Michael Schaper 2 months ago

Useful info and ideas were provided. I enjoyed the opportunity to get some additional skills and see others at the same point of their writing odyssey.

It's given me more confidence to keep pressing on with my writing - others can do it successfully.

Hemi Kiro 2 months ago

Margaret was great and gave everyone good feedback. Always positive and making sure to point out what she thought worked and what did not in a constructive way.

A great first step towards getting more confident as a writer.

Thank you!

Rachael Cameron 2 months ago

I've always wanted to write but felt overwhelmed by how to get started. When I saw the course outline for Creative Writing Stage 1, I decided to just give it a go and see what came out of it.

I loved the way feedback was provided. Having someone read out what I had written provided me with an understanding of how someone else might read my words on a page.

The tutor was fabulous! She gave great feedback whether it was for something done well or something I could work on.

I loved that I wasn't doing this alone.

I learned that I can actually write something people find interesting and there may be a possibility of doing something with my writing in the future. I felt completely supported!

Do it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Thank you and I can't wait to join more courses.

Manitha Badasie 3 months ago

It's motivated me to get started with my writing. The feedback about character development and scene was a major learning moment.

The Australian Writers' Centre is a great resource to support and further develop writing skills. The precise feedback reinforces writing skills.

Laurelea Steensma 3 months ago

The course and its activities came at a particularly busy time for me as a classroom teacher but I was not going to be put off. I have not listened to all of the modules yet and in the summer holidays I look forward to doing just that. It is great the material is available for such a long time after the course has finished.

The wide variety of activities and the character development structure was incredibly helpful and fun to complete.

Pamela Freeman's feedback for assessment 4 brought me to tears. It was not until that moment that I realised that I could write, and others genuinely thought it was good. Then her encouragement to continue writing my children's novel idea lit a fire in my belly to do just that. Thank you so very much.

I now have the confidence that others think I can write. It has profoundly touched me and helped my self-confidence develop. I am doing another course. I will write my book and I will get it published.

If you are thinking about enrolling in a writing course to develop technique as well as confidence that will actually move you closer to getting published, then AWC is the place for you.

Barb Hunt 3 months ago

I was already working on my novel, which is a collection of short stories, and the course has given me extra impetus to move forward with my writing.

Pamela's approach is constructive as she points out sections of writing that shouldn't be there and ways in which to improve the text.

I enjoyed the handouts, the audio modules, reading what other students had written and receiving feedback from them as well as the valuable feedback from Pamela. Also, I found the list of titles and authors that were mentioned in the handouts very helpful in that there were quite a few authors I either hadn't heard of or hadn't read their work, so I have been reading their books.

I have already mentioned this course to my friends in the writing world and have told them it's an excellent investment towards achieving goals in their writing career.

Maddy Callaghan 3 months ago

I've always dreamt of becoming a writer, and after a long time of reading my favourite books, I decided I wanted to finally make that step into writing a book of my own fantasy!

I used to write stories as a kid and early teen, mystical worlds, zombies, romances... But I lost motivation due to issues at school and felt I wasn't good enough. I struggle A LOT with social anxiety, and prior to doing this course I was terrified I wouldn't be good enough to write, and terrified of the negative feedback. After doing this course I realised that the feedback was SO helpful, and I'm becoming confident in myself that I can write an amazing book - All thanks to AWC!

I thought the tutor was amazing. Gave me GREAT feedback, and really helped the little things I was doing wrong, teaching me how to make it compelling.

I found it so fun to write little scenarios based off the character I fleshed out in module 1, and after the feedback I received, I updated/upgraded my assignments and feel I could incorporate them into my actual story.

I genuinely felt looked after and I was stressing out about the fact that everyone could see my feedback and assignment, but it was so helpful and I'm very grateful for the experience.

This course has helped me grasp the confidence to write an AMAZING book, and given me the perfect techniques to keep readers intrigued. It felt great to put my imagination on paper, and have people actually enjoy reading it!

I would say to give it a chance - it helped me so much. There's so many little things with creative writing that I wouldn't have ever thought of if I were just writing it on my own. This course is so good for any aspiring author.

Thank you for this opportunity to pursue my dreams of becoming a writer.

Mairead Keep 3 months ago

I was interested to learn more about the basics to writing. I was also looking forward to receiving feedback on my writing from others. I had no concerns or hesitations before enrolling. I was maybe worried I was going to be the least skilled but discovered all levels of people were in the course and most people taking it were just like me.

