CREATIVE WRITING
Advanced Poetry Course
Develop your literary voice with our Advanced Poetry Course
A way for intermediate and advanced poetry students to hone their skills and prepare poems for publication
The Advanced Poetry Course takes what students have learnt in an Introduction to Poetry and further develops the skills and knowledge of aspirant poets. You will be familiar with the tools and techniques used by poets, and you will be able to use these to greater effect.
Our advanced poetry course will take you a step further on your journey towards crafting poems that could conceivably be considered for publication by literary journals. However, if the poet’s aim is simply to produce work for family and friends, the course will cater for that outcome, too.
With greater exposure to the work of poets through the centuries, you will complete entertaining tasks and grow in your understanding of the elements of poetry.
You will be required to submit six exercises for assessment.
This Course Gives You...
Expert, Individual Feedback
Get prompt, honest, detailed feedback on every assignment from an award-winning writer. We focus on your unique writing strengths.
No Peer Reviews!
You will only be assessed by your tutor, a leader in their field. No more guessing and wondering how to write; you'll be guided line by line.
No Automated Marking
We use traditional methods of assessing work, as editors at publishing houses would. No generic feedback!
A Flexible Schedule
Work wherever and whenever you want. You can easily fit our courses around work and other commitments.
Relevant, Usable Content
Easy-to-digest course notes that capture a lifetime of writing experience, ready for you to apply to your own writing.
Ongoing Assessment
Your writing is assessed continuously as your course progresses.
Unleash Your Creativity on the Advanced Poetry Course
Becoming the best poet you can be
This course, developed primarily with intermediate and advanced learners in mind, follows on from An Introduction to Poetry but can also be taken as a standalone course for learners who are reasonably familiar with poetic craft.
The course teaches you how to write more polished poetry that could be recited at poetry readings or published in literary journals. As you grow in confidence, working one-on-one with a much-anthologised poet, you will begin to develop your own poetic style and will be comfortable writing a number of drafts of a poem before finalising it.
You will understand the value of editing and the importance of mentorship in the poetic process.
‘I had a great time on the course and produced the best writing I have ever done. My experience was profound and therapeutic. I learnt simple yet valuable ways to move from journaling to writing actual poetry.’
Cindy Jordaan, Poetry Course Graduate
Course Overview
Start your course at any time – applications open all year round.
COURSE FEE
Price includes VAT
- R 6 995.00
NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS
6
The assignments vary in length.
NUMBER OF MODULES
3
These modules include around 20 pages of course notes.
COURSE DURATION
6
Work at your own pace – up to a maximum of six months.
START DATE: ANYTIME
Working with an individual tutor means you can start the course at any time.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Basic writing skills are essential. Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required. No previous tertiary qualification required.
Our Graduate Students' Successes
We are proud of our graduates who have achieved success. Here are a few among dozens of our creative writing success stories.
Tutors for this course
Fiona Zerbst
Fiona Zerbst is the author of four poetry collections to date: Oleander (Modjaji Books, 2009), Time and Again (UCT Younger Poets Series No. 1/Snailpress, 2002), the small zone (Snailpress, 1995) and Parting Shots (Carrefour Press, 1991). She received a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Pretoria in 2018 under the supervision of David Medalie.
Fiona won second place in the New Contrast National Poetry Prize for 2022: https://www.newcontrast.net/.
Her work has been published in literary magazines including The Common in the US (www.thecommononline.org), Stanzas, New Contrast, Prufrock, Illuminations and The Johannesburg Review of Books. She has been published in an Amnesty International workbook. In addition, a few of her poems were set as a song cycle in Of Darkness and the Heart, composed by the acclaimed Hendrik Hofmeyr.
She consults as an editor for Modjaji Books and has edited volumes by Ingrid Andersen, Dawn Garisch and Wendy Woodward.
