What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I liked the structure and pace of the course. Although initially I didn't think I could do it but I did. I love the feedback process, and now understand the benefits of sharing your work with the group.

Bernadette is an excellent tutor who provides constructive feedback.

It was easy to follow; the resources and materials were very helpful.

I gained a lot of confidence to continue developing my writing skills. I am not novel ready yet but with practice I can get there.

I realised how important it is to enjoy the process, especially editing. Also, I have a greater appreciation for writers and how hard they work to produce a novel.

It's a great learning experience and so much fun.

The AWC website was INCREDIBLY welcoming for writers, particularly those who were either new or very rusty. The humour and constant words of encouragement sprinkled throughout the site, ads, newsletters and course outlines made it very approachable.

It was a little out of my price range at first, especially during COVID. Plus, obviously, the fear that I wouldn't take criticism well, even if it was completely well-intentioned! But I quickly deduced that it was a worthwhile investment, particularly from the AWC, so I saved up for a little while and put the money aside for when it opened up again.

I thought Bernadette was very fair in her feedback. She gave honest, actionable criticism for each of us.

I enjoyed the self-paced structure. The way the whole process was broken down into small, achievable bits. There's also a great sense of humour and "informality" with the AWC, which makes the whole process waaaay less daunting.

Receiving real, meaty feedback on my work helped me see the minor (mostly) technical flaws in my writing and allowed me to improve my skills. I can already see a difference to what I'm writing now to what I wrote even just a month ago.

The AWC seemed like a very welcoming, collaborative place, even online.

I was nervous about taking this step, whether I'd be up to it. It did wonders for my confidence. Bernadette was a great tutor, very encouraging, really helped me develop confidence about my ability as a writer.

I appreciated the care and attention Bernadette gave to all of us, the opportunity to read fellow classmates' writing and the feedback given to them. The support of an encouraging yet discerning tutor stayed with me all week.

I enjoyed the weekly deadline as a motivator, as well as the opportunity to work alongside my classmates.

The course material is so interesting, I will relisten and reread it as I feel it really enriched my writing. I have extended some of the exercises, e.g. imagining fully the location & setting before writing, character building and using POV, and have found them incredibly useful to improve my writing.

The effect of the course has been both practically and emotionally supportive. The structural guidance has been delicious! I wish I learned these techniques earlier. Surprisingly, I felt encouraged by the creative 'risk' taken by my classmates. The way we were gently upheld and firmly guided has been a revelation.

The course material is informative, helpful and never patronising. The course is structured well. Each week you have the opportunity to apply new techniques and receive supportive feedback. If you are keen to learn the fundamentals of creative writing then this is the course for you.

A heartfelt thanks to this organisation. I have already signed up for one of the Fiction Essentials and plan to do more.

I was inspired by the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast and continue to be inspired. The price made me pause, but it was worth it. My writing has improved in leaps and bounds.

The course really stretched my writing muscles. Bernadette's feedback was helpful and constructive, without pandering to our egos. I really appreciated having her 'by my side'. The writing exercises made me try new things with my writing and that was invaluable.

Learning how to imagine a scene and character before starting to write has made an incredible difference to my writing. Also, taking into account the Yellow, Black, Red and Blue colours of scene writing is something I will refer to for every scene.

It's a worthwhile investment with an outcome that is tangible and effective.

THANK YOU! I have tried a few other courses elsewhere, but the AWC Creative Writing Stage 1 course has actually delivered what it promised - and then some. Thank you so much for being the shove I needed to get going.

I wanted to create a solid foundation in my creative writing and decided to start with the basics.

Stephen Hart is a great tutor who gives constructive and objective feedback, giving everyone a fair chance in this course. I really enjoyed seeing other fellow writers and their works, helping each other to improve and grow in creative writing.

This course really helped to build a solid foundation in my creative writing, especially with creating characters, which has always been a challenge for me. A major learning moment for me was when I realised how much actually went into creating a character, even minor ones.

This course is beneficial, easy to access and reasonably priced. Definitely worth checking out and giving a go if you want to get started with creative writing.

