What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I like the fact that the course avoids setting a writing formula or recommended practice. It is very much left to the individuals to extract from it what they need.

The tutor was very smart and gives precise feedback. I trusted her knowledge base.

I think the exercises are challenging but in a good way. I can see improvements and new skills emerging after each module.

I already have in almost final form a collection of 23 stories. This means that I can now take the learnings from the course and review the characters, scenes and structure.

I have already recommended this course and organization to others. They talk about writing but find it hard to make a start.

The personalized feedback was invaluable in affirming what I am working on. The tutor was bang on every time and delivered positive feedback.

I enjoyed seeing other people developing and the common support.

I now have the confidence to keep going on and pushing myself further.

Nat has been awesome in providing constructive criticism as well as being nice enough not to point out everything that is wrong with the assignments! She knows what she is talking about and has been supportive which is very much appreciated.

I enjoyed all aspects, really. From the information to the classroom chat, it is well presented and easy to follow. I especially liked the feedback even though it initially scared me!

It has given me confidence in writing and my passion has come back. It has also taught me that nothing I write is wrong, and I have to keep writing to get to where I want to be.

It's brilliant! A welcoming and creative area where you can write anything and feel safe. You learn a bit about yourself as well as many aspects of writing to get you started.

This is a great entry level course that opened up so much to me, both in listening to the fantastic audios (great voice, easy to listen to), and that I can go back and listen to them again. The exercises were a real confidence booster and enabled me to put in to practice the week's lesson content. And I could use the exercises repeatedly.

Jo was great and I always felt that she was having a one-on-one with me during assignment feedback.

I have a manuscript and I've gotten it as far as I can take it for the moment, but knowing that it's flawed and still needs (a lot) of work. I was hoping to get some understanding of basic plot / character / structure tips which might help me improve my work.

Nat was really great. Her comments were clear and justified. It was good to listen to the feedback she gave everyone else, too, as there were many things which did not apply to my writing which were useful to know.

I enjoyed doing the actual writing! And getting feedback on it. I've never had someone give objective feedback before, and it was helpful to experience that. Having someone else pick out the details which don't work is unbelievably helpful. It meant that I could go back and make small changes to gain great improvements.

AWC courses are practical, interesting, and safe!

I want to write a novel but didn't know where to start. This course looked like the perfect foundation for me. And it was!

It definitely exceeded my expectations. Nat's feedback got me thinking about the small things (like, can your character 'actually' see what you're saying they're seeing). Those small things are extremely valuable!

I am so grateful that Nat spent the time and energy to provide feedback. The feedback incorporated both what WAS working in my writing, and what needed improvement. She can definitely help anyone become a better writer.

I just love learning. I loved the lectures. The actual writing felt daunting given the time constraints, but really pushed me to submit something by a certain time. I probably wouldn't have written anything otherwise!

It made me want to be a writer and learn as much as I can about writing. Especially Nat, her feedback has made me think of things in my writing that I hadn't thought of previously.

The best investment you'll ever make. Even if it's just for a hobby or out of interest.

I enjoyed the interactions. Great feedback from the tutor. Nice and specific.

Easy to achieve tasks. Well set out. Nice progression.

Feedback is not something I have had in the past so really nice to get writing out there and receive comments.

A positive experience.

I really enjoyed the weekly exercises and feedback from the teacher. Jo was lovely, positive and constructive.

I also really enjoyed learning more about creative writing, completing the exercises and receiving weekly feedback.

I intend on doing more AWC courses and now want to write a novel.

There was so much I learnt that was new to me. Each lesson taught me something I didn't know and had 'aha' moments. I didn't know how much theory went into writing a novel. I also really liked the message that you won't ever write a book if you never sit down and put pen to paper. You actually have to sit down and dedicate yourself to the task.

I have already recommended AWC to some friends. It's a fantastic way to start learning about creative writing and it definitely gives you incentive to start and/or keep going with your writing dream.

I really enjoyed the course and have already started Novel Writing Essentials.

I've been attempting to write novels for the last few years and keep finding myself getting stuck and feeling like what I was writing wasn't engaging enough. I wanted to take the course to learn more about the fundamentals, become a better writer and use what I learned to help me finish a book.

