How do you win NaNoWriMo?

“Winning” NaNoWriMo is both simple and hard.

If you can write 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30 then you win!

However, actually getting to that word count will take some discipline and strategy. Most people break this big number into a smaller, daily word count of 1,667 to make it feel more achievable. For many, this number is still overwhelming, which is one reason NaNoWriMo is such an exciting challenge. Simple, but not easy.

Winners receive digital banners and certificates to use on their website or social media and T-shirts are also available for purchase. Sponsors provide other winner goodies, including discounts to writing software and publishing services. The catch? In order to win, you need to register your project on the NaNoWriMo website and log your word count between November 1 and November 30.

Digital badges and Scrivener discounts aside, the real prize is writing 50,000 words and having a first draft completed in 30 days.

What are the NaNoWriMo rules?

While the goal is writing 50,000 words in the month of November, how you get there is flexible. Here is a breakdown of the NaNoWriMo rules to help you stay on track.

• On November 1, the challenge begins as the clock strikes midnight, local time
• On November 30, the challenge ends at precisely 11:59:59 p.m. local time
• For the official challenge, no, you cannot start early or end late. However, you can plan ahead, take notes, create character sketches, etc. before November 1
• In order to win, your novel must reach minimum 50,000 new and/or rewritten words by the end of the challenge—but your novel doesn’t have to be complete

That said, “rebelling” is allowed and encouraged, since this is a self-challenge. If your project isn’t a perfect fit and you still want to participate, then do it. For more information on the rules of NaNoWriMo, both official and unofficial, check out this article.

Additional resources to help you prepare for NaNoWriMo from The Write Life

These three articles and resources will help you go further with NaNoWriMo specifically. The first is a free tool to help you outline your book before you start writing. The second will help you prepare for NaNoWriMo more fully. The third will help you in your goal-setting so you can actually win the challenge!

• Book Outline Template
• How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo
• NaNoWriMo Goals

This next set of articles and resources will help you with your novel more holistically. The first will help you get ready to write your novel, but chances are you’re already past that if you’re prepping for NaNoWriMo. The second gives you prompts to get the juices flowing. The third will help you set up routines to write consistently. The fourth is for when you finish writing your rough draft and are ready to self-edit.

• Getting ready to write your novel
• Writing Prompts (to help you come up with ideas)
• How to make time to write
• Self-editing tips

Side note: A lot of people have asked us, “When did NaNoWriMo start? How long has it been a thing?”

National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a challenge between writing friends and has since grown into a global marathon event attracting hundreds of thousands of participants each year. To date, there are nearly 800,000 active novelists and more than 350,000 completed novels as a result of this annual tradition.

We look forward to seeing you there this November!

These verbs help show what’s happening mentally or physically to a character.

They paint a picture in your reader’s mind. 

What is a vivid verb?

A vivid verb is a descriptive verb, which allows you to create interest and even excitement in your writing.

A captivating story

Have you ever read a book that stayed with you? One that you carry with you in your thoughts and it helps you interpret the world a bit better?

For me this book was Don’t Call Me SugarBaby! written by Dorothy Joan Harris and published in 1991. It’s based on the true story of her friend’s daughter who developed childhood onset diabetes.

Although my life hadn’t been touched by the disorder, I found the book compelling and heart-wrenching. The story allowed me to gain perspective on what it might be like to experience this life-altering condition, and the many changes and challenges it presents.

I’ve always been an avid reader and yet not many books stayed with me like this one. What made the difference? This story painted a vivid picture in my mind. Even though I was young, it allowed me to feel and visualize the main character’s fear and confusion over her symptoms, her panic and helplessness as she experienced low blood sugar, and her hope and determination as she learned what was wrong and discovered how to manage her health.

There are many ways to learn about this topic (and any other topic), but there’s something about storytelling that stays with us. And vivid verbs are the secret sauce for bringing stories to life.

Two examples of vivid verbs

What makes a sentence interesting is subjective. However, there are many common verbs that English-speakers are used to using so they’re not as powerful. 

When choosing verbs, go for the ones that best describe what your subject is doing or feeling. Are they looking or staring? Are they walking or gliding? Are they finding or discovering?

Here are two examples of how you can spice up your writing with vivid verbs.

Example 1

Penelope ate her lunch.

This is great information, we know what’s happening! But, do we care?

Let’s try again.

Racing to her seat, Penelope scarfed down her peanut butter and pickle sandwich.

Wow, what is happening here? What’s the rush Penelope? Where are you off to today? Is peanut butter and pickles a good combination? I have questions. I’d better keep reading.

Example 2

The cat meowed.

Again, this is an informative sentence. But can we paint a more vivid picture for our readers?

The scraggly cat brushed against the stranger’s legs, looked up and let out a hungry meow.

This adds a bit more color. Now you can hear what type of meow this was. Is the cat lost? Why is he so hungry? Is this stranger going to give him something to eat? With a few improvements, we’re on our way to using vivid verbs.

