What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Like all the other courses I've done, it's great. I like that it's in smaller chunks, making it easier to contemplate and absorb, and then apply to my writing.

I enjoyed the actionable aspects. i.e. colour-coding the elements of scenes, matching scenes to story questions by colouring. My manuscript is a WIP but I'm listing my scenes to check on variety. When I come to my second edit, I'll be colour-coding elements in scenes for the trickier ones.

Great courses! Very practical.

I have now done this course twice. The first time I completed the exercises, then I went away and basically rewrote my book. The second time, I used my actual scenes to complete the exercises, and was happy to find what a massive difference this course made to those scenes.

I found my settings almost becoming another character in the book, as each of my point of view characters reacted to the setting and the action occurring there. My white rooms are gone, and I have settings that are alive, full of emotion and atmosphere, a place my characters really can be.

If you want to improve your writing, or just brush up on the basics and get those invaluable tips you may never have thought of, go for the Fiction Essential series by the Australian Writers' Centre. They will be worth your time.

I really struggled with choosing the right scenes to write, and somehow they never came out how I intended for them to when I was first planning them. I knew I needed to improve my scene writing, and after doing a course with Pamela, I was convinced that this course would be able to help me. I was right!

The way that this course provides you with specific information, specific ways of structuring scenes, and specific ways to use scenes throughout an entire novel was invaluable. And the module on settings is bound to improve my writing so much!

I especially enjoyed module four, which went through common pitfalls and how to fix them. This gave me a new way of looking at scenes, which helped me identify what was missing from a scene I'd just finished writing in my work in progress.

I've never really understood the function of scenes before. I tried the 2 Hours to Scrivener Power course and could not get my head around actually moving scenes around. I get it now.

The course has changed the way I approach writing a story and gave me tools to edit.

I enjoyed relating the examples and exercises to my own pieces of writing and recognising where I need to make changes.

It's a comprehensive course and provides excellent examples and writing exercises. I now write everything in scenes no matter what genre.

The moment about the story questions and how they need to be worked into every scene was an important moment for me. It has changed the way I look at and consider my scenes and what I'm putting in them.

This course will really help you nail how to write a story.

This was a tertiary level course which gave me heaps to think about and experiment with. The exercises were brilliant and can add to my understanding the more I do them.

I enjoyed the practical suggestions, and not being talked down to. The course notes were also very thorough.

Having completed a first draft, I can now go back to begin my second draft with knowledge rather than going in blind.

If you are serious about improving your writing, do more than one AWC course. They build expertise in you like a Sara Lee cake, layer upon layer upon layer.

I loved the detail it went into. I didn't realise how much there was to think of.

I have all of these tools now to improve each scene of my second draft, especially my settings which I think I have been a bit slack on.

AWC courses are both very thorough and concise; it would be hard not to get something out of them.

The workflow of the modules took an understandable approach to how to plan scenes before writing them and then how to best write scenes.

I now feel ready to look closely at planning my novel scenes and how to make certain I've got all the necessary elements for my story.

Definitely do it. The courses are such great value and really improved my skill set and understanding of fiction writing.

I enjoyed the very practical and no-nonsense approach to writing a scene. I really understand now how to approach a scene logically, rather than barrelling through without much thought on place and setting.

The AWC has great courses that really help you pick apart your writing and understand where you are going wrong (and right!).

Thanks to this course, I now understand the true value of the scene. From the first to the last module, I was engrossed. There were no words wasted, just gritty information, the stuff that counts for aspirational writers.

I enjoy the audios which reinforce the handouts. I can do things while I'm listening, tidy my desk, bake a cake or curl up on the sofa. Mostly, I enjoy discovering new things about the art of writing. Especially when I find I've included some of them in my work without being aware of it.

Now that I understand the true value of the scene, it's made a huge difference to the quality of my manuscript. This has heartened me and increased my motivation for excellence.

This course is essential for new writers if they want to improve their writing. It's beneficial to more experienced writers who need to polish their manuscripts. There's so much to learn for those attempting a novel. This course makes the hard slog easier.

The course was well-structured, provided examples, and spoke to the notes. It brought the art and composition of scenes to life and pointed out to me the built nature. The idea of making sure the scene is from the point of view character was illuminating.

The examples helped me to really understand some of the concepts. Realising just how much goes into making a great scene. It's a lot, but the course broke it all down into bite-sized bits.