Nat is a fantastic tutor and I really appreciate the time she took to review our work and provide feedback. There were things I have been missing in my writing that she would identify and clearly explain, and then it would all make sense. She also pointed out strengths in my writing that I didn't even realise were there. Not only did I gain more knowledge and skills to improve my writing, but also an unexpected boost of confidence in my abilities. I would highly recommend Nat to anyone who wants to explore writing. Nat, thank you sincerely.

I really enjoyed and appreciated the handouts for use in developing our stories outside of the course.

I am reading books differently now - noticing stylistic features that I previously wouldn't have. I feel like I'm now getting more out of reading. This course has also really helped me with developing my awareness and confidence in my own writing.

If you are thinking about writing, this is where you should start. The course provides an excellent foundation and will teach you what you're good at and what you need to make your writing better in a supportive environment.

I was attracted to the course because it was for anyone and everyone. I was a complete beginner and hadn't written anything creative since I was a child, so I was pretty nervous about writing and sharing my work. I knew this course would give me the foundational blocks needed to not only enhance my writing, but to think creatively and find my voice. I also knew that I would improve by sharing my work. I needed that push to get started and stay motivated.

I definitely had hesitations about enrolling, but more to do with my own self confidence. Initially, the idea of sharing my work was really scary.

Jo is a fabulous tutor. I really enjoyed learning from her and appreciate all the time and effort she put into our feedback. Jo is constructive but also very kind and encouraging.

I enjoyed the feedback sessions. Not only getting feedback on my work but listening to everyone in the group. There were many times where the feedback was something I hadn't thought of, and sometimes they were glaringly obvious mistakes. Every feedback session was an opportunity to learn and improve my next piece.

I think Creative Writing Stage 1 is set out exactly how it needs to be. As an absolute beginner, the layout of content made sense and wasn't overwhelming.

Writing has become a daily part of my life, both through learning to write and actually writing. The coursework and the AWC podcast have helped me learn more about the craft of writing and what it takes to become a writer. I also spend time writing and coming up with ideas most days. The course has drastically improved my confidence and my writing.

AWC is a supportive and extremely informative place to learn how to be a writer. There are so many courses available and the tutors are wonderful. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to start or improve their writing skills.

Thank you for putting together such a wonderful course. I think many of us forget the creative and imaginative voices we have as children when we become adults. This course has given me back that creative spark and has encouraged me to keep thinking and writing.

Nat Newman was great. Her feedback was honest, thoughtful and delivered in a gentle manner

I enjoyed sitting down and putting in to practice the tips that were outlined in the modules. Bringing to life characters that have been brewing in my subconscious.

I now am a little less afraid and I have a more thorough grasp on the reality of the drafting process.

I would say it is a great crash course in getting your work critiqued.

Even as a child, I have always loved to be creative and have loved writing, but I've never pursued it. So, when I found the Australian Writer's Centre and looked through the courses, I couldn't help but enrol into the course.

I didn't really know what to expect, but it was more than I could've hoped for coming in with no experience in writing.

I thought Pamela was awesome. She gave great, clear feedback which I could easily understand and that allowed me to see my writing and the writings of other published authors differently.

This course has really helped me understand the basics on how a book is written. Learning to trust your readers will help me to go over my own work, rephrase sentences and think about how to describe things in future.

The major learning I had with this course was about the different points of view and the advantages and disadvantages they have with readers.

The Australian Writers' Centre is a great place to start, if anyone wants to learn how to write. The centre has numerous courses from the very basics to more advanced forms of writing and teachers that will help answer any questions and provide feedback on assignments.

I'm looking forward to doing more courses in future.

The course was well paced, exercises very useful but not onerous.

Pamela provided very useful and thoughtful feedback on the assignments.

I enjoyed the opportunity to learn new things - and put them into practice each week in the assignments, including valuable feedback.

I didn't know the basics before, so now I can write more confidently using the right POV, and use more colourful descriptions of settings.

Very useful and enjoyable introduction, especially from a starting point of no formal creative writing study.

I did my undergrads in English Studies with a wide range of courses which included Narratology. So I was concerned that it might be repetitive and I wouldn't get much out of it. Based on my experience doing Masters in Australia, I was also concerned that it would be too slow and full of fluff. But I'm so glad it was anything but that. It was packed with great info and was at a good pace.

Nat Newman was great with her feedback. It was extremely helpful, constructive, and encouraging, while not being patronising.

