat with a research librarian or meet with a writing center consultant for help finding, reading, and writing with sources.
• Learn how AI can facilitate or frustrate your writing and learning processes . Understand AI policies and expectations as outlined by your instructor, department, and university. AI policies and expectations may vary by instructor or program.
• Know that strengthening your digital literacy , information literacy , and academic reading skills will help you develop as a college-level writer.

As a college writer, you will continually grow and improve. College is a learning environment. Getting support from others can ease anxiety and build your confidence as a writer. If you feel overwhelmed, remember that you are in college to learn, and faculty, peers and the Writing Center are here to help.

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• SFCC Library and Creative Writing program offer free online Fall 2024 Writing Generation Series

Released: August 9, 2024

Register once at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WriGenFall2024

Series includes readings and writing generation sessions by esteemed writers Carla Crujido – September 18 reading; September 25 creative session Kasia Merrill – October 23 reading; October 30 creative session Jake Skeets – November 13 reading; November 20 creative session

Santa Fe Community College’s Library and Creative Writing program present the Fall 2024 Writing Generation Series beginning September 18. Each author will read at an introductory session. The following week the author will engage the participants in a writing exercise/creative session. Attendees can go to any of the sessions by registering just once at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WriGenFall2024 . The sessions begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and will feature these authors: Carla Crujido (September 18 reading; September 25 creative session); Kasia Merrill (October 23 reading; October 30 creative session) and Jake Skeets (November 13 reading; November 20 creative session.) Registrants will receive a Zoom link via email the morning of each event.

Valerie Nye, SFCC Library Director and associate professor Austin Eichelberger from the Creative Writing program are coordinating the series, which was launched last spring. The sessions are free and open to the public.

“We were thrilled by the positive response the series received last spring,” Nye said. “Participants were emotionally moved by the authors’ readings and inspired by the creative writing sessions. The online format allowed people to join from throughout the region, as well as other parts of the country.”

Eichelberger added, “We’re excited to offer a new line-up of diverse voices. The talented writers certainly will spur attendees to explore their own voices in writing.”

The following authors will participate:

Carla Crujido

Bio:   Carla Crujido is the author of the short story collection, “The Strange Beautiful” (Chin Music Press). Her work has appeared in Moss, Bellingham Review, Crazyhorse, Yellow Medicine Review, Ricepaper Magazine, and elsewhere. Carla is the nonfiction editor at River Styx Magazine and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Kasia Merrill – October 23 reading; October 30 creative session

Kasia Merrill

Jake Skeets

For additional information, please contact SFCC Library Director Valerie Nye via email at [email protected] or by calling 505-428-1506. For more information about SFCC’s Creative Writing program visit sfcc.edu/programs/creative-writing/ .

Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs. A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.

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Students explore career opportunities at High School Journalism Workshop

Eighty high school students have a better idea of what a life in media and journalism may be like after participating in the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism’s 2024 High School Journalism Workshop, held on the Athens campus from July 7-11.

“For high schoolers with some idea that a life in journalism and media is something they are interested in, the workshop is a place where they can explore what it might be like to take that path fully,” said Workshop Co-Director Mark Turner. “They are exposed to university professors and professionals who share their years of experience in doing ethical, informative and engaging journalism. It helps to set the foundation of tomorrow’s journalists and media professionals.”  

The students, who stayed in campus residence halls during the workshop, could choose from eight different media tracks to explore during the workshop. The tracks were news reporting and writing; broadcast; magazine; public relations and media relations; visual storytelling; sports writing; publication design; and podcasting. Melanie Qin, a rising senior from Westerville, Ohio, chose the news track, but the workshop opened her eyes to many different facets of journalism and media.

“I didn't know there were so many sides to journalism,” said Qin. “It was really neat to learn about. Meeting new people and getting to experience college dorm life was also a great experience!”

In addition to the sessions related to their specific track, workshop participants also took part in a mock news conference with Athens Mayor Steve Patterson where they got to ask Patterson questions. Several sessions with professors and Ohio University alumni, who are now media professionals, were held throughout the week and covered topics like investigative journalism, diversity of voices in media, data journalism, and media law and ethics.