I'd written a children's middle-grade novel but knew it was lacking. I browsed your courses and decided Fiction Essentials: Scenes was just what I needed. I had given some thought to scenes in my story but didn't realise their importance. I'd always tended to think in chapters, ending with a question or a twist etc. Emphasis on scenes was something required for stage and screen plays, or so I thought. Now I understand how important they are.

The course has made a huge difference to the standard of my writing.

I found writing scene by scene was satisfying and rewarding. Previously I'd thought and written in chapters which take much longer. Writing a novel can be overwhelming for an inexperienced author. Doing it scene by scene (step by step) is like scratching a lottery ticket: you know instantly whether you're going to be rewarded or not. If rewarded, you go on to the next scene happily. If not, you rework it.

I found this course full of meaty information. It is exactly what I needed to improve my novel. I actually find writing more interesting and exciting now that I have an understanding of scenes. At the same time, I have a greater awareness of the work an author has to put into a novel.

AWC offers some great courses for aspiring writers and also experienced writers. There is always more to learn about writing, for example, writing in different genres and keeping up to date with publishing requirements.

I enjoyed being able to tap into the online content wherever and whenever it suited me. Of course, it helped that the content was engaging and full of helpful advice.

It has given me the tools to critically analyse what I've written. It has also helped me to realise that some of what I've written is really quite good...and some of it less so.

Before doing this course, I don't think I'd realised just how critically important scenes are. That sounds so random. Of course, I understood their importance. I had just underestimated how much work they do for the overall story.

Writing is a journey and if you'd like someone to help guide you on that journey then I'd highly recommend the AWC.

I am always interested in improving my skills. Working on my manuscript, I wanted more technical information on creating scenes. I was somewhat concerned that it might be too basic for me, but the level of detail was excellent and I can already see how I can apply this information to my manuscript in the second draft.

I feel better equipped to continue writing. I feel like I have more tools to work with, rather than just 'winging it'.

I've taken a few online courses now, and each has been beneficial. There is a huge variety of courses for whatever stage you are at in your writing and whichever way you like to learn - live, with feedback or accessing it when you have a spare minute like I do with the online course. Would definitely recommend.

I wanted to refine my scene writing skills. I am 35k through my first draft of my first novel and things were starting to get complicated!

I'm bogged down in a complicated Act 2 and this gave me the help and the motivation I needed to get on with it!

The final Module on Setting was FANTASTIC and a huge help to me. It will be one of my most revisited aspects of the course and was really inspiring in terms of helping me visualise the elements of my story I'd been wanting to convey. It totally hit the spot, and I'll be telling my writing buddies about this course.

I enjoyed Valerie's voice - ha ha! I'm so used to hearing her now that I feel very relaxed about being educated by her (no matter who's behind the material). I'm used to the way she speaks and it makes me slide into the info. I also find the handouts enjoyable because they are thorough, and that makes me relax because I don't have to panic about getting the words down as they are spoken. My brain has time to process all that's being said.

I feel like I've had a breakthrough in understanding scenes and settings, and that is GOLD. I've been writing a long time and some of it is organic for me, but other parts feel like corrupted files in my brain. It's helped iron out the data by using a great input method. Settings has been a strength and a weakness, and this has truly helped iron that out in a positive way. Also, to be reminded to 'enjoy the process of writing' and not to 'rush the setting to get to the story' - words I needed to hear. I work full time and it's important to be patient sometimes. With great ideas comes great responsibility ;)

I've already been recommending AWC, and have advised they simply check out the options on the website to see which course would suit them best. If we're honest, we often know our own weak points, but there's enough 'links' mentioned in each course and references to the other courses on offer that it's impossible to do just one.

Go get your eyes on the site and check it out, have a trawl and consider all the options. It really explains itself perfectly. I reckon it just keeps getting better.

This course made me feel better about my writing. There were many aspects of the course that were 'Yes!' moments for me. But there were also some points I can use to improve my character's interactions within the scenes and settings. Reminders such as write the scene/setting from the POV of your character, not your own.

As I went through the how-to's - I thought about the scenes I have already written and planned how I might change them in the second draft. Planning ahead to the next scenes to be written. The course itself was easy to follow, and the handouts excellent.

This course is the perfect tool to add depth to your characters, the plot, and your story as a whole. It helps you recognise when to summarise a scene and when to give a detailed description. Set up in earlier scenes for events that happen in later scenes and ensure your scenes are written in the voice of the POV character. This course can be used as you write your first draft or as an editing tool if you are at that stage. I highly recommend it.

I loved the colour coding idea of scenes and the realisation that my scenes often lacked ample setting.

Excellent courses for beginner writers like myself.