I most enjoyed the assignments. They've helped me get into the headspace to be writing my novel and over the course I've actually managed to start and write about 4000 words.

It's put me in the right headspace. It's helped me get started. And it's checked my expectations of writing a novel.

Creative Writing Stage 1 is a great course to get you started and thinking in the right direction.

I am a complete beginner. I love reading and I wanted to write but just didn't know where to start or how to go about it. This course broke it down to individual parts and made the process more clear.

Pamela is very knowledgeable and sounds like she knows what she is talking about! I learned a lot from her constructive feedback, and when she says you've done something well it's a good feeling :-) I found myself refreshing my emails every 10 minutes on a Monday morning to see if the feedback was up yet.

I liked the structure. I felt I learned a huge amount in such a short space of time. I quite liked the Write Direction Zoom call where you could see your classmates' faces. I enjoyed seeing everyone else's work and see where they went with the prompts.

The AWC made my dream of being an author more accessible. It's shown me I have a lot more to learn - but luckily they have plenty of courses!

Pamela has both a broad and detailed insight into writing, which spans all genres. Her feedback was measured and focused, and I particularly liked how she made comments which were applicable to the wider group not just the writer whose work she was critiquing at the time.

Start with Creative Writing Stage 1 before you get too deep into writing your novel (wish someone had said that to me!)

I felt Pamela was very knowledgeable in all genres that were presented to her. Her feedback with examples were a great source of learning for me, on my work and others work.

I loved the way each module built on the previous and came together in the end. I started with no knowledge (and very little experience reading novels as I read mostly non-fiction). I learned so much each week and I think I will benefit tremendously from going back over the course content.

I am starting to enter the world of a fiction writer and I hope it's the start of an incredibly rewarding journey. I'm 55 and semi-retired and I have this opportunity to do something that has always interested me. I plan to do more courses with you to continue to improve my skills.

If you've ever imagined writing a novel or short story, do this course. It's a great foundation to get you started in the right way.

I often have stories in my head stemming from different situations and observations and really didn't know where or how to start putting the ideas on paper. I found this course on-line. The five-week course looked attractive and fit into my work/lifestyle. I also thought Pamela Freeman would be an approachable and knowledgeable tutor.

I was impressed by the feedback on my own work as well as to the other students. Pamela was always positive and encouraging but still gave solid practical advice. She always managed to target the very areas in my work that I also was concerned about so Pamela gave me the advice I needed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course. There was plenty of content to take in so I know I'll go back to visit over the next twelve months. I loved that I found I had more imagination than I thought and enjoyed delving deeper into the characters I developed for the assignments. I felt I was getting to know the other students too. I was picking up on their writing styles and found I was looking forward to reading their work. I enjoyed the feedback too even though I would get a little nervous, but as I said, Pamela gave great feedback and I looked forward to that.

I feel I have a starting point now from which to write. I have tools I didn't have before and feel confident enough to continue developing those skills. I had loads of fun too!

Definitely, if you want to kick start writing in a supportive, creative environment, go ahead. The comprehensive lessons are by knowledgeable tutors with vast experience in the industry. I would thoroughly recommend this course. Enjoy yourself, have some fun!

Nat was wonderful. She gave good insightful feedback that was both constructive and supportive, but also did not hesitate to point out parts of our work that we could/should improve.

I challenged myself to write new content for each assignment, and put into practice the little things we had learnt through the module, instead of just writing what I thought I knew and was capable/good at.

I will definitely continue on this path and keep going. I look forward to uncovering and sharing the books I know live within me.

Absolutely, give it a go. You'll find out if this is something you want to pursue or not by the end. And if it's not something for you to follow, you'll still enjoy the journey the course provides you.

Looking forward to taking the next step forward in getting the words out of my head, and into a book. Next course definitely on the cards!

I found the information insightful and the exercises (both the assignments and the optional ones) very well thought out.

Pamela is very personable and generous. It's a tricky fine line between being encouraging to such newbies and pointing out some of our areas that need improvement.

I enjoyed being able to actually have someone else read my writing. I'm also very grateful for the (optional) exercises.

Having feedback has given me some confidence. The message to just keep writing and get a first draft done has allowed me to pull out my first attempt and continue.

Thank you and well done to those with such creative drive and generosity to build the Australian Writers' Centre over a number of years. Wonderful!