I hope this brief tutorial helps you better understand how to strenghten your sentences by choosing vivid verbs. Simple, but not always easy.

More writing tips

• Affect vs Effect Examples: When and How to Use Each
• Stephen King’s 23 Best Writing Tips
• How to Write Better: 10 Straightforward Techniques to Try Today
• Writing Children’s Books: How Magical Stories Come to Life
• Show, Don’t Tell: How to Show Not Tell in Writing With Exercises

How would you describe what you do to a stranger? This is a good place to start when thinking about your bio—it’s a concise, broad description with only the most important information.

You’ll use a short bio most of the time, whether it’s on social media, as part of a pitch or the back of your book.

Here are a few key pieces to consider including when space is of the essence:

• Name
• Current role, company or brand
• Passions, achievements, goals
• How to contact you

If you have a bit more space, or your audience is less formal, you may want to add personal details such as hobbies, quirks or a favorite book or author.

How to write a good bio

Here are a few key tips for writing an interesting bio.

Keep your bio focused and to the point

Make the most of your limited word count. Short, well-written bios command attention and inspire action. But even if you don’t have space constraints, still aim to keep your bio concise. What does your ideal reader need to know? Add that information and leave everything else out.

Want to improve your writing skills? Here are 10 straightforward techniques to try today.

Tell the truth

You want to put your best foot forward, but not at the expense of honesty. Your bio should be an accurate representation of who you are and inspire trust in your reader. Find that line between exaggerating and downplaying your achievements and you’re on the right track.

When you’re not sure what to write, crafting a bio can seem impossible. Here are some tips for figuring out what you want to write.

Link to your portfolio

If you have space, add a call-to-action or link to your portfolio. This is your best marketing tool and allows your audience to get to know you and your work better. 

If you don’t have a portfolio, or you know yours needs an upgrade, here are 17 writer’s portfolio examples we love.

Proofread

Your bio is not the place for grammatical errors or mistakes to sneak in. Take extra time to edit and proofread to ensure what you want to communicate is coming across the way you intended.

Here are five quick proofreading tips to help you out. And if you aren’t sure if your bio is working, enlist a friend or editor to help. 

Writing a good bio comes down to a few key elements: communicating who you are, what you’re about and how to get in touch. Everything else is gravy!

Want to go deeper? Check out How to Write An Author Bio.

A basic definition for keeping a journal simply means recording daily events. And yet we tend to make it more complicated than that! So, whatever your journaling practice looks like these days, as long as you’re marking time passing, then you’re doing it right. A grocery list, a few notes from a lecture you heard or a formal reflection practice, whatever.

The act of keeping a journal is not a new thing, and there are many different techniques you can use to help you develop an effective journaling practice.

5 types of journaling writing

Morning Pages

Here’s what you do: as soon as you get up in the morning, write three stream-of-consciousness pages. Longhand. This is a style of free writing made popular in Julie Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. Its intention is to help artists break through their creative blocks.

Those who practice Morning Pages swear by it, and there’s even a 5 a.m. Club on Twitter who gathers around the habit of writing first thing in the morning. People tend to congregate at 5 a.m. Eastern Time, but you’ll find #5AMWritersClub posts throughout the day.

Free writing

This is a similar practice to Morning Pages, except you can write at any time of day. Most people write to a timer rather than a page count and the idea is to allow your thoughts to flow without editing or even thinking too hard about it. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads.

You could start with a writing prompt, a problem you want to solve or even with “I don’t know what to write” over and over until you know what to write next. Allow yourself to write uncensored and without judgment. You’re just looking to get things out and off of your mind.

Bullet journaling

This is a simple and practical system with the end goal of being organized and productive. Keeping a Bullet Journal means adhering to a system of bullets and learning a series of shorthand symbols to help you plan tasks, reminders, meetings and more.

This is a flexible system that you can make your own, and works best when used to plan, reflect and keep track of what matters most to you.

Gratitude journaling

You can transform any type of journal writing technique into gratitude journaling and it can be a tremendous aid in self-care, mental health and contentment.

This can be an extremely powerful journaling practice as it helps you stay positive and acknowledge the things you have to be thankful for. The result of focusing on the good? You become a happier, less stressed-out person.

Reading journaling

This is a fun journaling style for writers and readers. There’s no set formula for keeping a reading journal, but most people use it to keep track of inspiring quotes, ideas to ponder or even a list of books to be read later.

Whether you’re keeping a journal to better remember what you read, or using it as a way to respond and analyze what you’re reading, this can be a great way to engage with words in a new way, and boost your creativity.

Five reasons you should keep a journal

Some people may resist keeping a journal, citing it as self-absorbed or even narcissistic, but as someone who has seen nothing but positive results from years of writing things down I wanted to recount five reasons, from my experience, why you should reconsider the practice.

