Best Online Degrees For Writers

While everyone can write, not everyone can do so in a clear and engaging way. Although there are plenty of opportunities to turn this gift into a career, like anything, it requires hard work and dedication. Some people write because they want to share stories, while others want to share information. Writers are able to entertain or educate and distill complex topics into easily understood sentences. However, even the most gifted writers can benefit from some help to hone their craft. Students who have a way with words and would like to hone their skills can benefit from the following online degree options.

What Are The Qualities Needed To Be A Good Writer?

Patience: Writing requires a lot of patience as depending on the type of content you are writing, you might face a lot of rejections or rewrites. It is easy to become discouraged, especially with rejections, but good writers are able to learn from their mistakes and have the patience to keep trying.

Perseverance: Writing a novel is time-consuming, and many give up before they complete their story. The same goes for writing about complicated topics or subjects that require a lot of research. However, good writers are able to persevere through all of this and focus on their task no matter how daunting it seems.

Creativity: Writers need to be able to think creatively even when writing about mundane topics if they want to make it engaging for readers. Creativity can help writers to put a fresh spin on familiar topics or express their thoughts in ways that resonate with readers. 

Knowledge: Writers need to be knowledgeable about the subjects they write about. This often requires them to be well-read or able to research topics to familiarize themselves with the most important concepts. Even when writing fictional stories, readers can quickly pick up if a writer needs to be more knowledgeable about what they are writing. 

What Type of Career Options Are Available To Writers?

There are plenty of options available for those who want to build a career that revolves around writing. In addition, writing is a skill that is useful in many different types of jobs, even if it is not the main focus. These are just a small selection of the career options that are available to writers. 

Author: The dream of many writers is to become authors who can entertain people with their stories and make a living by writing books. 

Content Writer: Content writers are often freelancers whose writing is geared towards supporting businesses through blog posts, articles, white papers, etc. 

Journalist: Journalists are responsible for researching stories and ideas, interviewing people of interest, and writing articles that convey information to the public in an easy-to-understand manner.

Copywriter: Copywriters create content with the purpose of selling or explaining products and services. 

Grant Writer: Grant Writers are tasked with researching and completing grant applications with the goal of getting the funding needed by organizations such as non-profits.

Ghostwriter: Writers who don’t mind that their content will be published without a byline or under someone else’s byline can work on behalf of websites or individuals as ghostwriters. 

Social Media Manager: Social media posts are an essential part of the marketing strategies employed by most companies, and a social media manager is in charge of creating engaging content for this market. 

Technical Writer: Almost everything that is sold comes with supporting technical content, such as instruction manuals and user guides written by technical writers who can simplify complex information.

What Online Degree Options Are Available For Aspiring Writers?

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English

The Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English is an online degree that teaches students essential writing and critical-thinking skills. The degree covers literary form, genre, structure, style, conventions, and techniques used by different genres. In addition, different storytelling elements are explored. With this degree, students can typically select a concentration, such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or screenwriting. Typical course topics include Advanced Creative Writing, Literary Theory, Popular and Contemporary Fiction, and Context of Writing: Writers/Publishers.

Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technology

The online Bachelor of Arts in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technology is a generalized writing degree covering several professional and academic writing areas. In addition, it provides students with opportunities to specialize in the area of their choice through the use of electives. Course topics often include Multimedia Composition, Business Writing, Technical Writing, as well as Grammar, Rhetoric and Style. Electives range from journalism and communication to creative writing and digital production.

Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing for New Media

The field of journalism has changed thanks to global information access, instantaneous reporting, interactivity, multimedia content, and more. The online Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing for New Media can help teach aspiring journalists how to navigate this changed media landscape. Students are taught skills such as balancing engagement with concision in social media, creating multi-media works to tell meaningful stories, and more. Core courses may include Advertising Copywriting, Reporting and Newswriting, Writing For Public Relations, Technical Writing, and Multimedia Feature Writing.      

Conclusion

It’s not just the career options that make writing a great subject to study. Working as a writer means learning something new every day, and you often get to be creative or make an impact on other people’s lives in the process. While it can be challenging to achieve success as a writer, many authors began writing as a hobby or side job before turning it into a career later. It’s not easy, as harsh critiques, rejections, and low-paying jobs are commonplace, but there are plenty of successful writers that never let any of this deter them from their passion.