Two Ways To Improve Your Writing Skills

Take an online class or workshop to improve your writing

Speaking of writing about motherhood, Christina Katz, the author of Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids and Get Known Before The Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform offers online writing classes through her website.

My friend, Laura Bridgwater, who is a radio and humor writer, has taken two of Christina’s classes and says:

“Christina Katz offers email classes you won’t find anywhere else, like ‘Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff’ and ‘Turn Your Specialty Into Course Curriculum.’ I’ve taken both and would highly recommend them to new writers as well as established writers.”

I haven’t taken any classes with Christina yet though I may sign up for the October 9 session of Writing For the Web with Jennifer Applin. For a six week course, $250 is a good price.

Other online class options:

• PoynterOnline – These classes are more journalism focused. According to Laura, she “found the webinars at PoynterOnline helpful for improving [her] writing.” Most workshops are short (a hour or two) and very inexpensive.
• MediaBistro: Online classes to check out are Writing about Parenting and Writing and Editing for the Web – both 4 week classes cost $350. Another is Food Writing Boot Camp, which is an 8 week course for $499. In person classes are also offered in New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC and Los Angeles. Many classes are aimed at traditional media writers and teach you how to pitch to editors, so make sure to read class descriptions before signing up.
• WritersOnlineWorkshops – These are offered by Writer’s Digest, one of the top magazine for writers.
• Your local community college. Many writing courses are taught online with only the first meeting done on campus. To find classes look under “English,” “business writing,” or “writing” in the online course catalog.

Anne-Marie Nichols is the Managing Editor of the Mom Central Blogs. You can also find her blogging up some healthy recipes at This Mama Cooks!

Anne-Marie Nichols