What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Annabel is very thorough and detailed. Knows her craft. I enjoyed getting feedback from a professional. The course taught me some lessons and pitfalls to avoid in my writing.

Thank you. Excellent course.

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 would love to write as a part of my career, but I felt that I had lots to learn about writing, about the industry and I really wanted feedback on my writing. I found the AWC through the Furious Fiction competition... and really liked the reviews. Plus online is great for me with two pre-schoolers. And short courses are good too!

It has been very helpful ... great to be able to see each other's writing and feedback on it. This gives you a much better sense of tips and tricks in writing than just seeing your own work and feedback.

Annabel has a way of providing constructive feedback in a kind and helpful manner ... and I felt pleased to learn about what to change rather than upset that I'd got it wrong.

I think I understand more about the industry, key writing dos and don'ts and that I still have a lot more to learn!

I had a good overall impression of the tutor. Her feedback was consistent and targeted a wide range of things for improvement. I enjoyed the structured writing assignments.

I now try and write something every week (a review, short story, article, anything not too big) and look for competitions to enter. It's fun.

Just do it. It's not that big of a commitment and you'll establish whether you enjoy writing or not - which you probably will.

I would say this is a great base plate for branching out into an area of writing you want to focus on.

I have a good amount of reference material to revisit and ensure I fully understand the basics of writing. Feedback was thorough, the tutor was professional and displayed a good level of knowledge.

I enjoyed being creative... and letting my mind wonder... I believe with the right tools you can write...

I had no idea creative writing would help me to better write about my art practice - for eight years now I have had a story about a character and I have done a couple of paintings but didn't know how to extend the story and hence be able to do more paintings - but now I think this character is going to travel to a few places to do what she does best...

Annabel is very thorough and knows her stuff. Helpful attention to detail that I had totally missed or wasn't aware of.

I enjoyed the writing exercises and the feedback.

To be honest, for me, it was hearing Annabel's positive feedback and realising that I was a decent enough writer to give it a go, that I didn't just think I was good and actually be rubbish.

Thank you. What a great organisation AWC is. There's everything a beginning writer could want.

Annabel's feedback was clear and helpful. It made sense and was not too harsh!

I learnt a lot and it has given me the confidence to move onto the next stage: researching for my novel.

It is really well presented and accessible. Pitched at a good level.

I wanted the chance to have my writing assessed by professionals and to challenge myself. Also I needed to commit myself to writing to a deadline even though the deadlines set were very liberal.

The tutor was encouraging and constructive. I enjoyed the opportunity to read other writers develop plots and storylines. The realistic but supportive reviews provided by Nicole in addition to being given a platform to write creatively.

Give it a shot!

Exactly what I was looking for. Now moving onto other courses: Short Story Essentials, then Freelance Writing. Then maybe -- hopefully! -- your novel-writing courses.

The tutor was wonderful: knowledgeable, fair, responsive, prompt. Nicole is 10/10! :)

I enjoyed generally learning. Interacting with others. Reading others' writing. That community aspect of likeminded learners.

I have some structure now, some professional advice. I know the writing world a little better, instead of banging away on a keyboard in my own fruitless, hobbyist bubble.

Go for it! It's a valuable service.

Thank you very much. Keep it up.

I have always wanted to complete a creative writing course and this one stood out.

Nicole was great - good detailed feedback and quick turnaround.

I enjoyed the writing! It has reignited my passion and now I know that I want to pursue a new career.

It's a great community, a really engaging and non-threatening way to learn. Being online meant it was flexible and so much easier to manage.

I needed some structure and focus through lockdown and this looked like a good opportunity to explore something new. I’m confined to reading business and management stuff for work, so this was a refreshing break.

The tutorials were terrific, and I feel I learnt lots - and I've started reading fiction again - thanks!

Loved the structure, the tutorials and the information provided. Really gave me something to look forward to each week.

The feedback was terrific, and I learnt lots in a very short period. Thanks for keeping it positive and not laughing.

It has given me a gentle intro into writing and, more importantly, allowed me to grow in confidence in a reasonably anonymous way. I realised after some feedback - I need to read MUCH more.

Give it a crack, challenge yourself, and enrol. It’s safe, really informative and fun!

Thanks heaps - I LOVED it!