“Of the 12 track instructors, eight of them are alumni, all of whom are working or retired from careers in journalism and media,” said Turner. “All but one of those alumni have been coming back for a number of years.”

But it wasn’t all journalism all the time. The workshop participants also had fun outside the classroom by attending activities together on campus, including a Southern Ohio Copperheads baseball game and a movie at the Athena Cinema.

“The most valuable thing I learned was collaboration,” said Naomi Davis, a rising junior from Gahanna, Ohio. “Firstly, I learned to collaborate just with my track and making sure that all of our individual ideas fit together. But also having a roommate and suitemates, that helped me with collaborating outside of a work environment, which wasn’t hard since my roommates were the best!”

Turner says that the last day of the workshop is always his favorite because he knows the participants are leaving campus with a deeper understanding of a field and career they may want to pursue in the future.

“We get to see the culmination of a lot of work from the high school students,” said Turner. “And we also get to see a little sadness at the realization that the workshop is over. They seem to realize what an adventure it was to learn and hone their skills and discover a new environment and new people.”

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Writing Center

Tutoring Appointments

The tutor let me take the lead and listened to my concerns about the paper. In addition, they gave me good tips about structuring sentences.

We provide in-person and online tutoring, which includes:

• 45-minute one-on-one tutoring
• Two sessions a week (additional weekly sessions are available for AEC and graduate-level students)
• Self-booking up to 7 days ahead
• Multilingual and graduate-level training SJSU writing tutor support

Types of Writing

Argumentative Essay, Blog Post, Comparative Essay, Cover Letter, Creative Writing, Critical Analysis, Discipline Investigation, Discussion Post, Graduate Project, Graduate Thesis, Interview/Transcript Writing, Lab Report, Literature Review, Memo, Multimodal Project, Op-Ed Writing, Personal Statement, Personal/Narrative Essay, Portfolio Writing, Project Proposal, Reader Response, Reflection Essay, Report, Research Paper, Resume, Rhetorical Analysis, Speech/Presentation, Statement of Purpose, Test Preparation Writing, and more!

Focus Areas

• Grammar e.g., working with your writing on the sentence level
• Content e.g., brainstorming/developing ideas/adding support or evidence
• Organization e.g., ordering ideas/transitioning/linking concepts logically
• Formatting e.g., using formatting styles such as APA/MLA/Chicago etc.

Writing Stages

• Planning/Pre-Writing
• Revising/Polishing

Appointment Format

Your tutor will begin by asking you some questions to set a brief agenda for the session. You will let the tutor know what you need assistance with (e.g., grammar, idea development, organization, APA formatting), and they will then focus on that area during the session. 

Tutoring is a collaborative process, so you will have a dialogue with the tutor throughout the session. You will read your writing aloud, and they will explain concepts about writing to help you improve. You will take notes, brainstorm, and make suggested changes throughout the session. 

At the end of your time together, the tutor will recap what you covered and provide you with some concrete steps to move forward.

Appointment Preparation 

Come to your appointment prepared to learn and engage with your tutor. Our policies and procedures provides full details.

For in-person tutoring appointments, bring either a hard copy of your work or your laptop, and ensure you have access to any other necessary materials (e.g., the assignment sheet).

For online tutoring appointments, be prepared to share your screen with the writing that you want to work on along with any other necessary materials (e.g., the assignment sheet). Your audio must be working during an online tutoring session.

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Also, read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information, such as extra appointments for AEC and graduate-level students.

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More Inclusive Assessment: Applying the UDL Framework and Transparent Assignment Design (TAD) to Reimagine a Writing Assignment as a Multimedia Asynchronous Discussion