I think the tutor was nice and knew her stuff. She gave the right level of criticisms and positives. When she would take someone's submissions and make adjustments in a Word document for everyone to see how it can be improved, this was very good.

I liked a lot of things about the course. I enjoyed the videos and that they are paired with the handouts. Also, I like that I can refer to the handouts in the future.

It's confirmed what I know and fine-tuned the things that I was unsure about. It's given me more confidence in my writing and an understanding to trust myself and the time it takes to write a good book. It's also encouraged me to consider workshopping or some form of beta readers when I've written more work.

You should definitely try this course if you want to write creatively because it gives the right tools and resources. It also tests your current writing abilities and shows that it's ok to change and explore other ways to write.

Tahlia 3 months ago

Feedback in video form was great; I feel like the tutor's comments came across really clear and was able to understand where I'm at.

Definitely the support of others and the assignments really helped me realise so many different things about novels.

The AWC is really great to dip your toe in a very achievable way alongside work and other commitments.

Monique Brunello 4 months ago

I have completed some non-fiction courses (mainly for my work-related writing) but always felt drawn to exploring fiction. I knew Creative Writing Stage 1 was the course to do first, to learn the foundations then go on from there.

I feel the course has really been very thoughtfully crafted so that the foundational skills of creative writing are covered well. I really feel like I have developed the foundations now and can confidently go on to do other courses in the order suggested by AWC.

Victoria has a very warm and engaging style and I almost feel in a way like we were chatting live. Her video feedback was valuable, both her encouragement and also her tips for improvement, very sensitively and thoughtfully delivered.

I was excited on Monday mornings! The moment I woke up I was so keen to look at what the week had in store - the audio lessons from Val, the worksheets, exercises and assignment. Carving out time to plough on with the work and feeling really energised. I'm going to miss it and my classmates who have also been actively engaged in reading each other's writing and providing feedback

It has made me want to pursue creative writing and keep on writing, developing skills and improving. I know there might be times it will feel like a hard slog but knowing that I'm part of a supportive community of writers is a great comfort and benefit of AWC.

If you're creative, love words and have ever wondered if you'd enjoy writing, you should do one of the AWC courses. You will definitely learn and appreciate how stories and books are created and understand writing as a craft. The courses are so thoughtfully put together and the AWC community so supportive, you won't regret enrolling.

Thank you so much AWC for another great course experience.

Isabelle 4 months ago

Victoria was great! Her feedback was very helpful, constructive yet encouraging.

I am far more motivated to keep learning and improving!

I would say it's a great course that imposes structure, teaches you the fundamentals in an approachable way, and actually gets you writing (which is the most important thing!)

Loved it, thank you!

Helen Butcher 4 months ago

Victoria was great and I really appreciated her honest feedback.

I had not thought to create such deep profiles of my characters, but it really helped me to work out the characters I was writing about.

I now know I can write a story, and I can enjoy the journey.

Just do it; its quality time spent on yourself.

Selina Shapland 4 months ago

I wanted to focus on my fiction writing skills and get feedback from a tutor, and other students. I was drawn to the course specifically because Victoria Purman was the tutor. I wanted to learn from her experience and now I have!

I have studied fiction writing for a long time now and worked with a number of different teachers, so I wasn't sure if it would add much to what I've already learned, but I'm pleased to say I learned many new things, and I solidified my fiction writing even more because I enrolled in this course.

Gosh, there's so much to love in this course. Victoria Purman is a gem, and I loved the way she gave feedback. She is kind and honest. She is inspiring and insightful on what works and what isn't quite working. Victoria delivers her feedback with compassion and that's so important to us vulnerable writers. I appreciated all of Victoria's efforts in tutoring us in this course. I hope to do more study with her in the future.

Enrolling in Creative Writing Stage 1 was one of the best decisions I made. It helped solidify all the previous things I'd learned about the foundation of writing fiction, narrative structure, characters with stakes and more. I'd say, 'Don't be afraid to try creative writing. If this is in your heart to do, then learn with Australian Writers' Centre because it's a safe place to learn and grow as a fiction writer.'

It's an excellent course with lots to offer the beginner and the writer with experience. We're always learning, no matter how much we've studied and every teacher has something to offer creative writers. I'm so glad I finally (after about five years of being indecisive about doing this course) did Creative Writing Stage 1.

