13 Creative Writing Jobs You Can Do From Home (2024)

You’re looking for remote creative writing jobs — and not just because you’re an introvert with a knack for writing.

You have an independent spirit, and you can think of many reasons why working from home would be a good fit for you.

So many of your peers are working remotely, now, after all. And you’d very much like to join them. But what types of creative writing opportunities should you focus on?

Welcome to our list of 13 options with links to help you get started.

13 Creative Writing Jobs You Can Do from Home

You can do any of the following creative writing jobs from home.

Consider what you enjoy doing and focus on the kind of writing work you’d gladly do every day — even if the pay didn’t start out as high as you’d like.

If you don’t already have experience with freelance writing or a collection of high-quality work to share with prospective clients or readers, think of these as entry-level creative writing jobs.

Make it a priority to build an accessible portfolio of your best writing samples to give clients and readers a taste of what they can expect from you.

This can be a hyperlinked list of book excerpts, an active blog, or a link to free ebook collections of poems, short stories, or personal essays.

Show who you are and where you shine. And make it easy for your ideal clients to get a hold of you for new writing contracts or projects.

Freelance Fiction Writing Jobs

Freelance writing usually brings to mind article writing or copywriting, but there’s plenty of room for fiction writers in this field.

Don’t be afraid to start with low-budget projects, as long as the client values your work and treats you with respect.

Yes, rates matter, especially when you’ve got bills to pay. But ultimately, good client-writer relationships are what will make freelance work something you’ll want to do long-term.

1. Ghostwriting

Ghostwriters write either fiction or nonfiction for a client who pays for their rights to the content. Essentially, your client pays in order to use your content as their own.

And if you admire your client’s work, the fact that they want to put their name on something you wrote is a huge compliment.

You can find ghostwriting gigs on sites like Upwork and Freelancer.com, or you can join a ghostwriting agency as one of their writers.

2. Novels or Novellas

If you’d rather write fiction under your own name, take advantage of Duotrope’s free trial to find the best markets for your chosen genres, using their searchable database.

Or search the most recent printed edition of the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.

You can also find fiction writing gigs on websites like Upwork and Freelancer.com. Or look up “fiction writing jobs” on Indeed.com or SimplyHired.com.

3. Short Stories

If you’d rather write short stories, you can find markets for your own finished stories using Duotrope or the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Or if you’d like to write short stories for clients, try shopping for gigs on Upwork.

Flash Fiction Online is now open to all submission categories through Submittable. The Sun is also open to short stories, as well as essays, interviews, and poetry.

You can always do an internet search on “Short story guidelines” to find new options.

4. Screenplays

You can find screenplay writing gigs on Upwork and Freelancer.com, as well as on Indeed.com. Or search the new playwriting and screenwriting sections of the 2020 Writer’s Market .

You can also check out the Screenwriter’s Market website for a listing of producers seeking screenplay submissions.

5. Fan Fiction

The best place to start with writing and sharing your fan fiction is Archive of Our Own (AO3), an archive for “transformative fanworks,” including fanfiction and fan art. Participate in challenges to get more eyes on your work.

Otherwise, if you build a big enough following on Tumblr, it’s not unheard of to meet (among the many people writing mini-fanfic for their favorite fandoms) someone willing to pay you to develop their story ideas into actual books.

Online Creative Writing Jobs

If you’re thinking specifically of online writing jobs — i.e., writing for online media — you have more options now than ever, the most popular of which are the ones you’ll see here.

6. Blogging

If you love pouring your heart into blog posts — whether spur of the moment, well-researched, or something in between — and you’d love to get paid for writing them, freelance blogging could be a good fit, either for part-time or full-time work.

Search job boards like ProBlogger and BloggingPro to find promising gigs in this field.

7. Copywriting and Web Content

If you’d rather write marketing copy or web content, you can find plenty of work online on job boards, on Upwork, or by creating your own gigs on Fiverr.com.

If you know your niche better than most, you can find higher-paying work by contacting the marketing departments of companies you’d like to write for.

Create some high-quality work samples — sales pages, email campaign copy, etc. — to showcase your skills.

8. Video Games

If you love video games with interactive narratives and want to write for them, check out the Game Industry Career Guide to get the information you need and to find your first paid writing opportunity with one of the “best game companies to work for.”

Learn from other video game writers (like this one) about the craft, what it entails, and how to break into it.

9. Personal Essays and Op Eds

Yes, you can actually make some decent money just sharing your opinion with others — as long as you do it well.

Many online markets (including Sun and Buzzfeed) will also pay for well-crafted personal essays. Check out this post on MakeALivingWriting.com for more links.

10. Online Magazine Articles

Look up “online writing jobs” and you’re sure to find articles (like this one) with hyperlinked lists to online magazines.

Click away to find those open to submissions of high-quality articles in your chosen niche or niches.

It might seem counterintuitive to narrow down your options, but the more you know about your chosen niche/s, the better able you’ll be to write compelling queries and engaging articles for the magazines that specialize in those areas.

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Miscellaneous Creative Writing Jobs

Not all writing involves stories, articles, or web copy.

And even if you’re just looking for more variety in your creative work from home, here are a few examples of alternatives to consider.

11. Greeting Cards

If you want to write greeting card copy, start by reading articles (like this one) with lists of paying markets, like Blue Mountain Arts and Oatmeal Studios.

Then brainstorm some ideas for greeting card copy — whether it’s funny, romantic, sympathetic or something else — and develop and submit your best work.

12. Speeches

To earn good money writing speeches, you need not only some stellar examples for your portfolio (to attract clients) but a steady queue of clients who want you to write speeches for them.

An internet search on “get paid to write speeches” will also lead to content that can help you make a strong start as a speechwriter.

13. Creative Writing Coach or Consultant

If you’d rather work in an advisory capacity and do most of your writing for yourself (your own books and/or blog), consider working as a creative writing coach or creative consultant.

This is either someone who helps exclusively with the writing of your clients’ books or someone who helps with all aspects of their creation and publication.

You’ll need clients for this, and you can get your first few testimonials (for your website, ads, etc.) by exchanging services with other authors on social media or by working as a virtual author assistant, with writing coach duties as part of your author success package.

Did you find the best creative writing jobs for your needs?

Now that you’re more familiar with creative writing jobs you can do from home, which of these had the strongest appeal for you?

Which can you picture yourself doing every day without getting sick of it? Because it can be challenging to work from home, even when you enjoy the work.

And, trust me, it’s way too easy to put off self-care and avoid people in order to get more done. But don’t do it. You need energy to keep this going, and self-care and quality social time are essential to that.

May you find a new normal that fits your life and leads you in a better direction.