Designing assessments that provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate achievement removes barriers that may exclude students from being academically successful (Tobin & Behling, 2018). For example, writing a paper situates writing skills and language proficiency as precursors to demonstrating learning achievement, even if writing is not a course objective. Digital tools afford flexibility in how students demonstrate learning fostering a more inclusive learning experience. However, leveraging digital tools to increase inclusive access requires thoughtful pedagogical design. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework presents a conceptual model educators can use to design more inclusive assessments, offering students multiple means for demonstrating learning (CAST, 2018; Meyers et al., 2014). Allowing students choice in how they demonstrate learning empowers them to leverage their strengths and preferences, regardless of their circumstances (Tobin & Behling, 2018). The UDL framework operates on three guiding principles each of which activates a neural network essential to learning. These principles and corresponding networks are as follows: (a) Principle 1: Multiple means of engagement activate the affective network or the “why” of learning; (b) Principle 2: Multiple means of representation activate the recognition network or the “what” of learning; and (c) Principle 3: Multiple means of action and expression activate the strategic network or the “how” of learning (Meyers et al., 2014). While an asynchronous online course environment affords student interaction through digital tools, being a successful online student requires strong self-regulation (Barnard-Brak et al., 2010). Highly structured learning experiences support the academic success of nontraditional students (i.e., first-generation, historically underserved groups (HUG), Pell-eligible) (Hogan & Sathy, 2022) who are more likely to struggle in online courses (Xu & Xu, 2019). Pairing UDL with Winkelmes et al. (2016) transparent assignment design (TAD) affords student choice while supporting academic success defining an assessment’s purpose, task, and grading criteria.

Strategy Implementation

UDL and TAD were used to redesign a written assessment in an asynchronous online undergraduate sociology course on gender and sexuality at a four-year public university designated a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) with more than 50% of students identifying as HUGs, first-generation, and Pell-eligible. The redesigned assessment incorporated a multimedia tool, VoiceThread providing students the option to demonstrate learning through written, audio, or video commentary, and engage in an interactive peer-to-peer asynchronous discussion. The initial assessment was a three-page Visual Sociology paper. The task was to locate a media artifact that perpetuated traditional gender and heterosexual normativity or challenged traditional stereotypes. The paper was to include an analysis applying five sociological concepts. Specific to UDL, the assessment provided multiple means of engagement. Students could choose their media and sociological concepts for analysis. However, requiring a written assessment positioned writing competency and English fluency, skills unrelated to course outcomes, as prerequisites demonstrating achievement of course outcomes.

Figure 1: Initial Written Assessment formatted using TAD

Figure 2: Course Outcomes.

Revising the assessment using VoiceThread retained the same purpose and learning objectives, but provided multiple means of representation, action, and expression. Students could choose a text, audio, or video format to “represent” their learning. The instructor provided written and auditory explanations of the purpose and task directions. With automatic captioning and transcription, students could read or watch recordings from all participants. An asynchronous discussion provided multiple means of action and expression since students could choose how to present their learning while remaining in control of their pacing. Those who chose to submit an audio or video recording could write a script, record, and rerecord, until confident in their presentation. Those choosing to write could leverage word-processing tools. Students had agency in the mode of action (i.e. speaking or writing) and flexible time to express the best version of their knowledge.

Figure 3: Instructor providing multiple means of representing instructions.

Figure 4: Closed captioning and transcript.

Figure 5: Student choosing a written commentary.

Artifact 6: Student image with time to return to add commentary.

Both assessments used TAD to articulate the purpose, connecting the knowledge and skills students would demonstrate to course outcomes, step-by-step directions for navigating the task, and a rubric defining the grading criteria. To apply UDL the assessment task was divided into two parts to define expectations for posting and replying. Both parts included expectations for recording length or writing word count. Part two included prompts to guide replies. Adjusting the rubric took minimal revision, namely replacing “written analysis” with “analysis”. Applying UDL increases student choice but does not change the learning objectives being assessed.

Figure 7: Revised Assessment Directions using TAD

Figure 8: Initial Assessment Rubric

Figure 9: Revised Assessment Rubric

Figure 10: Peer audio replies with captions

Instructor Reflections

Following the assignment revision, the instructor shared that she personally felt the students benefitted from the opportunity to both create a post for an authentic peer audience and reply to the work shared by others. She found that students’ initial posts and replies, whether written or recorded, reflected the deep thinking and connections to the course content she had intended the assignment would

demonstrate. From a grading perspective, while still time consuming, she found it more interesting and meaningful to review students’ work appreciating the variety of mediums (i.e. written or recorded) as well as the feel of an authentic conversation, seeing their thinking through both their post and their replies. The instructor shared that one of her students had a hearing impairment. Upon review of the student’s submission, they had posted a text-based entry, but peers had left recorded comments; however, the automatic captioning meant the student could engage fully in the assignment without requesting further accommodation. See Figure 10. Combining UDL and TAD increased student-to-student engagement and supported the diverse needs and preferences of students.

