Expert Advice

7 Best Online Writing Courses and Services for Free

By Himshikha Shukla

April 02, 2021

Young writers often don’t know where to start their writing journey. Some authors want to implement their skills in writing for business and marketing needs, and some are striving to write non-fiction. Due to the variety of purposes, you can find many useful online sources that will implement your writing skills. They are totally free, so you don’t need to pay for features. Although many young writers like to look at how others write and even buy essays to use them as writing examples. Consider these seven free courses and tools to enrich your texts on many subjects and sound convincing to the audience. 

1. NaNoWriMo

Less of inner criticism and more of practice – that’s what NaNoWriMo challenge stands for. NaNoWriMo decrypts as National Novel Writing Month, which starts every November for over 22 years. The goal is to write 50,000 words per 30 days. Here you can join the writer’s worldwide community and use built-in tools on the website to track your writing progress. 

2. Random Plot Generator

When you’re stuck while creating a plot for your literary composition, you can find inspiration at Random Plot Generator. Simply click on such categories as the main character, supporting character, setting, situation, theme, and character’s action and get an instant prompt on each of them. Also, on this resource, you can explore many other tools like random dialogue or story title and benefit from them.

3. DIY MFA

This is a great platform both for experienced and beginner writers. Here you can get acquainted with many techniques shared in blog posts. Built-in Writer Igniter tools work as a prompt generator. Simply shuffle the digital cards and get suggestions on character, situation, prop, and setting. Listen to podcasts, read articles, and explore courses and features to level up your writing. 

4. Writing Calendar

Stepping back to NaNoWriMo, you can use one vital tool which deserves to be introduced independently. This is a Writing Calendar where you can plan your month to dedicate it to the writing process fully. Mentioning events you can’t miss in your daily routine (work, studying, vacation), you can wisely build your writing goals. Remember, the schedule is one of the most crucial instruments that help you find time to write. 

5. 51 Questions: Character Questionnaire 2.0

One more useful NaNoWriMo source tool that just can’t be left behind is 51 questions, which help develop your character. Indeed, you can use plot and character generators, but it is more valuable when you have an entire idea of what your characters are about. Answer these questions to understand your character’s personality better and let them in your novel consciously. 

6. Secret Sauce of Great Writing

Based on the Udemy platform, this course gained enormous popularity among writers. This free tutorial is miscellany from Wall Street Journal editor Shani Raja. He will unleash the craft of simplicity and elegant storytelling. Develop your narrative skills and master your style to perfection. 

7. Creative Writing Specialization

Represented by Wesleyan University, this course is one of the most advantageous possibilities to expand your writing. Learning how to write a narrative essay, memoir, and short story will polish your writing to perfection in various genres. 

Afterall

These seven lucky sources are just the first steps to your writing success. Choose one of them or pass them all to find your own way to tell your unique story!