The Complete Freelance Writing Course

Create a multimedia writing portfolio for freelance profit and profile

Role Play

Highest Rated

Created byPhilippa Davies

Last updated 5/2026

English

What you'll learn

identify opportunities for paid writing work in all sorts of unexpected places
pitch effectively to these outlets
determine your strengths and market opportunities on different platforms
coach yourself in any form of writing
write for podcasts
write for for video
write blog posts, web copy, white papers, ebooks and for B2B outlets
write speeches and presentations
write to influence
write apps
apply principles of clarity, fluency and flow to your writing
market your writing practice using creativity rather than online shouting
critique the work of successful writers you admire, analyze their technique and use it yourself
negotiate fair fees for your work
employ formats to help you work faster and smarter
use technology to help you work faster and smarter
review your skills level and plan further personal development
compete effectively in writing marketplaces using your portfolio

Course content

14 sections • 98 lectures • 11h 50m total length

How This Course Works3:10
A guide to the course, for you to get the best out of it and achieve your goals.
Where Are You Starting From?3:30
Clarify your own priorities and values in writing.
Why Do You Write?3:28
Knowing why you write will be a lifelong resource throughout your writing career.
Helpful Practice Activity: A Writing Manifesto For Your Portfolio2:30
Checklist For Course Exercises: Track Your Progress0:09
Video Transcript6:21
Helpful Practice Activity: Ikigai For Writers7:27
A look at the Japanese concept of ikigai 'reason to be' and how that may help us clarify priorities as writers.

Why Research Is Core7:09
Whatever your subject area, a love of research gives you best opportunity to create original and fresh writing.
Chat GPT For Writers: AI And Research8:24
Books On Writing For Writers: The AI Author Assistant7:36
A review of the AI Author Assistant, where after the video you'll have guidelines on how to experiment with chat GPT for creativity, productivity and possible monetary benefits.
Helpful Practice Activity - and Fun Too: Ethnographic Research1:35
Copywriting And Blogging6:11
Why copywriting is an essential skill for all writers and is blogging worth the time and effort?
Stand Out With These Skills: Web Design, Podcasts, Video Script4:43
Your Writing Mission8:20
Helpful Practice Activity: Flow Diary And State Your Mission1:10
Realizing Your Writing Intentions5:54
Direct To Market: From Traditional To Indie Publishing7:58
Gain an overview here, of how publishing has changed since the onset of digital.
Video Transcript22:31
So You'd Like To Write A Book? Practical Workshop14:16
After this lecture, you'll be able to create an overview and plan of how you will write your book, with answers to 7 critical questions.

Your Daily Practice12:47
Helpful Practice Activity: How To Write Like Joan Didion21:21
How To Write Like Joan Didion: practical tips and insights from this great writer, with exercises for you to do straight away.
ACTION: Freeflow Writing4:36
Finding And Studying Role Models13:27
How to effectively use role models for your writing, in close study of description of a home and a news item. Practical tips and insights from great writers, with helpful practice.
Helpful Practice Activity: More On Role Model Writers - Brains And Paths6:50
Video Transcript2:40
Writers Block: Beat The Block6:54
In this lecture, we look at different types of writer's block, and what's called 'cognitive overload'.
Identify Your Type of Writer's Block: Are you a fighter, fleer or freezer?
Vision Boards For Writers: Helpful Practice Activity13:01
Create a vision board to keep your writing on track.