Scholarly Reference(s)

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org 

Barnard-Brak, L., Paton, V. O., & Lan, W. Y. (2010) Profiles in self-regulated learning in the online learning environment. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 11 (1) pp 61-80. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v11i1.769 

Hogan, K. A. & Sathy, V. (2022). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom . West Virginia University Press. 

Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice . CAST.org. 

Tobin, T. J. & Behling, K. T. (2018). Reach everyone teach everyone: Universal design for learning in higher education. West Virginia University Press. 

Winkelmes, M.-A., Bernacki, M., Butler, J., Zochowski, M., Golanics, J., & Weavil, K. H. (2016). A teaching intervention that increases underserved college students’ success. Peer Review , 18 (1–2), 31–37. 

Xu, D., & Xu, Y. (2019). The Promises and Limits of Online Higher Education: Understanding How Distance Education Affects Access, Cost, and Quality. In American Enterprise Institute . American Enterprise Institute. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED596296 

Eberhardt-Alstot, M. (2024). More Inclusive Assessment: Applying the UDL Framework and Transparent Assignment Design (TAD) to Reimagine a Writing Assignment as a Multimedia Asynchronous Discussion. In deNoyelles, A., Bauer, S., & S. Wyatt (Eds.),  Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository . Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning. 

Teaching Journalism: 5 Journalism Lessons and Activities

You and your students will absolutely love these journalism lessons! The beginning of a new school year can be hectic for journalism teachers who are tasked with simultaneously teaching new journalism students who don’t have any journalism experience while also planning and publishing content for the school newspaper.

If your class is anything like mine, it is a mix of returning and new students. This year, I only have three returning students, so it is almost like I am starting entirely from scratch.

Here are 5 journalism lessons to teach at the beginning of the year

1. staff interview activity.

One of the very first assignments I have my students do is partner up with a fellow staff member that they don’t know and interview them. This activity works on two things: first, it helps the class get to know one another. Secondly, it helps students proactive their interviewing skills in a low-stakes environment.

For this activity, I have students come up with 10 interview questions, interview one another and do a quick write-up so that students can have practice recording their interviews.

Before this activity, I go over interviewing skills with my students. We discuss the dos and don’ts of interviewing, we brainstorm good interviewing questions, and we talk about the need to go beyond simple answer questions.

2. Staff Bio

Another great activity for the beginning of the year is to have students write their staff bio. This provides students with an opportunity to write in the third person while also providing the most important information.

For my staff bios, I give students 80-100 words. I have them write their bios in the third person and in the present tense.

3. Collaborative News Story

For our first news story of the school year, I like to write one collaboratively as a staff. We go over the basics of journalism writing and then write together in one Google Doc. I do this as a learning activity so that new staff can see how we write journalistically. First, I have students work together in small groups to write the lead. Then, as a class, we craft one together. From there, we move on to building the story.

As we write the story, as a staff, we can then see what kind of information we need. I assign small groups of students to interview people and find quotes. Those groups then add that information to the story.

Once it is written, we edit and review the story together before it is published. This activity is particularly helpful because students get to see how we format quotes in our stories, how we refer to students and teachers in our stories, and how we go about the news-gathering process.

Once our collaborative story is done, new staff then have the green light to begin writing their own stories.

4. The News Determinants

You can also read more in-depth about the news determinants with this blog post about teaching the five news determinants .

5. AP Style Writing

As students are writing their first stories, I like to teach students about AP Style . I use this instructional presentation, and students assemble their AP Style mini flip books that they use as a reference all year long.

The news determinants and AP Style lessons are included in my journalism curriculum with many other resources that will make teaching and advising the middle school or high school newspaper much easier.

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Newsrooms are losing veterans. They need them now more than ever.