The overview gave a great outline of the course, and I felt that I would be able to re-establish a regular writing routine with having the discipline of needing to submit an assignment each week. And because it was only five weeks, I felt confident that I would complete the whole course. I’ve done other courses with AWC and always loved the content but at times I’ve let life get in the way and not completed the whole course.

Bernadette was amazing and her comments were always insightful and helpful, as well as instilling confidence. It was also great to be able to read my classmates' work and gain more knowledge from Bernadette’s comments.

I enjoyed the easy way in which the lessons were delivered helped build enthusiasm about allowing a storyline and characters to build in my mind.

It was great to learn that there’s not just ONE way to approach a story. Whether you are a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’, either is ok. And it gave me the confidence to let my imagination run wild, knowing that I can come back and trim things later.

I’ve loved getting to know my characters as though they are real people and adding dimension to them.

If you’re not sure where to start, look through AWC’s courses and find something that you think will get you started.

I was hesitant about the cost and online nature of the course. Afterwards, I didn't think over the cost as I found it so valuable in many ways. The online format worked much better than I expected.

Nicole always provided constructive feedback, was encouraging, and seemed to emit a warm, welcoming vibe even though it was all online. I really found her very helpful. Being affirmed of what I had done well was also very reassuring, and her suggestions were always spot on! I'm very grateful for her input.

I came away each week with a much greater appreciation of the art of writing. I realised the weight of each word on the page and the meaning it could construe. The feedback was invaluable as I have found it difficult to find someone who can give me specific feedback. It was reassuring to know I was on the right track in some parts and what I could do to improve.

To be honest, I have been mass consuming books with my addiction to reading for so long that it was only during this course that I developed an even greater respect for writers and authors. I never fully appreciated them and the journey they went on to complete and publish their work. It is an enormous commitment, a soul baring art form - it takes a ton of self-motivation and evaluation and picking yourself up again and again after feedback that can be deflating even if it is true and helpful and well-meaning!

That's not to mention that my eyes were opened to the weight of each word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, scene, plot. Mind blown. Makes me overwhelmed but strangely also driven.

If you enjoy writing - do it!

Thank you for running such worthwhile classes!

I am still trying to digest the massive amount of helpful information included in the modules. So much I didn't know about the nuts and bolts of writing.

It was obvious that Bernadette had taken the time to read every piece in its entirety. Her remarks were always positive. I also found the mp lessons made for easy listening.

It made me want to keep going - I had stalled for quite some time before this course came along. Now I can look at my writing in a new light. I found that I was much more aware of what to look for and also have a more realistic idea of long it actually takes to get a novel to publication stage.

If you want to write and you are wondering where to begin, try this!

I thought the course and the handouts were very thorough, as expected. It was however the emphasis on what is important in the lessons that really impressed me. The lessons were definitely the highlight. It was also a bonus being able to listen in the car on the way to work.

I was very impressed by the tutor's knowledge and helpful suggestions.

I can now see that writing is a craft that I can learn and get better at.

AWC understands the basics of good writing and how to do it. The course was thoroughly enjoyable.

Stephen is very thorough, considered and compassionate in his feedback. I enjoyed the motivational force of having feedback every week.

It has confirmed that the germ of an idea for a book that I got while doing the Writing for Children course in 2014 is a viable prospect for a full length novel.

I have always loved creative writing and wanted to explore it further and further my skills and knowledge in this area.

I really enjoyed everything about this course.

Stephen was very knowledgeable. His feedback was always constructive and he always gave you something to try next time.

I am now more confident in pursuing my dream of being an author. It's an amazing and informative course with plenty of support available.

The tutor was encouraging but he was also able to critique in a positive way.

I enjoyed writing the pieces and listening to the feedback. Having never read "To Kill a Mockingbird" (which was on my must-read list) was a bonus.

I am more confident now and I am keen to re-read what I had previously written before the course as I know now what makes an ok story into a good story.

Have a go. It is not as scary as you think; it's easy to follow. The more you put in the more you will get out of the course.

I was impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism of the feedback process, as well as the focus on the positive. I enjoyed the ability to give and get feedback.

I had begun to wane in my drive and inspiration, but my love of writing has been rekindled.