You become more observant

Being in the habit of writing things down trains you to notice what’s around you. You take in the world as an observer, rather than simply floating along.

You become more organized

Writing things down helps you organize your life and your thoughts. Feeling big feelings? Write about it. Break it down into smaller pieces; manageable chunks.

You become more goal-oriented

When you keep track of events and achievements, you’re more likely to notice when you stop moving forward. Once you are aware, you can take control of your personal development.

You become more self-aware

In most cases, journaling writing is a solo activity. It’s quiet time spent reflecting, thinking and dreaming. It can be an important time of growth in self-awareness and maturity.

You become a better communicator

The more you write, the better you become at articulating your thoughts and feelings. And the better you communicate with yourself, the better you’ll communicate with others.

Keeping a journal doesn’t have to be a basic activity, but it also doesn’t have to be overly complex. Make daily reflections, jot down a few notes, practice something more formal or carve your own path. If you’re looking for ways to be more creative then why not give journaling writing a try?

Article templates are especially suited for freelance writers, bloggers or journalists who write articles, rather than those who are writing book-length works. (But if you’re looking for a book outline template, check out this resource.) 

How to use an article template

Before we get into types of article templates you can use for your next project, I want to talk about how I prepared this article using a template. This is not to say there is a right or wrong way to use templates, but rather to demonstrate one way an article can come together using this type of tool.

I began by doing research on my topic by looking at articles I’ve already written (I found this one on writing outlines), as well as articles that were already available on The Write Life (like this one about freelance writing templates). I asked myself, what can I add to round out this topic better?

Here’s what I decided to focus on for a new post on article templates: provide a breakdown of a few different article templates you’ll need as a freelance writer.

Next, I looked at other articles on this topic for inspiration, did keyword research and also thought through what were the most valuable templates in my experience.

I settled on four types: 

• Blog article template
• Magazine feature article template
• Newspaper article template
• Pitch template

Next, I took my word count and divided it into sections. I do this to help me keep the article balanced but also to make sure I stick to the brief. Breaking down the content in this way also helps me identify sections where I may have too much or not enough information early on.

• Introduction—100 words
• Heading one (example breakdown)—300 words
• Heading two (blog)—125 words
• Heading three (magazine)—125 words
• Heading four (newspaper)—125 words
• Heading five (pitch)—125 words
• Conclusion—50 words

After I plug in my headings I fill in some details of what I want to cover in each section. This is freewriting with some direction, and key takeaways I want readers to have.

Blog article template

There are many types of blog posts and they all follow slightly different templates, so for the sake of brevity we’ll stick to the list post example. If you want to go deeper into blog templates then here are a couple resources: Ahrefs and Backlinko.

The list post

In a list post, here are the elements to plan for:

• Headline (include the number of items in your list)
• Introduction (establish the benefit of reading your article)
• List items (identify these with headers)
• Short paragraphs (outline the benefits of each list item)
• Conclusion

When writing a list post, the most important thing is to keep the post skimmable and easy to absorb. People aren’t coming to read an essay, they’re looking to solve a problem quickly.

Magazine feature article template

Writing feature articles can be trickier than a list blog post, because these are written to tell a story and weave together several interviews, combining narrative and facts. 

In general, you have to complete your interviews before you can plan your article. This is because feature articles are built around quotes and it’s often a puzzle to get these pieces together. However, having an article template structure is helpful.

Here’s a basic structure to follow

• Headline
• Secondary headline
• Introduction (controlling idea)
• Body (the main article expanding from the controlling idea into subtopics)
• Conclusion

Feature articles are written in a personal tone and they utilize writing devices such as imagery and description. To go deeper on feature articles, here’s an interesting breakdown from The Freelancer’s Year.

Newspaper article template

If you’ve been to journalism school then you are familiar with the inverted pyramid. It’s called this because you picture the story like an upside down triangle. The facts come first, and you include less important and smaller details as you write.

How to write in the inverted pyramid style

• Choose a descriptive headline
• Lede should be the main point (the reader should know the whole story after reading the first paragraph)
• Summarize the key points
• Add story details and supporting information in order of importance
• Cut any unnecessary information or details
• Use straightforward language and short paragraphs

This is a story structure, which places the most important information first. Within a paragraph or two, the who, what, where, why and how are answered.

Article pitch template

If you’re a freelance writer, there’s a good chance pitching article ideas is a part of your everyday life. So the question is, how do you craft a pitch that will stand out above the noise? Using a pitch template can help you focus on the most important details and stay focused on what editors need to know.

Basic pitch outline

• Subject line (this will be sent by email, follow the publication guidelines and get to the point quickly)
• Salutation
• Introduction paragraph (include your suggested article headline and your connection with the publication)
• The pitch paragraph (include your story and how you will tell it)
• Bio (a bit about yourself and your qualifications)
• Sign off (include your contact details)

The main idea is to grab the attention of the person you’re reaching out to in a short amount of time and get that article assignment.