A few years ago, when a low-ranking Air National Guardsman on an obscure base in Cape Cod posted top-secret information about the war in Ukraine in an online chat room, newsrooms scrambled to make sense of the story. At the Wall Street Journal , where I worked until earlier this year, a handful of reporters teamed up to explore why this young man, working so far from the war zone, had access to such sensitive data in the first place.

The task was made easier because the team included a longtime national security reporter who had been covering the Pentagon for decades, plus myself—a military veteran with years of real-world experience and sourcing to help decipher lingo and sort through the broader implications of the leak. We soon wrote an article explaining how that remote Air National Guard base had quietly come to play an outsize role in America’s global drone wars—a story no one else had.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought newsrooms a surge of journalists with time spent in combat zones, and a new generation of military veterans taking up jobs in media. Some of them are still working—Thomas Gibbons-Neff, a Marine who served two tours in Afghanistan, covered Ukraine for the New York Times ; the Washington Post ’s Alex Horton was an Army infantryman in Iraq—but many others have moved on to other careers, or been pushed out of their roles through restructuring or layoffs. Earlier this year, several military-oriented publications under the banner of Military Times laid off half their staff, including a number of veterans. According to the advocacy group Military Veterans in Journalism , veterans make up only about 2 percent of media workers today, despite representing 7 percent of the population.  

It won’t be easy to reverse this trend—veterans who transition to journalism are, by definition, embarking on a second career (I was a thirty-three-year-old intern)—but the effort is needed. From a purely practical standpoint, veterans in a newsroom bring firsthand familiarity with the terminology and taxonomy of weapons and equipment. They know the complex structure of the military. It’s valuable to have reporters who can quickly and reliably check a source’s claims of veteran status or experience—particularly at a moment when both vice presidential nominees, Tim Walz and JD Vance, are veterans, and are  facing questions over  the specifics of their own service records—and whom editors can call at the last minute to make sure another reporter has correctly described a gun or a tank. 

Having service experience can also make military sources feel more at ease. On more than a few reporting trips, I’ve been able to draw on my background to disarm a potential source’s stereotypical conception of the detached reporter gallivanting into their world. People want someone they feel is responsive to them and understands their lives, and that’s especially true in the armed forces, where people tend to have a sense of proprietary ownership over their military, their bases, their wars, their lives.

The past several years of limited American military operations have lulled some publishers into thinking they don’t need as many people with wartime backgrounds in their newsrooms. But the military doesn’t just get rid of all its troops when wars end, and the value veterans bring to journalism doesn’t wane when conflicts do. Having fewer veterans on hand threatens to leave newsrooms less prepared to intelligently and aggressively push back on official claims when the next conflict breaks out. Veterans know intimately of the effects of war, of what weapons do to the human body—they aren’t easily swayed by civilian politicians who might talk about it in abstract, glorified terms.

Veterans also bring a special sensibility to coverage beyond conflict. They know how to listen to people who have experienced physical and moral damage—however it might come about. During my decade with the Journal , I was often tasked with covering shootings and domestic unrest. I treated sources with empathy, but I didn’t condescend to them or waver under the weight of their trauma. That made them more comfortable speaking honestly with me.

“The thing that veterans bring to the table is the ability to really understand and cover things with nuance,” said Ron Nixon, a vice president and top editor at the Associated Press and a Marine Corps veteran. “The military is such a huge part of our lives in more ways than just folks going off to war. The military’s big on climate change, diplomacy around the world. Then there’s military families and the effect on local economies around bases.… Having veterans in the newsroom helps folks understand that.”

Not long ago I went to Cooper University Health Care’s trauma center in Camden, New Jersey, to write about a special program that rotated active-duty military doctors and nurses through the civilian emergency department. The goal was both to keep the trauma-treatment skills of the military medical staff fresh and to help civilians learn from the unique experiences of those who’d treated wounds in combat.

I found the story through military sourcing and then was welcomed by Cooper in no small part because of my background. The people I met at the hospital spoke with me as someone who would tell their story fairly. That trust was almost immediate, and it was tangible throughout the reporting process. 

