8 Awesome Reasons To Join An Online Writing Course

Should you join an online writing course? We give you eight awesome reasons why you should.

The Awesome Adaptability Of An Online Course

I will always love a ‘real’ class. A room packed with people who have shared interests and are eager to learn, but if that room is at the bottom of the big continent called Africa and you’re nowhere near there, an online course is your best bet.

Online courses are very popular and for good reason, but not all courses are created equal and not all courses will be for you.

Let’s Consider The Pros Of An Online Course.

I’ve tried many online courses and enjoyed some very much, while others were so-so. Here’s what I have learnt and what I have tried to add to our courses.

8 Awesome Reasons To Join An Online Course

1. Variety is good: I’ve learnt that I learn in different ways. I like written lesson plans. I’m a pen and paper person, but I also like the information to be presented in more than one way. Images, videos, and links help me learn.
2. The location: I love that I can do a course with anyone in the world. I have students in Australia, Canada, Holland. As long as there is a decent internet connection you are good to go.
3. The time is up to you: Sometimes, life just gets in the way and you can’t take time off work or weekends are already overly full. Doing a course in your available hours at your own pace is great.
4. Teaching: I prefer courses with a real-life element. As I mentioned I like real classrooms and a variety of material, but that extends to people and presentations as well. I will always look for a course that offers video coaching, live sessions, and even phone calls. I like seeing and hearing people talk.
5. Coaching and feedback: Choosing a coach and receiving feedback is tricky and you should do your research. I love courses that offer feedback on my work, but you will know if you are ready for that.
6. The pace is up to you: you can work through the material as quickly or as slowly as you want.  Most courses offer life-long access, but I have learnt it is good to set a deadline. Whether you want to do it in six weeks or six months it’s up to you. You can plan your life around it, but choose a deadline.
7. The topics and lessons are up to you: There is flexibility with an online course. You can choose which modules you want to focus on. You can spend more time on those topics and sections you are really interested and you don’t have to wait for the class. I like it when I can focus on the parts of the course that are important to me.
8. Community and after-course support: I love it if I can join a Facebook group or an online community to meet other writers. Finding your tribe is amazing, but it is also important to find the right group.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

One of the reasons for taking the course is knowing that you need to learn something new. I love it when an instructor sets a challenge or gives me a different approach instead of just following the same course routine with every student. We’re all different. Our courses should be different too.

Online courses with one-on-one sessions are my favourite kind of learning and that is why we chose to structure our courses like that. The adaptability of this structure creates the best kind of environment for writers of any age or skill level.  It is certainly not the only kind of course that will work, it depends on who are and what you want to achieve with your writing.

TOP TIP: If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course or join our Writers Write course in Johannesburg.

Or join one of our other online courses: 7 Online Writing Courses That Could Change Your Life

 by Mia Botha

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