Article templates are a wonderful way to get clear on your idea and draw yourself a map to follow as you put your piece together. As you get more comfortable using templates these will become more and more customized to your style and needs, and that’s a good thing.

Before you start NaNoWriMo:

1. Decide on your project

What are you going to write? What’s the title? What genre is it? What will it be about? If you can, write a short summary of the project beforehand. You’ll need this anyway when you register for NaNoWriMo, so why not get it out of the way first. The more detailed your NaNoWriMo goals are prior to November 1st, the better.

What to read if you’re stuck: How to Figure Out Topics to Write About.

2. Come up with characters

You don’t have to figure everything out, but it’s a good idea to think about who your characters will be before November 1. One suggestion is to come up with simple character sheets with at least three attributes, which will drive their actions through your story.

What to read if you’re stuck: 3 Tips for Crafting a Protagonist.

3. Write an outline

Whether you’re a pantser or a planner, coming up with an outline is a good idea. NaNoWriMo is a sprint right from November 1 through November 30, and you don’t have time to waste wondering where your story is going.

What to read if you’re stuck: 6 Legitimate Reasons to Create a Book Outline.

4. Do some world-building

Give yourself the best chance of NaNoWriMo success by creating your story’s world before November 1. Regardless of genre, your characters exist in a world and the more you know about it ahead of time, the better.

What to do if you’re stuck: read Worldbuilding: How to Create a Believable World for Your Fiction Characters.

5. Set a writing schedule

In order to “win” NaNoWriMo you must complete 50,000 words by November 30. The best way to accomplish this task? Have a plan and stick to it. Do the math and break your writing goals down into manageable chunks. Then add enough time to your calendar—anywhere from 1-3 hours per day.

What to read if you’re stuck: Determined to Meet Your Writing Goals? Set Up a Production Schedule.  

How to not get derailed while writing:

6. Remember, you’re writing a draft

By the end of November your only goal is to have written 50,000 words. They don’t have to be good words. They don’t even have to be interesting words. The point is, don’t allow perfectionism to derail you from hitting your daily word count.

What to read if you’re stuck: 20 Journaling Prompts to Jumpstart Your Creativity.

7. Go where your characters take you

Keep NaNoWriMo success in mind: you’re not trying to write a perfect book in 30 days, you’re trying to hit the NaNoWriMo word count goal. As you write, allow yourself to follow your characters (and creativity) wherever they take you. 

What to read if you’re stuck: How to Create Characters Who Will Come Alive in Your Novel.

8. If you’re blocked, move on

NaNoWriMo is no time to sit, spinning your wheels. If a scene or chapter isn’t coming together, then skip it and come back to it later. You may want to jot down a few notes to remind yourself of where you’re going and after that allow your mind to focus on what’s next.

What to read if you’re stuck: 6 Creative Tips to Crush Writer’s Block.

9. Use dialogue

Dialogue is a great tool for many reasons, including advancing your story, establishing the tone and allowing your characters to reveal their personalities. Switching up your writing to include dialogue will also help unblock you so you can keep writing. 

What to read if you’re stuck: How to Write Dialogue.

10. Harness the power of writing prompts

If you find yourself getting in your head, then looking outwards for inspiration could give you an amazing breakthrough. This can look any number of ways—everything from creating a moodboard for your story to composing a playlist or even going for a nature walk.

What to read if you’re stuck: Writing Prompts: 52 Places to Find Them When You Need Inspiration.

When it comes to accomplishing your NaNoWriMo goals, it all comes down to one thing and one thing alone: getting 50,000 new or revised words on the page between November 1 and November 30. Hopefully, these tips help you keep moving forward toward this goal as you craft your first draft and give yourself something to nurture and revise later.

Although much of my musing and hastily-scrawled notes were unfit for public viewing, I’m also forever amazed at how the simple act of free writing can unlock creativity in a way nothing else seems to. 

However, once I started writing for a living, my creative journaling fell by the wayside. It wasn’t intentional, and it was always something I meant to get back into, but as writing became more work than fun, these special moments of inspiration seemed to dry up.

My experience with structured writing and journaling prompts

In an effort to reignite my creative flame, I decided to attend a writing retreat where the focus was on writing for yourself and discovering possibilities. Sounds nice, right? I had been to many conferences but they were more practical and work-related. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

During our first session at the retreat, we were asked to write five words or phrases on slips of paper and then put them in a hat. At each subsequent session we’d draw one of the prompts and spend 15 minutes free writing, inspired by whatever was written on that piece of paper. No prep, no overthinking. Just a pen, a notebook, and a time limit.

Even though I was out of practice, it felt great to write for writing’s sake. There was no pressure; this was nothing other than a warm up for the rest of the day.