Know Your Aim12:59
Keep It Simple7:39
Rules For Clarity5:27
Fluency And Flow5:07
Vivid Writing6:12
Your Writing Voice5:06
ACTION: Your Verb Bank2:33
Video Transcript22:39
Books On Writing For Writers: What Practical Lessons Can Great Writers Give Us?15:19
Books On Writing For Writers: Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird12:32
Advice on writer's emptiness and how to tackle it from this wonderful primer on writing and life.
Books On Writing For Writers: The Complete Comedy Writer6:14
Books On Writing For Writers: The Serious Guide To Joke Writing10:08
Books On Writing For Writers: Save The Cat Writes A Novel6:39
A video review on the usefulness of Save The Cat Writes A Novel
Books On Writing For Writers: The Stories Of Your Life11:44
A review of The Stories Of Your Life: The Eight Masterplots That Explain Human Behaviour by Ben Ambridge.
Books On Writing For Writers: Truth Is The Arrow, Mercy Is The Bow7:13
A review of Steve Almond's Truth Is The Arrow, Mercy Is The Bow, a truly thought-provoking book about writing.
Books On Writing For Writers: Several short sentences about writing5:50
Books On Writing For Writers: How To Tell A Story From The Moth6:55
A review of a most useful storycraft manual from The Moth, an essential guide to memorable storytelling.
Books On Writing For Writers: How To Be More Elena Ferrante8:01
In this lesson, we look at insights for writers from Elena Ferrante's book, In The Margins, with practical exercises for you to try out.
Books On Writing For Writers: Clarity, Confidence, Courage and No BS7:42
A review of Triple C Method and Project, books written by Ryan Spence, based on his own publishing experiences to change career direction. Clarity, confidence and courage make up the formula.
Books On Writing For Writers: Emotional Beats, For Show Not Tell6:55
A book review of Emotional Beats, with a practical exercise for show not tell and further recommendiations.
Books On Writing For Writers: Magic Elements For Your Writing Practice8:08
A review of Magic Maker by Pam Grossman, describing the overlap betweem magic and creativity with practical writing suggestions.
Books On Writing For Writers: Beautiful Sentences8:26
A review of Suppose A Sentence by Brian Dillon, featuring Frank O Hara, Joan Didion and Hilary Mantel
Books On Writing For Writers: Confessions From A Writing Life7:23
A review of Bukowski In A Sundress: Confessions From A Writing Life by Kim Addonizio.
Books On Writing For Writers: How To Draw Your Writing7:32
A review of Meander, Spiral, Explode - design and pattern in narrative by Jane Alison, with practice activities
Books On Writing For Writers: Imagination - Write What You Don't Know7:00
A review of Write What You Don't Know by Allegra Huston and James Nave. A 10 step writing course focussing on imagination and beating writer's block.

Requirements

Before starting this course, you should be able to write with moderate fluency on a computer. You should want to earn money for your writing, either alongside your existing career, as an additional skill in your freelance portfolio, or to set yourselves up in a fee-earning writing practice.

Description

This freelance writing course covers everything you need to know to set yourself up as a professional freelance writer. You'll investigate good writing, versatile writing and profitable writing and create a multimedia writing portfolio to show clients. You'll get 1-2-1 feedback on your writing, with monthly updates to help keep your scribbling on track.

Master multimedia writing skills to stand out as a freelance professional writer

You'll learn to:

Research wide and hidden writing opportunities
Judge realistically how profitable writing is likely to be for you

Analyse role models, to improve writing technique
Demonstrate and develop writing skills in a variety of media
Create a portfolio to showcase your work, which reaches the right targets
Relationship build and network to position yourself for collaborative opportunities
Produce work quickly, build on feedback and grow a sustainable practice

Packed with practical exercises which you are welcome to submit for feedback, you'll get formats, filters and technology tips to help you write prolifically and fast.

Whether you:

Love writing and would like to turn it into a career
Are unsure what sort of writing to pursue
Freelance in another discipline and want to write as a bolt-on

this course will help.

Created by a writer of 30 years experience and with a background in psychology, this most comprehensive course will help you succeed as a freelance writer in today's digital global marketplace, and make the most of its tremendous new opportunities.

Who this course is for:

If you love writing, and would like to make a freelance career out of it, then this course will show you how, both in terms of your skill development and the set-up and running of your writing business. You may not yet have a definitive ideas of the type of writing you would like to specialize in, and how to structure a professional writing career. You may not be fully aware of the wide range of opportunities available to writers. You may already be freelance in another discipline and want to write as bolt-on, or hope to become freelance.

The Complete Freelance Writing Course

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction7 lectures • 27min

The Writer's Role Today12 lectures • 1hr 36min

Business Of Writing: Overview6 lectures • 55min

Important Habits8 lectures • 1hr 22min

Good Writing: General Principles25 lectures • 3hr 31min

Versatile Writing: An Overview6 lectures • 34min

B2B Writing4 lectures • 29min

B2B Writing 24 lectures • 25min

Profitable Writing7 lectures • 43min

Story And Fiction2 lectures • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: