If you like to express yourself through words, and express your imagination and opinions to an audience of readers, then you might be cut out for a career in writing. You’ll hone your skills through study and portfolio development, before turning your hand to novels, scripts, poetry, articles, blogs, or whatever form of expression you feel compelled to create.
Updated: 03 Feb 2026
Regardless of the focus of your work, most writers will do the following on a weekly basis:
Researching topics or background context for your project
Drafting and laying out the structure of your writing
Editing written work (your own, or your colleagues)
Collaborating with editors, publishers, or clients
Structuring your schedule to meet deadlines
Adapting your writing style for different audiences
Discipline: Most authors will tell you that writing takes time and persistence. Creativity comes less often from a spontaneous flash of inspiration, but rather from a sustained practice
Editing: A necessary and often pragmatic part of content and commercial writing, editing can also be a creative act. Finding the finished text from within the draft requires a careful and considered approach
A-levels (or equivalent) in English literature or language are a popular choice, along with subjects like history or media and communication, that develop writing skills and critical thinking. However there’s no set route into a writing-based degree course, and a creative portfolio can be as important as your subject choices.
A BA in Creative Writing, English, or Journalism is a popular route. Some universities offer combined degrees such as Creative Writing and Media, allowing you to develop a broader skillset. Some courses specialise in fiction and poetry, others focus on copywriting, publishing, or scriptwriting.
Many writing degrees include workshops related to specific professional roles and industry networking opportunities, so if you know what type of writing you want to build a career in, then dig a little deeper into the module structure and course offering, to see if there’s something that jumps out.
NEXT: Browse hundreds of creative writing courses
You’ll explore different writing styles and genres with your tutors and, while you will have lectures and seminars, writing-based courses typically involve a lot of self-directed research and study.
Most weeks you’ll be writing essays, explorations, short stories, or responses to simulated commercial briefs, through which you’ll receive one-to-one feedback that will help you develop your own voice and style.
You’ll build a diverse writing portfolio, often including prose, poetry, and non-fiction, while also learning editing techniques and learning about the business of publishing.
Assessment is typically based on coursework and portfolios reviews, and a third year dissertation is common for undergraduate degrees.
You don’t need a degree to become a writer, however it’s often beneficial to have the structure of a degree course (or something similar) to guide you through the stages where you form your own style of writing and build a professional portfolio.
Many writers build their careers through blogging, self-publishing, or freelance writing and the internet allows myriad opportunities for getting your work out into the public domain.
Career pathways can be flexible, and most writers gather experience with a few different outlets at one time or other. For example, becoming a professional novelist or playwright doesn’t usually happen overnight, and most authors will take on more commercial work to support their livelihood while they work on their creative passion projects, so prepare for this.
Joining a marketing, media, or publishing company is a good way to get a steady income, and you can work on short stories or scripts to submit to competitions and publishers in your free time.
Be prolific Write often, and try to write without self-judgement. Experiment, and don’t be afraid of writing something bad. It shows courage and the ability to evolve
Enter competitions Competitions offer an endless source of writing briefs. Creativity often flourishes when boundaries are in place, and these competitions give you the structure to write something new, with the possibility of recognition for your efforts
Show passion Your energy will show through in your writing, as it does when you talk about something you love, and this makes for compelling reading
“The best aspect of my course is that I get to choose what I write. I always wanted to write horror and mystery and the lecturers have been very supportive with their critical feedback. ” — Maitreya Manasvin, MA Creative Writing at Northumbria University, Newcastle
NEXT: Hear what other think about their writing degrees
What are entry-level writing jobs?
You could start as a copywriter, editorial assistant, content producer, or freelance journalist.
Is writing a stable career?
It varies. Creative writing, and freelance work can be unpredictable, but many writers combine writing with more consistent work in media or education.
Are there opportunities to publish during uni?
Yes, absolutely. Most writing courses offer publishing projects or access to student-run literary journals, helping you get your work out there early, and your tutors will be glad to help you find opportunities to have your work represented.
Ready to get those creative juices flowing? Explore a range of degrees on Whatuni to find the right programme to build your career as an author/writer.