While it was nice to do this in a group setting, focused journaling is also helpful for writers to practice on their own. And using prompts is helpful if you don’t feel like you have a lot to say. It’s a judgment-free zone—launch from the prompt and capture whatever comes to mind. Keep going until the timer buzzes or until you feel like your story is complete. There’s no wrong way to keep a journal and while it doesn’t work for everyone, this can be a great way to work through writing blocks, perfectionism and overthinking. Get those kinks out in the journal and then get back to your big projects invigorated and inspired.

20 journaling prompts for writers

Here are 20 journaling prompts to help you tap into your creativity and get your words flowing. Choose one from the list that resonates with you, or allow this list to spark a new prompt. The main idea is to get you writing so go down the list in order, or do it another way. Whatever works!

Question and answer

1. If you could invent something to make your life easier, how would it work and what would it do?

2. What does love look like? What does it feel like?

3. Who do you look up to and why?

4. What’s one lesson you’ve learned the hard way?

5. Donating time or money—which do you prefer and why?

Descriptive

1. Describe something beautiful

2. Write about a time you were truly happy

3. Describe your ideal home in as much detail as you can

4. Write about your best friend and how you met

5. Write about a treasured memory and what makes it so special

Inspiration

1. Skim the headlines from your local newspaper or news site. What captures your attention? Why? Write about that

2. The next time you’re out, pay attention to the nametags of people working in stores or restaurants. Write an imagined life for one or more of them

3. Look out your window and write about what you observe. Use it as a launching point or stick to facts, wherever your pen takes you

4. Think about yourself, your relationships, your career, etc. What’s something you would like to change? Write about how you would change it if you could

5. Is there someone you’d like to thank but can’t for some reason? Write a letter to that person, even if you never send it

General Themes

1. Forgiveness

2. Love

3. Hope

4. Survival

5. Honor

Let’s talk about when to use affect versus effect. It’s a common query and the two words are very easy to confuse, even for seasoned writers.

You may be wondering why the effect versus affect usage even really matters, since most people can work out what you’re saying even if you use “effect” when the correct word is “affect.” Here’s why: words matter. Choosing the right words helps you communicate clearly and ensures your readers understand your meaning without having to work for it.

As a writer, you know the power of your words. When we string together individual ideas, presenting them in a beautiful, coherent thought, we help readers understand the world around them. Words can change a heart, convince a mind, and even alter the course of history. So knowing the meaning of words and using them in the correct, precise way could make all the difference to your readers.

Let’s briefly look at not only the specific definition of these words, but also affect vs effect examples, as well as a helpful acronym to keep the proper usage top of mind.

Affect vs Effect Examples and Definition

Affect is a verb (usually). Use this word when you want to impact or change a noun (person, place, or thing).

Example of “affect” in a sentence: Missing school could negatively affect your grades.

In this sentence, “missing school” has an impact on on the noun “grades,” so the correct term is “affect.” 

Effect is a noun (usually). You use this word when you want to demonstrate the result of an impact or change.

Example of “effect” in a sentence: The effect of missing school was a failing grade.

In this sentence, “a failing grade” is the result of “missing school,” so the correct term is “effect.”

A Helpful Acronym for When to Use Affect vs Effect

The simple memory trick to keep this straight is R-A-V-E-N.

RAVEN stands for:

Remember

Affect

Verb

Effect

Noun

Remember, “affect” is a verb and “effect” is a noun. In most cases, this is how you determine when to use affect vs effect.

Affect vs Effect Exceptions 

Of course, it wouldn’t be the English language if there weren’t times when “affect” is a noun and “effect” is a verb. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen often!

When using “affect” as a noun, it’s to describe an emotion or a feeling. This usage isn’t common and can be confusing even when used correctly.

Example of “affect” as a noun: I noticed my friend’s sad affect after the movie and was concerned.

In this sentence, “the movie” made my friend sad, thus my friend’s “sad affect.”

A simpler way of phrasing could be: The movie made my friend sad, which concerned me.

When using “effect” as a verb, it means “to bring about.” It’s an old usage of the word that doesn’t come up much because it makes sentences a bit clunky.

Example of “effect” as a verb: Our words have the power to effect change.

In this sentence, “our words” can bring about “change,” so we use the word “effect” as a verb.

A less confusing sentence with the same meaning could be: Our words can lead to change.

When in doubt of whether to use affect vs effect, stick to RAVEN. You’ll be correct 99% of the time.

Conclusion

Since these two terms have similar meanings and sounds, it’s easy to understand why so many writers get them mixed up. Things can affect you, but they can also have an effect on you. Both are true! Do your best, and then run your piece through a grammar checker or editing tool to make sure you’re using terms properly. These tools and resources are created to help catch those pesky errors so you can communicate your message with clarity and conviction.

A common conversation in writer’s circles is how we’re woefully underpaid for our craft. However, copywriters are an exception — this kind of writer is both paid well and in high demand.

