What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I have been trying to write a novel for a year or so. The process is so much harder than I thought so I felt I needed some general advice and inspiration. Also, it's hard to know if you have any talent so, scary as it is, feedback is so important,

I was very happy with the tutor's support. The comments were very constructive. I found the very tactful advice on what wasn't working as well to be especially helpful!

I hadn't realised what a craft writing is and how much effort and revision is required.

It has encouraged me to believe in myself and just get stuck in!

I enjoyed all of it! Valerie's videos were personable, genuine and full of invaluable information. Pamela's individualised feedback was honest and constructive - exactly what I needed.

Pamela took the time to really get to know her students, their writing styles, and their ideas. She provided insightful advice and constructive feedback.

I am inspired to redraft my novel with new insights this time. I feel I have the right to pursue my craft.

It is a genuine, manageable, targeted, and effective way to pursue your writing dream.

Thank you all!

The tutor was kind and diplomatic with an amazing amount of knowledge and experience. I enjoyed receiving the tutor feedback and the chance to become part of a writing community.

Listening to another students feedback, I realised how important it is to be clear on what is happening in a scene and I have rewritten scenes because of this.

I enjoyed it so much and can't wait to do another course.

Thank you to the tutor and the students in the course.

The detail in each module and how it was spelt out exceeded my expectations. The tutor was knowledgeable. I got something out of each week's feedback.

I enjoyed being able to learn in a safe environment that suits my personality and lifestyle. The weekly exercises were bite sized.

I am draft 3 into a short story and have plans to begin a novel in the next 12 months.

I wanted to get back into creative writing and found the AWC website while searching for writing competitions. After looking through the courses, I found Creative Writing Stage 1 and thought it would be the perfect step into creative writing and a great opportunity to learn from the best and get feedback along the way. The more I thought about writing my own fictional book, the more daunting it became, so this course was perfect to give me structure and guidance.

I wasn't sure if I could balance it with full-time work but after enrolling I found that it was very manageable.

The course showed me a different way to approach writing and gave me structure and guidance. I enjoyed the weekly assignments to keep me on track and keep me accountable, and I really enjoyed reading my cohort's assignments, too.

It has given me the tools and confidence I need to go forth and write my first novel.

The perfect course to give you all the tools, guidance, and structure you need to be the writer you want to (and can) be.

I have been wanting to get back into creative writing since I was in high school, and liked that this was a professional, structured course!

The tutor was great - the weekly feedback was my favourite part of the course. So rewarding to have constructive feedback from a published author.

I've realised that I can do this. I've always wanted to write, and I've never seen fiction as attainable. This course gave me the fundamentals I was looking for and now I feel confident to move forward with writing. I also really appreciated the last modules where there was a lot of talk about not giving up once inspiration is lost. I loved that.

I enjoyed the audio clips. I was surprised at the amount of information and guidance provided. This reassured me that a lot can be learned outside of a university degree. I also really enjoyed the weekly practice.

Thank you for delivering on all the promises your website made.

I think your course is brilliant and it has opened up an opportunity I would like to pursue.

The tutor was probably very gentle with her feedback but she was also very constructive. I felt like I could achieve and I wasn't wasting my time. Margaret liked something I wrote so for me that was extremely positive.

I have never really written anything in my life and I have always wanted to do this. It has only taken me about 20 years to work up the courage to have a go. So thanks.

Thanks heaps, had fun. I will now try and work out what to do next.

The feedback was great. The tutor really went into detail of our writing and gave very personal feedback which was at the level we were at. She was non-judgmental and very encouraging as well.

I was able to learn the structure of my thoughts as well as my writing. Feedback on what I'm doing without realising which helped me get unstuck! Also the sense of community to help me feel less alone in my experience.

I have already recommended the AWC to my friends who are avid readers and to kids who like writing. I am looking to enrol my kids.

I found my online tutor very knowledgeable and helpful, giving feedback that I could work on and meaningful praise.

I liked writing the assignments as I got to unleash my creativity and produce work that I was proud of. I've found that I can actually write well and enjoy doing it.

If you want to learn more about writing or improve your skills, give it a go.

Pamela is clearly a very accomplished author. The course was comprehensive (while by its nature "introductory") and feedback was also thoughtful and helpful.