Jordan Pollard 4 months ago

I've been writing but felt like I needed a bit of guidance and someone to hold me accountable. It was flexible because it was online and there were a lot of courses on offer.

Nat was fantastic, always open for questions and great with her explanations. Firm and fair approach and she has a real passion for it that shines through - so so great!

The information was really great and Nat was a fantastic tutor. I enjoyed (and was nervous) about getting feedback, but really enjoyed submitting something to a group of strangers and putting myself out there.

It's been great to be around enthusiastic people! Also, it was great to see others work and to see their feedback/growth in real time.

For me, it was really great to focus on having everything you write to help progress the story - often it's a big world and it's hard to know what to write, which details matter etc, but that was a good moment, to see that everything you write can serve the scene/story.

Do it! Great course, great tutors, passionate people!

Jane Jackson 4 months ago

Nat was excellent. She was positive and encouraging without shying away from issues in the writing. I found her enthusiasm infectious and looked forward to assignment feedback every Tuesday. I wanted to submit something she couldn't find anything to highlight, except the good stuff; didn't quite get there, but it is great fun trying. I love her attention to detail and clear "reader's eye". She certainly picked me up on some lazy habits I have and a big take out is to be vigilant and focus on every word. I also loved that she loved the dingo in my last assignment, because that "character" is a favourite of mine. :)

Loved the assignments and feedback. I also loved Valerie Khoo's audio lessons. She reads so well, with tone and texture and variation. I am a visual learner so thought audio would challenge me, but Valerie kept it colourful and engaging. Thank you!! Similarly, Nat's video assignment feedback sessions were at times a riot, as well as amazingly helpful and instructive.

It was value for money and relevant and I have learned a lot.

I have to take myself seriously as a writer and do another edit until it's right. I've done several edits of the two stories I've written, and now can see a mountain of work to look at them with my newly trained eyes. This is daunting, but I now appreciate how I have to commit to this.

The learning tools are excellent. The load is just right. The feedback is respectful, relevant, and fun. You can interact with other learners and writers. The team (Valerie and Nat) are clever, accomplished, and easy to follow.

Nicki Mckay 4 months ago

Nat was fantastic. She had a great way of delivering constructive criticism and quite active in the group. The cost is worth it alone for the tutor feedback.

Brooke Robinson 4 months ago

The tutor was friendly, professional and the constructive criticism was always helpful.

I enjoyed the exercises and the assignment (and feedback) and reading others' work. I also liked reading some of the recommended material.

I learnt a lot about how to take certain words out to make writing more effective. It is also structured in a way that makes you feel more confident because you can get some positive tutor feedback and hear other people's feedback and how to improve writing in general.

I did not have one major 'aha' moment, just lots of glorious mini revelations !

AWC courses are professional and well-paced with great feedback and opportunities to extend yourself with reading materials, information and the extra exercises. The recorded sessions are amazing and build on each other each week.

Vicki Troy 4 months ago

I'm very new to writing so needed a course to give me the knowledge to get started.

Nat provided very thorough feedback. I didn't realise how much there was to think about in a single scene!

I enjoyed practising my writing. It's encouraged me to actually write and make writing a part of my life. Have decided to practise with short stories first, though. A novel might be a bit ambitious for me at this time!

AWC provide advice you can trust and are a great inspiration to start writing.

Erin Hetherington 4 months ago

Often these types of courses are a bit wishy-washy, but this one had very solid content. So despite my time constraints I wanted to engage each week to learn more.

Pamela's feedback was very honest and useful, particularly in the last assignment. While I missed the Write Direction session, I watched the video and found it very useful also. I look forward to more courses with AWC.

It is a great way to learn some skills in a short space of time and the feedback you receive on your work is valuable and useful.

Teresa Mill 4 months ago

The feedback was great and allowed me to examine my writing closely. It made me realise that you need a writing mentor so that your writing is presented to others to look at it from a different aspect.

The course has made me take my writing seriously and make a writing schedule and now I write every day. It has taught me to take my time, not rush my writing and to finish what I have started.

I have to write every day now; I have a schedule and read, read, read.

Creative Writing Stage 1 is a go-to course for any beginner writer, a must to get you in the path of writing. It is excellent without being overpowering. Great course.

It has made me realise that I needed time for myself and I feel good, and much happier because I have become serious about writing.

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