Arja Salafranca
She has published three collections of poetry, A Life Stripped of Illusions, which received the Sanlam Award for poetry and The Fire in which we Burn. Her third poetry collection is Beyond Touch (Modjaji Books/Dye Hard Press 2015), a co-winner in the poetry category of the South African Literary Awards in 2016. Her fiction has been published in local and international journals and anthologies, as well as online. Her debut collection of short fiction, The Thin Line, was published in 2010 (Modjaji Books) and short-listed for the Wole Soyinka Award. She has also edited two anthologies, Glass Jars Among Trees and The Edge of Things.
She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Wits University.
Course Curriculum
Module 1
Finding your Voice
- What does it mean to develop your own poetic voice?
- How does objectivity help?
- Assignments
Module 2
Editing Poems
- Why do you need to be able to edit your own poems?
- What can learn from the revision process?
- Assignments
Module 3
The Power of Form
- Why learn the rules before breaking them?
- Experimenting with different types of form
- Assignments
What Our Students Say
Get These Additional Benefits
Lifetime Course Access
Benefit from free lifetime access to future course updates and access to our writing resources.
Join a Community of Writers
You will have access to our friendly Facebook community, daily writing tips and writing inspiration.
500+ Bonus Articles on Our Blog
A superb, constantly updated resource with articles on writing and interviews with writers.
Work at Your Own Pace
Our courses work around you. You can pace your course around your busy life.
Work Opportunities
Top students are invited to join our writers and editors for hire service.
Be the First to Know About Writing Competitions
We'll help you keep up to date with the latest competition announcements
Risk-Free 100% Money-Back Guarantee
We are so confident that you will love your course that if you’re not 100% satisfied with the quality of our training, simply ask for a refund within 30 days.
Complete the Application Form to Enrol on the Advanced Poetry Course
You will receive an approval email and invoice within one working day.
*If the application form doesn’t submit, please contact admin and we’ll assist you.
Questions? We've Got Answers
The course consists of three modules. Detailed course notes covering the content of each module will be emailed to you.
At the end of each section, you will be required to complete several writing exercises.
Absolutely. You have direct communication with your tutor for the duration of the course. The more questions you ask, the more you will get out of the course.
You will get lifetime access to the course. You will also benefit from future updates and improvements to the course!
For the majority of our courses, only your tutor will see your work. It will remain completely private unless you get it published, a decision that is yours to make.
You will receive a Writers College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided you meet the following conditions:
- You must have completed all 6 assignments.
- The course must have been completed within six months of registration.
- A minimum average of 50% for the course must be achieved.
- Students must be graduates of the Introduction to Poetry Course.
- Students must have achieved at least 75% on the foundation course.
- Applicants who haven’t previously studied with The Writers College, but who can provide evidence of prior learning, or publication, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Because you will work with an individual tutor, you can start your course as soon as your application has been approved. There are no specific start dates as would be the case with a traditional college.
An application is usually approved within one working day. Once we receive proof of payment, your can start your course.
You could be starting your course today!
This course requires ongoing informal research. You will read poetry and journals to discover what moves your poetic spirit. Hopefully, this ‘research’ will become an ongoing pleasure that nourishes your writing for life.
Additionally, there is the discipline of writing and reflection on the process of writing. A poet cannot wait for the muse. The muse waits for the poet. When you write, the muse shows up. Inspiration can be sought and achieved even when you are feeling uninspired. Because regular writing and rewriting is integral to the process of writing poetry, the course is designed in such a way that one module takes one month to complete.
After studying each module, the exercises should take an hour or two per week to complete. Ideally, you should spend ten minutes a day writing in a poetry journal, a portion of which will be submitted in your final portfolio.
Once your application has been approved, you will receive notification of approval and an invoice via email. As soon as we receive proof of payment, your first module will be sent to you, as well as your tutor’s email address and your login details. Your tutor will also be in touch to welcome you.
Any work created on our course is owned by you. We will never make a claim to anything you produce. We follow the rule that copyright subsists with the creator (you).