Category: Alumni/Student success stories

Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Michaela Fox: Blogger turned successful freelance writer

As a blogger, Michaela Fox was already loving being able to write while at home, but it was almost too comfortable. The idea of working as a freelance writer and earning a living really appealed.

“Being able to freelance from home is just the ideal situation for me,” she says. “I get to still be at home with my kids, which is really important for me. I want to be involved in their lives – they’re only young.”

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

How part-time lawyer Libby Hakim carved out a successful career as a freelance writer

Libby Hakim had a simple goal: to see her byline in a magazine or newspaper. After completing a course at the Australian Writers’ Centre, she not only achieved that – she’s now been published in many top publications.

Working as a part-time lawyer, Libby first completed a five-week online course in Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1. That changed the course of Libby’s life. “Before I started the course I actually had the goal of getting published, I wanted to see my byline in a magazine or a newspaper,” says Libby, who was working part-time as a lawyer.

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Catherine Rodie: overcoming dyslexia to become a successful writer

Catherine Rodie never thought she would become a writer. This limiting belief, coupled with her experience with dyslexia, meant that she hadn’t considered that writing could be a real career for her. But after completing a course at the Australian Writers’ Centre, that all changed. And now, she’s not only become one of the most prolific freelance writers in Australia, she’s laid the foundations to pursue a career in publishing, recently scoring a coveted part-time role at Bauer Magazines.

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Rob Grant: From nine-to-five corporate cubicle dweller to exotic adventures as a travel writer

Rob Grant loves travelling. But it can be hard to satisfy your wanderlust when you’re consumed by a nine-to-five corporate career. That’s exactly the position Rob was in until he discovered the Travel Writing course at the Australian Writers’ Centre. Now he’s swapped his corporate job for his new path in life – working part-time as a travel writer and part-time as a marketing consultant.

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Elizabeth Farrelly’s journey to becoming a published children’s book author

It’s not only brand new writers who find worth in an Australian Writers’ Centre course. Elizabeth Farrelly is one of Australia’s most respected journalists and columnists, but she wanted to step outside her usual element and explore a new genre.

And that’s where the power of 21st century learning took centre stage. Elizabeth enrolled in the five-week online course Writing Books for Children and Young Adults. “I chose to do the course online – it suited my unpredictable days,” she says.

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Josefa Pete: research scientist becomes freelance feature writer

“Eighteen months ago, if someone had said to me you’re going to be doing freelance writing, I probably would have brushed it off and said ‘no way’…”

And yet today Josefa Pete, busy mum to two boys, proudly calls herself a freelance writer, without a moment’s hesitation. So what changed?

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Penny Webb

We love hearing from our students no matter what they have to say, but when we hear of a student being published, we just want to shout it from the rooftops! We’re a little scared of heights, so we’ll go with a blog post instead. Penny says: Couple of wins

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Bettina Deda

We love hearing from our students no matter what they have to say, but when we hear of a student being published, we just want to shout it from the rooftops! We’re a little scared of heights, so we’ll go with a blog post instead. Bettina says:  After attending Nigel

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

AWC graduate Megan Blandford: From human resources to successful writer

After becoming a first time mum, Megan Blandford, then 34, surprised herself. She didn’t feel compelled to return to her human resources role in the corporate world.

Her company wanted her to return to work full time. “I remember sitting in front of my computer one day and thinking: ‘what do I do?'” she says. “I always wanted to try writing since I was a little girl and I got caught up in this sort of sensible path of the mainstream thing people do. So I sat there and thought, right it’s now or never.”

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Bettina Deda

We love hearing from our students no matter what they have to say, but when we hear of a student being published, we just want to shout it from the rooftops! We’re a little scared of heights, so we’ll go with a blog post instead. Bettina says: A BIG shoutout

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Kristie Murray

We love hearing from our students no matter what they have to say, but when we hear of a student being published, we just want to shout it from the rooftops! We’re a little scared of heights, so we’ll go with a blog post instead. Kristie said:  I’ve been a

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Lisa Schofield

We love hearing from our students no matter what they have to say, but when we hear of a student being published, we just want to shout it from the rooftops! We’re a little scared of heights, so we’ll go with a blog post instead. Lisa says:  I’ve been focused

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Penny Harrison: Finding success in magazines and picture books

When journalist Penny Harrison made the switch to writing feature stories, little did she know it would lead to the publication of her first picture book. “I had been working as a local newspaper journalist for 10 years and was just thinking about returning to work after my first baby,”

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

Changing careers and landing a coveted role in publishing

Deadlines. Celebrities. Breaking stories. And a growing audience of women who are clamouring for more digital content. That’s the world of Avi Vince, Managing Editor of iVillage Australia, which is part of the Mamamia Women’s Network. Both iVillage and its sister site Mamamia have carved a firm niche in the Australian publishing landscape, driven by magazine-turned-digital-publishing supremo, Mia Freedman.

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Rebecca Poulson

We spotted Rebecca in Sunday Life recently!  Congratulations Rebecca! If you have a success story to share with us, you can do so right here. We’ll share it with the world! For more success stories, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Jo Hartley

We spotted Jo in Sunday Life recently! Congratulations Jo! If you have a success story to share with us, you can do so right here. We’ll share it with the world! For more success stories, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Alumni/Student success stories
Australian Writers’ Centre Team

“I got published!”: Kirsten Hyam

We love hearing from our students no matter what they have to say, but when we hear of a student being published, we just want to shout it from the rooftops! We’re a little scared of heights, so we’ll go with a blog post instead. Kirsten says:  Just wanted to

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