The article I ended up writing about Cooper wasn’t a war story, it was a medical story. But it was a story suffused with martial themes and characters. I don’t know if I would have found it, or had the tools to tell it, if I hadn’t had the background of a veteran.

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Opinion | Why Bloomberg’s broken embargo matters

Bloomberg prematurely shared news about evan gershkovich before he and other prisoners were safely back in the us, putting the operation in jeopardy.

The big news last week: After 16 months of imprisonment in Russia under false charges, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was free .

The Journal was not the newsroom to break that story, however.

Bloomberg News was.

And it wasn’t a scoop to celebrate, since it came thanks to what looks like a broken embargo and before Gershkovich and other prisoners were safely back in the United States.

In the days since, the story of how that happened has itself become the news.

“Embargoes are an important tool for both journalists and sources,” said Kelly McBride, Poynter’s senior vice president and the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership. “Most of the time they involve a timing request by the source: Don’t report this information until this specific point in time. They allow journalists to prepare a news story, so that they can publish the moment the embargo is lifted. Just like granting a source background or off-the-record status, agreeing to participate in an embargo is a promise that you are making.”

They can also be crucial to national security, troop movements and people’s lives.

On Friday, Charlotte Klein wrote for New York Magazine “Everybody Is Mad at Bloomberg News for Its Embargo-Breaking Gershkovich-Is-Free Scoop.”

Klein reported: “At 7:41 a.m. on August 1, Bloomberg published its scoop about the prisoner swap. Ten minutes later, a Bloomberg editor posted proudly on X, ‘It is one of the greatest honors of my career to have helped break this news. I love my job and my colleagues.’ Then, 8:59, the piece was updated to read: ‘An earlier version of this story was corrected to reflect that the Americans have not been released yet.’ The Journal itself didn’t report it until just after 11 when their reporter and other Americans — whose freedom was negotiated by the U.S. Government as part of an extremely complicated , 24-person swap across multiple countries — actually deplaned in Turkey.”

That scoop, Klein continues “was inaccurate, given that the Russian plane was still in the air at the time of publication. That plane could have just turned around and gone back to Moscow, which is why the Journal and other publications had agreed to hold off.”

Klein reports that Bloomberg was among the news organizations that were getting briefings after agreeing to hold the story.

On Monday, New York Times media reporter Katie Robertson tweeted about disciplinary action Bloomberg took against a number of people involved and included the screenshot of an email from Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait.

NEW: Bloomberg says it has taken disciplinary action against a number of people involved in breaking the prisoner swap embargo last week, email here from EIC John Micklethwait pic.twitter.com/XfFvuCO7x7 — Katie Robertson (@katie_robertson) August 5, 2024

Soon after, Washington Post media reporter Elahe Izadi tweeted that one of the two Bloomberg reporters who broke the news was no longer at Bloomberg.

Jennifer Jacobs is no longer with Bloomberg News, per two sources familiar — Elahe Izadi | الهه (@ElaheIzadi) August 5, 2024

That reporter, Jennifer Jacobs, followed up Monday afternoon with a tweet that further explained the breach .

pic.twitter.com/Qecn7Hmkt0 — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 5, 2024

Bloomberg wasn’t the only news organization to disregard the embargo. Author and journalist Brian Stelter tweeted that Fox News broke the news on Wednesday night.

Regarding today’s story about Bloomberg breaking an embargo: Fox News rushed onto the air Wednesday night and said the swap was happening 8+ hours before any other outlet. Totally irresponsible. Fox later deleted the video from its website. https://t.co/EsFBffyKbO — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 2, 2024

While most embargoes are about the release of reports, studies and rulings and can be inconsequential, McBride said, that doesn’t mean they should be disregarded.

“It undermines the trustworthiness of you and your colleagues.”

By Kristen Hare, Poynter faculty

Why was Trump at NABJ?

Why was former President Donald Trump at the Black journalist family reunion last week? The question continues to reverberate.

Before a crowd of predominantly Black journalists at the NABJ convention in Chicago, Trump implied his opponent Kamala Harris is Indian and not really Black, berated Black women moderators, and toyed with giving immunity to Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists and the police officers who killed Sonya Massey.