Industry veteran Nicki Krawczyk still remembers how painful it was to figure everything out when she was getting into copywriting. She created Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, part of her brand Filthy Rich Writer, to take the guesswork out of breaking into the business. For more than 15 years, Nicki has been writing copy and working with top-tier clients including Hasbro, TripAdvisor, T.J.Maxx and Keurig. Impressive, right?

If you have the drive and desire to make a living from your writing, and you want to be a copywriter and are ready to do the work, then Comprehensive Copywriting Academy will be your guiding light.

What is copywriting?

In a nutshell, copywriting persuades or convinces people to take some sort of action. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a service or clicking on a link.

This writing is called “copy,” and it includes everything from emails, sales pages and banner ads to direct mail, advertisements, brochures and more. Copywriting is a careful combination of art and science — with some specific rules to write by.

This course covers two types of copywriting: direct response copywriting and branding copywriting.

1. Direct response copywriting is the “hard sell” and seeks an immediate action from the audience.
2. Branding copywriting is a “soft sell,” with the goal of affecting the way people think about a product or company and provoking an emotion.

In Comprehensive Copywriting Academy, Nicki teaches strategies that work for either copywriting style, explaining they have the same principles with different results.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy course details

In this online self-paced course, Nicki teaches students how to turn writing talent into recurring income. 

By following the step-by-step plans over six modules, you’ll learn how to write effective copy and how to build a successful copywriting career. 

There are several options for finding work as a copywriter. Whether you’re looking for a full-time staff job, a part-time side hustle or a freelance position, the training you’ll receive in Comprehensive Copywriting Academy offers the foundation you need.

The lessons build on each other, starting with learning “the success mindset” in the first module and ending with discovering different ways to structure your career in the final module. 

You’ll learn how to lead with the benefits to the consumer, work within specific parameters, and build your business.

The course also includes action sheets, in-depth bonus content and a Facebook Group filled with other students who you can turn to for support.

Video-based lessons on how to become a copywriter

While the course includes a few written slides, most of the lessons are video presentations with audio instructions. 

Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn in the 20+ hours of foundational training:

• Get started: This module teaches three states of mind that are important for copywriters to embrace, how to plan for success, tactics for mastery and ways to fight internal resistance — and win.
• Copywriting fundamentals: Well-written copy is essential to selling, but it also needs to resonate with people. This module teaches the essential rules when crafting effective copy.
• Copywriting tactics: You’ll learn common terms, shady techniques to avoid, what makes copy work, how to be a strong self-editor and how to create drafts and copy docs.
• The project lifecycle: When you’re just getting started, running projects can seem overwhelming. This module reviews everything from the project kick-off to working with a designer to the creative review and more.
• Interactive/digital copywriting: This module is a practical look at copywriting for various digital media such as websites, emails and mobile. It also covers content writing and how to work content into a copywriting strategy.
• Print copywriting: While the fundamentals between digital and print copywriting are the same, the tactics are different. In this module, you’ll learn how to write newspaper and magazine ads, direct mail, sales letters and corporate pieces.
• Building your business: Once you learn how to be a top copywriter and have experience under your belt, it’s time to build your business. This module focuses on important basics like creating your portfolio, setting your prices and administration.

These modules are packed with valuable teaching and contain action sheets and examples for deeper self-study. To get the most out of this course, you’ll need to set aside time both for the videos and to complete the assignments.

Bonus material in this copywriting course

For those who want additional help or support, Nicki offers live, monthly coaching calls. Students can ask questions about copywriting, building a career and portfolio, finding clients and more. For those who can’t attend live, a recording is posted in the student portal along with years of archived calls.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy also includes bonuses for no additional cost:

• Access to the student-only Facebook group
• Several surprise bonus courses

You’ll need internet access to watch the videos, but you can download the action sheets to print out and complete offline.

What does it take to be successful as a copywriter?

While having a natural ability for writing is an asset, launching a copywriting career still takes training and a plan.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy provides a roadmap outlining the skills and experience you’ll need to build your portfolio and find clients.

Traits you’ll develop:

• How to work within limitations and constraints
• Humility (you’re writing for your client or boss, not for yourself)
• How to work on a team
• The ability to “kill your darlings”
• Conciseness
• The ability not to take things personally

Skills you’ll learn:

• The rules and tactics for creating on-brand and effective copy
• How to navigate the project process with clients, managers and designers
• How to write copy for interactive and print media
• Finding work and negotiating rates
• How to build your experience and portfolio

A chance to learn from industry veteran Nicki Krawczyk

In addition to writing copy for clients such as Marshalls, Harlequin, adidas and Reebok over the past 15 years, Nicki is also a copy coach. She believes there is plenty of work to go around and teaches people who love to write how to launch their own copywriting careers. 

With experience working for agencies, as an in-house copywriter and as a freelancer, Nicki has the real-life skills and know-how to guide writers in the ways of copywriting. 

She founded Filthy Rich Writer and created Comprehensive Copywriting Academy because she believes it doesn’t need to be hard to break into copywriting, it just takes training, practice and some guidance.