I'm one of those I-know-best kind of people. I wasn't expecting to learn much. But I found the structure of the course was logical, each module was of the right duration, and the online format allowed me to take heaps of notes, which I'm now revising.

Don't hesitate, just do it! I've recommended it to my wife, who's Head of English at a Sydney high school. She's been very impressed when she's overheard some of my lessons.

Just thanks, I really enjoyed it - more than I thought I would.

I really enjoyed the content on structure and the business of writing. Writing can seem so airy fairy. It was good to think of it in more concrete terms.

Pamela gave specific and useful feedback. I also enjoyed listening to the feedback on the work of others as it made you think about other aspects of writing.

It has given me confidence in my own writing.

I enjoyed the course. I loved getting the feedback and seeing the progressive stories of other students. The exercises were a very good motivation for me and something I will use in the future.

I realised that I was not alone in the way that I think about writing. It is different for each person but to know that other people struggle and that it is not always a walk in the park was very enlightening for me.

I am no longer as hard on myself and no longer (well most of the time) strive to write perfectly. I have a clearer and better understanding of the process of writing.

It is a safe and friendly environment to get your toes wet.

Thank you for the course. I am happy I made the decision to enrol and I am hoping to enrol in more courses moving forward.

I really enjoyed the course and found the audio and handouts really useful. Bernadette has been very positive and also very helpful.

I especially liked that there was a deadline if there was to be any feedback from Bernadette, which made me actually write something. And also that the course is available for 12 months, which means you can work through it a number of times. I'm going to work through the POV and the show don't tell again, as these are concepts which I find quite difficult to totally understand.

Thank you! I'm moving on to short story writing now, so hopefully there will be an even greater aha moment with that, will click the switch and turn me into a writer!

I was looking for an online option to help me get (back) into writing, after 40-odd years of putting the dream on the backburner. I saw a recommendation from a former student and author, and decided to have a go.

I'd like to thank Pamela for her valuable feedback, and genuine interest in the work of her students. I found the feedback both encouraging and constructive - I understood why her suggestions would improve the work.

The course has helped rekindle my interest in writing, and desire to write. I will continue courses to further my writing and hopefully develop some craft. :)

I have self-published my first book and wanted to improve my skills for the second one. Also identify any gaps in my knowledge and learn from a published author.

I was hesitant about the time needed to complete it. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it and found the time to go through the modules and tasks every week. They didn't take up too much of my time.

I really enjoyed the live Zoom call with Angela and the rest of the class. It was so useful to get a chance to chat with Angela and get her feedback. She knows her stuff and yet was so approachable and encouraging.

The information was broken down into chunks which were easy to follow and understand.

Some of the stuff covered in it like setting scenes and dialogue etc really got me thinking about how to incorporate these skills in my next book. I also saw clearly where the gaps in my knowledge and skills were. I'm excited to put these skills to good use in my next book and hope it'll be an even bigger success. I'm planning to go through the course many times to pick up any nuggets I may have missed.

The AWC has some of the best courses for writers. Relevant information, great tutors and so flexible.

I think your course is brilliant and it has opened up an opportunity I would like to pursue. I have never really written anything in my life and I have always wanted to do this. It has only taken me about 20 years to work up the courage to have a go. So thanks.

Have a go. You haven't got the free time, but you will make it and you will have a lot of fun.

Margaret was excellent in offering constructive advice and feedback. I feel very encouraged by her comments on my work.

It's just so meaty! I feel like I'll be digesting the info for weeks (months?). It covers far more, and in more detail, than I was expecting.

I'm feeling more encouraged and confident in my writing than ever before. It no longer feels like the road to publication is something only other people can do.

Margaret was absolutely lovely. Her feedback was always positive and constructive.

I loved the assignments, actually. The prompts made me think outside of the box and I loved reading what the other students submitted too.

Now I know how to go about my creative writing. Sure, I can just sit and write but now I know how to construct a scene and build and get to know my characters.

The AWC is a great place to learn what you want to know about writing without doing a full-on tertiary degree. You get the right education and support for your work.

I thought it was a great course! I enjoyed it a lot and have recommended it to friends. It's given me a kickstart to introduce writing as an everyday practice, or at least a few times weekly.

It's a great opportunity to explore writing creatively in an unpressured environment. You have weekly assignments which you get feedback on, which is wonderful, and the tutors are really good! I recommend the course to anyone thinking about dabbling in creative writing.