His appearance pushed NABJ into the national news, brought protesters to the hotel where the convention was hosted, and created a rift within the organization. One of the interview hosts received death threats following the interview .

Some left asking — what’s a Black journalists’ convention for?

NABJ has long faced questions over its mission .

Letrell Crittenden , now the director of inclusion and audience growth at the American Press Institute , wrote his dissertation on NABJ’s history.

There has been “a great deal of dissension over how and for whom NABJ would operate” ever since its founding meeting on Dec. 12, 1975, Crittenden wrote. (Read Crittenden’s dissertation on the history of NABJ, from its founding in 1975 through 2014, here .)

The question about purpose emerged yet again last week, like an ugly pimple, when NABJ was at the top of the news cycle for all the wrong reasons.

“At a time when NABJ members should have been engaging in fellowship with their peers and mentors,” Shamira Ibrahim wrote in The Guardian last week, “they were instead forced to extend professionalism to a hostile guest who peddled racist ideas.”

The organization faced the tension between its dedication to journalism and journalistic integrity and its mission to advocate for fair treatment of Black journalists.

While leadership has defended its decision to invite Trump, there’s no ignoring the potential for a ripple effect.

By TyLisa C. Johnson, audience engagement producer

Louisana police: ‘Stay back’

A new Louisiana law will make it a misdemeanor for anyone — including journalists — to be within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer if the officer orders them back, Nieman Lab reports .

A coalition of media companies representing a couple dozen Louisiana news outlets are alleging the law violates the First Amendment, and has filed suit against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges and East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III.

In 2016, two Louisiana journalists were among a group that filed a suit alleging their constitutional rights were violated when they were arrested during a protest march in Baton Rouge. The city later agreed to pay them $1.17 million.

Images made by those in attendance, including the journalists, were critical in countering the officers’ claims that the protesters were the aggressors, said William Most, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

The two journalists said they wouldn’t have been able to capture those images if the law had been on the books during the protests.

Divide and conquer

Bill Grueskin, professor at the Columbia Journalism School and alumnus of The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and the Miami Herald, wrote for CJR about the benefits and complications of starting a new arm of a newsroom in the spirit of innovation.

“(Harvard Professor Clay) Christensen nailed the key issue, then and now: newsroom managers must figure out if their current staff is equipped — intellectually, emotionally, technologically — to handle the pace of change in the business.”

The Washington Post is the latest traditional outlet to rise to such a challenge, with new publisher Will Lewis putting into action a plan that created a third, digital division .

The piece also reminds readers that if this seems like deja vu, that’s because it is. Other outlets, especially in the very early 2000s, allowed digital teams to experiment with homepage editing, podcasting, blogging, etc. “And let me tell you, it was glorious ,” Greuskin wrote.

Greuskin also said the quiet part out loud: “Dual staffs are expensive.” And he recalled how contentious these “digital vs. print” divisions got in newsrooms.

By Josie Hollingsworth, audience director

Media tidbits and links

• Unionized staff at Crooked Media — which was founded by former Barack Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor — staged a one-day strike Monday after more than a year of contract negotiations. Members of the 61-person union alleged in a statement that the company was not living up to its progressive values: “Jon, Jon, and Tommy have consistently reminded us that organizing is essential to successful politics. If the founders believe that this is the case, we ask them to show that by coming to the bargaining table in these final days.” Among the union’s demands are higher salary floors, annual cost-of-living adjustments and safeguards against layoffs.
• McClatchy — which owns about 30 newspapers, including the Miami Herald and The Kansas City Star — will merge with accelerate360 , a major magazine publisher and distributor. The magazine company owns such titles as Us Weekly, In Touch Weekly, Woman’s World and Life & Style. Its tabloid publications, including the National Enquirer, Star, National Examiner and Globe, will not be included in the merger. Both companies are owned by hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.
• The Buffalo News has completed the sale of its former headquarters to a local developer for $5.2 million. In a feature story about the effects of new leadership on the News , Poynter media business reporter Angela Fu noted that a previous deal, for $9 million, fell through in February 2023. Once interest rates cool down, the developer plans to connect the property to others that he owns and create a neighborhood of little alleys and “very cool little buildings.” He also plans to make “some kind of display and create a museum about the history of The Buffalo News.” The News was housed in the brutalist structure from 1973 until 2022.
• What happens when a news site shuts down and takes its website with it? Neiman Lab’s Hanaa’ Tameez with “To preserve their work — and drafts of history — journalists take archiving into their own hands.” 
• 404 Media’s Samantha Cole with “Leaked Documents Show Nvidia Scraping ‘A Human Lifetime’ of Videos Per Day to Train AI.”
• The New York Times’ David McCabe writes, “‘Google Is a Monopolist,’ Judge Rules in Landmark Antitrust Case.” We’ll have more on this in the coming days and weeks.
• The United States’ Olympic drought in the men’s 100m final came to an end on Sunday, thanks to Noah Lyles — and extremely precise photo finish equipment. Lyles beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by just .005 seconds. ESPN has a photo breakdown of Lyles’ by-a-hair finish.