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy review

For more than a decade, I worked at a nonprofit as an in-house writer. Although my title was never “copywriter,” many of my tasks and responsibilities fit this category. While I knew I needed specialized skills and training to improve my copywriting, I hadn’t found a dedicated course until Comprehensive Copywriting Academy.

When I first logged into my account, I was amazed to see an entire section on print copywriting. While I have worked with print for a long time, I have never found training on it. Most courses focus on digital media, treating print as passe. Seeing this module gave me a lot of confidence in both the course and in Nicki as the instructor.

After taking a look around the site and making mental notes to come back to certain bonus courses that caught my interest, I began in Module 0, mindset. After a few videos, I became overwhelmed with how much there was to go through.

There’s a lesson counter on the right-hand sidebar of the site that said I had watched 0 of 125 lessons and I thought, I will never get through all of this material! There is so much to unpack and process, the “comprehensive” in Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is definitely the right word choice.

I realized I needed a plan to consume the training, so I created a schedule and set aside dedicated time to review the material. Once I was organized, I was able to continue with the course, taking slow, methodical steps forward.

The most comprehensive copywriting course I’ve ever seen

Each video has a goal and premise, outlines the outcomes and offers insight and action steps. The teaching is clear and gives a reasonable and realistic look at what launching a copywriting career will take.

What I love about the course as a whole is how all-encompassing it is. It covers every aspect of what a copywriter will experience in their career and gives you skills for anticipating and navigating challenges and opportunities.

For example, there’s an entire video on learning how to work with a designer. Understanding how important the partnership between copywriters and designers is to bring a project to life is key to having a successful project. If I had this training before I started collaborating with designers, I think it would have gone a lot smoother in the beginning! 

This course is aimed at people who already know how to write, but may not have the skills required to earn a living as a copywriter. Although it teaches some basic business skills, the training is intended to help students launch copywriting careers rather than strictly businesses. 

Nicki also encourages students to try all types of copywriting gigs, in-house agency work, part-time contracts and freelancing. Not only will it give you experience and insight, but you’ll become a more versatile writer.

There’s a lot of information to get through in this course, and the price point might deter those who are not serious about becoming copywriters. And the truth is, if you’re looking for a quick win or a business in a box, this is not the course for you. 

But if you’re looking for a road map to help you build a sustainable career, Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is a solid resource to invest in.

How much does Comprehensive Copywriting Academy cost?

There are a few different price points and payment options, but you can get access for under $700, which is incredibly well-priced for the amount of content and attention you get. (Which also makes a great gift for writers you might know.)

We should add that there’s a free training, “How to Land Freelance Copywriting Work without Wasting Time on Frustrating Job Bidding Sites or Cold-Calling Strangers”, which is a worthwhile one-hour video that offers great training as well as a thorough overview of what’s inside Comprehensive Copywriting Academy from Nicki herself.  

Here’s what’s included in the course:

• The Foundations Course — the Comprehensive Copywriting Academy Core Training
• 30+ video tutorials with companion action sheets
• Live monthly coaching calls
• Access to the student-only Facebook group
• Bonus courses, client calls bonus and surprise bonuses

Comprehensive Copywriting Academy is available on demand and is self-paced, so you can enroll and take the course whenever it works best for you. 

Once you enroll, you’ll have access to the entire Comprehensive Copywriting Academy training library including deep dives into topics like how to create spec ads, how to write for solopreneurs and landing agency work.

The foundation coursework itself will take you about 20 hours to watch from beginning to end. 

Copywriting takes skills, knowledge and practice, but with the right guidance, it’s absolutely possible to carve out a career in copywriting. If this course helps you do that, we’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Looking for other classes? Check out our guide to the best online writing courses.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

Photo by Anthony Shkraba from Pexels

Then a friend who was already a successful freelance writer told her she had to stop accepting low writing rates. Not only for herself, but because she was lowering the bar for writers everywhere.

This caused a shift in Kristin’s mind, and she began to view her writing as a business instead of a hobby. Now she’s a full-time writer, journalist and author — and living proof that you can make money as a freelance writer.

To help others who want to make money from freelancing, Kristin and fellow full-time writer Alex Webb created Come Write With Us, a course that teaches how to break into the writing business.

When I first started freelance writing, it seemed like such a mysterious and exclusive world. I wish I had a roadmap like Come Write With Us to help me navigate the world of professional writing! 

If you want to make money from your writing but don’t know where to start, this course is for you. In this post, I’ll explain what I found most valuable about the course and what to expect when you enroll.

A chance to learn from seasoned freelancers

Both Kristin and Alex are the real deal with the bylines to prove it.

Since transforming from writing hobbyist to working professional, Kristin has written for the New York Times, Glamour magazine and Travel + Leisure. In 2018, she published her first book, “Get Money”, with Hachette Book Group.

Alex works full time as a freelance writer, and he has authored and contributed to books published by National Geographic, the Financial Times Press and Skyhorse.