I needed to get a better understanding of how to write so I may complete my second book. The tutor was very nice and helpful. I enjoyed being able to write freely and to be challenged. Thankyou.

I enjoyed the material. So much to use!

I'm smitten with writing. Can't get enough. Have signed up for a short story course that starts tomorrow.

I've been writing since I was young but wanted a bit of structure and to actually learn all the concepts of writing a story. My first draft was a pantser attempt and with the second draft I wanted to be able to pick up on more of the technical details so I wasn't wasting too much of my time this time.

I find it hard to share my work - I don't have other writer friends. The last writing group I joined was awkward, so joining an online group wasn't as daunting. Pamela was lovely in the way that she suggested how all the participants could better their work instead of just ripping it apart. She was very positive which I loved.

I liked it being online as I sometimes get flustered when asked to write something in 5 mins in a regular physical class. Also it was lovely to be able to sit back and read the other work by the participants.

For me, it was just having someone say that it was good work and little things I can tweak here and there. I only have my family to tell me if I can write. It was lovely to have someone in the industry to actually say - I like this. I'm a typical writer and doubt everything I write.

I would say to definitely do it. I have taken a few courses now and have loved them. It helps and you don't feel so alone. Also it's great getting help from people in the industry - people who are selling their work.

I have always wanted to write a novel but didn't know how to go about it. I knew that I needed help to get started. Just going on Google was not helping me, I needed structured help.

I want to start writing my novel now whereas before I was too scared to start.

Annabel was extremely helpful. I loved getting her input about what I had written. It really helped me improve.

... I am sad it's finished. It went so fast.

I liked that it's foundational and teaches the basics of good story writing

The online tutor was great; she gave good feedback. I enjoyed the lessons and the feedback on my assessments - so I could see where I went right or wrong.

I now want to explore other courses to expand my creative muscles.

I would say it's a great course where you can learn from quality teachers, get quality lessons/materials and feedback on your work.

The tutor gave detailed and constructive comments without making us feel hopeless. I enjoyed the challenge, the fact that something had to be done each week, and the constructive criticism.

It made me feel more confident in pursuing writing as a hobby. I think that the way I write dialogue has improved greatly.

I certainly would recommend the AWC. In fact, I gave my 11 year old grandson one of your courses for his birthday. Keep up the good work.

The course started me off and provided great handouts that I can use over and over again.

I wanted to dip my toes into a short writing course that would give me a basic overview of some of the key elements of writing. I also wanted to get feedback on my work without having to do the scary face-to-face part. I was unsure how engaged I would be in audio material without being present in person, but I found the content engaging. It's also difficult to put down hundreds of dollars for an online course without being sure how much you would get out of it, but I don't regret that now.

I really liked Pamela; I thought her feedback was always constructive and encouraging. It feels amazing to get positive feedback from such an accomplished author.

I really liked the assignments each week. Although the course content is engaging, it really does help to have to put it into practice. I also like how the course is layered so each week you focus on one thing, and then bring it all together in the last week. I think this is such a clever way to structure (and I know how important that is now), the course so that inexperienced writers aren't overwhelmed and having to think about dialogue and character and description etc all at the same time from the get go.

I haven't actually sat down and applied what I've learnt to any of my writing projects yet, but now I'm SO excited to! I was wondering if I really had any motivation or skill to actually finish a piece of work, but now that's all I want to do!

I think the main thing is just knowing what to name aspects of writing now. Previously, I may have looked at my work and just been like, there's too much talking, without being able to know that I needed to add description or action and ground the characters in a setting. I also never realised how hard it is to not use filter words!

I would say that the course is:
- Engaging.
- That the course content is interesting and helpful. It gives you a great overview, but grounds them in examples so that you really understand them.
- That the feedback is constructive and the assignments are interesting. It's really helpful to give you options to share your own work, or use the scenario given.
- Cliche, but that you only get out of it what you put in. On weeks where I was time pressed and wasn't 100% happy with my piece, my feedback reflected it.

I have been procrastinating for many years about writing a novel and thought during COVID-19 would be a good time do it and this course would give me the skills and the push I need.

I thought Pamela was very professional and knew what she was talking about. Her feedback was very helpful. I liked having to do assignments each week and interacting with classmates. It has motivated me to write every day and made me want to strive to become a fulltime writer.

Highly recommend it.