Today’s Poynter Report was written by Kristen Hare, TyLisa Johnson, Angela Fu and Ren LaForme.

More resources for journalists

• Lead With Influence is for leaders who manage big responsibilities but have no direct reports.
• Public media journalists: attend our Digital Transformation Project Q&A webinar Aug. 13.
• Teaching, informing, empowering and convening — see our impact .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] .

The Poynter Report is our daily media newsletter. To have it delivered to your inbox Monday-Friday, sign up here .

Opinion | Wyoming reporter uncovers competitor using AI-generated quotes

A reporter resigned and the Cody Enterprise attached corrections to four articles after a competitor noted quotes that appeared real — but weren’t

Tim Walz didn’t pick Minnesota’s new flag, and its designer said it wasn’t inspired by Somalia’s

The flag includes a star and blue coloring, as does Somalia’s national flag, but Somalia’s flag was not an inspiration, its designer says

Opinion | New York Times adds 300,000 subscribers and ends most recent quarter in the black

Much of its growth was driven by a ‘bundle’ of news, cooking and games. The company has stayed profitable while many news organizations struggle.

What Gov. Tim Walz said about the border wall and investing in a ‘ladder factory’

Some Trump supporters shared a 14-second clip of Walz and said it showed he planned to welcome immigrants into the country illegally

Robin Roberts of ABC’s ’Good Morning America’ to receive Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism

The celebration will occur at the Bowtie Ball Nov. 16 in Tampa, Florida.

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OpenAI says it’s taking a ‘deliberate approach’ to releasing tools that can detect writing from ChatGPT

OpenAI has built a tool that could potentially catch students who cheat by asking ChatGPT to write their assignments — but according to The Wall Street Journal , the company is debating whether to actually release it.

In a statement provided to TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed that the company is researching the text watermarking method described in the Journal’s story, but said it’s taking a “deliberate approach” due to “the complexities involved and its likely impact on the broader ecosystem beyond OpenAI.”

“The text watermarking method we’re developing is technically promising, but has important risks we’re weighing while we research alternatives, including susceptibility to circumvention by bad actors and the potential to disproportionately impact groups like non-English speakers,” the spokesperson said.

This would be a different approach from most previous efforts to detect AI-generated text, which have been largely ineffective . Even OpenAI itself shut down its previous AI text detector last year due to its “low rate of accuracy.”

With text watermarking, OpenAI would focus solely on detecting writing from ChatGPT, not from other companies’ models. It would do so by making small changes to how ChatGPT selects words, essentially creating an invisible watermark in the writing that could later be detected by a separate tool.

Following the publication of the Journal’s story, OpenAI also updated a May blog post about its research around detecting AI-generated content. The update says text watermarking has proven “highly accurate and even effective against localized tampering, such as paraphrasing,” but has proven “less robust against globalized tampering; like using translation systems, rewording with another generative model, or asking the model to insert a special character in between every word and then deleting that character.”

As a result, OpenAI writes that this method is “trivial to circumvention by bad actors.” OpenAI’s update also echoes the spokesperson’s point about non-English speakers, writing that text watermarking could “stigmatize use of AI as a useful writing tool for non-native English speakers.”

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