It takes real work to get published by big publications — but there’s a difference between working harder and working smarter. Come Write With Us teaches you how to work smarter.

Here’s an example. When Alex first started writing articles, he was satisfied to get paid $50 per piece… until he did the math and realized he couldn’t make ends meet that way. Working harder would mean writing more articles for $50, and there are only so many hours in the day. Instead, he focused on working smarter, finding clients who will pay higher rates — $300, $500 and even $650 or more — for an article.

In this course, he teaches how to take that smart approach.

What’s included in the Come Write With Us Course

Come Write With Us is an online course about the media industry and how to make a freelance writing business work in the real world. 

Over nine self-paced modules, you’ll learn how to take your writing from amateur to professional, create a personal brand for your writing, and set rates or negotiate better ones.

The course also includes worksheets, tips and tricks, advice from writers and a Facebook group filled with other students you can share your experience with.

Text-based modules that teach you how to become a freelance writer

While the course includes a few videos, most of the lessons are written material. Here’s a preview of what you’ll learn:

• Schedule time to practice: Improve your writing by practicing. This module teaches you how to make time in your schedule for this discipline.
• Brainstorm epic ideas: Learn strategies for coming up with fresh topics to write about.
• Write like a pro: Take your freelance writing to the next level by learning what editors expect from writers.
• Build your portfolio: If you want bylines, you need a platform and personal brand. This module walks you through how to set up an online writing portfolio.
• Pitch like a pro: Want to see the pitches Kristin and Alex used to pitch the New York Times and National Geographic? They share pitches that worked for them.
• Find work: When you’re just starting out, finding and landing great gigs can be tough. Learn where to find work, with tips for looking beyond the obvious places.
• Set your rates: Learn how to set your prices and how to negotiate higher rates.
• Network with other writers: Practice reaching out to established writers and influencers in the industry in a way that feels good.
• Protect yourself and your business: To help you understand the legal side of your writing business, this module covers taxes, media liability insurance and more.

These modules are packed with content and contain behind-the-scenes examples, writer Q&As, homework assignments and exercises. You’ll need a writer’s notebook and time set aside for completing the assignments. 

If you follow through on all the advice in this course, you’ll have a polished, professional writing clip by the end of the third module and an online writing portfolio by the end of module four.

Bonus material in this writing course

Come Write With Us also includes two bonuses:

• Access to the private Facebook community, where Kristin and Alex post job listings and answer questions.
• The Writer’s Toolkit for Getting Sh*t Done guide, which includes all the resources, tools and strategies they use in their own freelance writing businesses.

Come Write With Us is available on demand and is self-paced, so you can take the course when it works best for you. Most people get through the course in four to six weeks. 

Connect to the Internet to read through the modules, or download homework assignments to print and work on later. Other downloads are available as well, including worksheets, schedules and checklists.

The course is hosted on Teachable, a teaching platform for online courses or coaching businesses. 

Pros and cons of Come Write With Us 

One of the biggest things that stuck out to me about this course is how it’s friendly and inviting. Kristin and Alex really want to help writers make money and they understand all the big emotions we wrestle with.

If you feel like a complete imposter, they get it. If you’re totally insecure, that’s OK. And if you lack confidence or skills, no problem. They’re here for it, and ready to guide you through the process of figuring out how to be a professional writer.

This is a text-heavy course — really wordy. However, the writing is comprehensive and not at all pretentious. If you’re interested in the topic of starting a freelance writing business, it will hold your attention. 

Come Write With Us covers everything from choosing a niche and launching a website to setting rates and pitching. It holds your hand through the entire process and focuses heavily on the emotional hurdles new freelancers are facing. If dealing with your feelings isn’t your thing, this approach could be a turnoff. 

While the modules contain a ton of actionable information and advice, one of the biggest values of the course is the supportive community, as well as access to the instructors.

This course is aimed at people who are completely new to freelancing, people who want to write but lack know-how or people who already work in freelance writing and want to take their business to the next level. Although it teaches the skills needed to run a full-time freelance business, the training can be adapted to suit a part-time writing business or side hustle as well.

While there’s some industry jargon to watch out for, this is a great overview for beginners without being overwhelming. Overall, the lessons are detailed, outlined well and a solid way to get a complete newbie up and running.

The course costs either a one-time payment of $197 or three monthly payments of $72 for lifetime access.

The truth is, you don’t need to take a freelance writing course to have a successful career or earn hundreds of dollars per article. But taking a high-quality course might help you get there faster. 

Come Write With Us doesn’t offer any shortcuts (there aren’t any), but it will help you avoid the pitfalls that make the journey longer or more frustrating than it has to be. With solid advice and business acumen, Kristin and Alex will teach you how to avoid getting scammed, find high-paying gigs and pitch articles editors love. And that will put you in the fast lane on the road to becoming a freelance writer.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

Photo via shurkin_son / Shutterstock