I would say that it is a great way to connect with like-minded people who wish to develop their writing skills in a supportive environment. Thank you.

I wanted to learn more about creative writing. This course stood out due to the online method and the experience of the teachers. It was very good, better than I thought it would be. I hadn’t studied writing before so everything I learnt was new.

Annabel is fantastic. Her feedback was exceptional and from her feedback I was able to increase my knowledge even further.

I liked everything about this course. I now know that I wish to continue learning about creative writing and have started writing at home in my spare time.

Give it a go. It’s a great course to do online and everyone is welcoming.

I had been journaling and writing notes of inspirations and ideas that come to mind for a very long time but have never been able to construct a story or a sequence of scenes. I really wanted to gain some technical skills in writing fiction to move me forward.

I wasn't too familiar with the Australian Writers Centre and the course being entirely online, I was a little nervous but it has been an excellent experience. I'm glad I enrolled.

Annabel was very efficient in her feedback while still giving us her undivided attention to each piece of writing. She's obviously very experienced and knowledgeable.

I really enjoyed getting to read other people's work and hearing feedback on them. We are all very different in our writing styles and ideas that we put on the page, so it was special to be able to get insight into other people's writing heads!

Since starting this course, I have been able to develop my story's plot outline and have written the first 2000 words, which I have never been able to achieve before.

I feel that I have more tools up my sleeve to help me through the writing process, which gives me more motivation to continue on. I wasn't sure I could pull it off before but now I believe that I can and I am thoroughly enjoying the writing experience.

If you are feeling stuck with your dream of getting started on writing a story, take this course. It will help with the technical side of writing, turning your inspirations and ideas into a concrete story that can be written and made sense of.

I have been interested in the idea of attempting to write a novel. I joined this course as a way of making a start.

Annabelle provided great encouragement and advice. I enjoyed making the time to write in a structured way. It has given me the confidence to "have a go" at writing.

This is a well-structured and professionally delivered course. It supports people who need assistance with basic grammar and punctuation, but also provides information about the deeper requirements for writing a well-considered and structured piece of writing.

Thank you. I enjoyed the course very much. It also provided me with a much-needed alternative focus during the time of Covid lock down.

I was looking for professional guidance in the creative writing process. I was a little reluctant to commit to the course, especially since I hadn't written anything creative since high school (over 50 years ago). I was apprehensive about sharing my work with fellow students. It was my husband who finally convinced me to give it a go.

It has been very helpful to learn about the craft of writing. Although there was a lot to cover in such a short time, students were provided with basic tools which can be used over and over again to assist in their writing.

The tutor was very grounded, offering practical advice. She always had something positive to say about everyone's efforts, but also managed to draw attention to ways to improve work.

I enjoyed the process of learning and being inspired to create stories. I also liked reading fellow students’ writing. It has given me the confidence to continue writing.

I realised that writing is a craft and by utilising the "tools of the trade" you are on the road to creating a good story that people would want to read. I now look at anything I read with these points in mind and note how authors have structured their stories.

I'd say it is well worth the money! It's great that students will have access to these materials for another 12 months.

I have always loved writing and recently had a good idea for a book. Although I had written some of it, I felt it was lacking imagination. I thought, what better way of enhancing my skills than taking a creative writing course!

I loved how much depth there is to creative writing; it isn't just about your imagination but ensuring that you get the maximum advantage of portraying your imagination.

I thought Annabel was very specific and thorough; her tips and criticism were always useful.

I enjoyed listening to Valerie and how much depth there was to each module. I think my favourite module was scenes, being able to describe a setting in depth so that the reader could really feel like they were there.

I've decided I want to finish my book and take another course with the Australian Writers' Centre.

AWC gives you the tools you need to be a more constructive writer - anyone can write for fun but if you want to really hone in on detail, structure, quality writing - this centre is where you need to go. AWC is an amazing resource and I will be continuing to utilise your courses in the future in order to pursue my passion of writing.

I got a lot out of learning about characters/places etc. Knowing what to look for was really interesting.

I would say the course is well planned, sequential, and the course materials are of a very high standard.