What’s it like to learn with AWC?

My dream is to write romance novels so I was looking for a course that would teach me the foundations and expectations of the romance genre. I wanted to know the structure and the rules to put myself in the best position possible to fulfill my dream.

This course was so enjoyable and encouraging. I loved that one of the main messages is that your story is unique and only you can write it. The whole romance writing community feels so warm and inclusive and it was such a wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Zoom question and answer sessions. I got just as much out of them as the modules. I also really loved learning about the world of romance writing and the different categories and sub-categories available. It has made me love and appreciate the craft that goes into these stories even more.

It was so practical and in depth. With the focus on structure and expectations for romance novels, it answered all of my questions!

I feel a lot clearer in my approach to writing my first draft. Having the expectations and structure has eased a lot of my worries and has sparked that excitement to hit the keyboard running.

These courses are the best investment you can make for yourself. The course material is clear and in depth and the community in the groups and on social media are all so inclusive and encouraging. The modules are really well presented, and I found myself laughing along and genuinely having fun while learning.

The whole course is enjoyable, and with sharing Facebook info and Zoom sessions, I'm feeling confident.

I'm enjoying reviewing my old manuscript, while working through the modules supplied within the Romance Writing course and applying proven technical advice. I'm now excited about my future prospects of becoming a writer.

I can only praise AWC for this amazing course. I fully recommend this course to anyone wanting to write a romantic or romantic elements manuscript.

After completing many AWC courses, I felt ready to begin diving into the structural features of a novel. Romances are my favourite (I'm now no longer afraid to admit!) and the course outline looked like a great place to start planning my own romance novel.

The 'work at your own pace' structure appeals to me, as do the practical, industry-based tips and techniques. The additional audio interviews are super helpful.

I enjoyed learning the structural elements of plotting a romance novel, and specific features of the MCs. The work sheets and handout are clear and offer invaluable insight into writing romance, and I plan to use them over and over. I've started going back over the course as a jumping off point for developing my characters.

This course has given me the confidence to start writing my first novel!

It validated my love of romance writing as a legitimate genre, and has given me the confidence to pursue this writing form.

The AWC's practical, accessible and self-paced courses are ideal for those people who are thinking of honing their writing skills, or perhaps (like me) considering a career change.

I love reading romances so wanted to look at how to write them!

I wasn't sure romance was a genre I wanted to really write in, but the great thing about this course is that it has a lot of information that can be applicable to other genres.

I enjoyed all the bonus interviews and inspiration from successful romance writers.

I now know what is needed in a romance story and feel like I could dip my toe in and give it a go.

All of the AWC courses I have done have been interesting, informative and inspiring. It is obvious that they are there to help you be successful and that is a really nice feeling.

I'm writing queer romance and wanted to understand the background of romance better. The video interviews were good, as was the overall background understanding the material left me with. The understanding of the characters' motives was eye-opening.

I enjoy writing and wanted to explore the romance writing genre. Wanted to learn how to write romance.

I enjoyed listening to the other authors and their stories. I learnt a lot throughout the course.

A great place to learn about romance writing, with exercises and helpful handouts. And the presenter explains well. During this course, I came up with a story idea which I started writing.

I have a lot of stories in my head but needed more technical information. I'm an avid romance reader and really wanted to try my hand at adding to the ever-growing romance community.

I enjoyed the fun, relatable and relaxed course audios. They kept me wanting to listen and never tire of the study I'm doing. The links and references were also a great help in expanding on what I am learning.

It really helped me plan and organise the stories I am trying to write. I went over stories I'd already written and adapted them with the structures mentioned in the book and I found I loved my stories more using the techniques I'd learnt.

I was looking for the best course to start my journey and am so pleased I discovered it with AWC!

It gave me an insight into how to better construct a novel. I learnt what genre or sub genre my story belongs to and how to simply just pick up that pen (or keyboard) & write!

I have more confidence in my ability to write what I love to read.

I've always wanted to write. After doing the creative writing course, I was drawn to romance writing and I'm having a blast creating characters and storylines for this genre.

I enjoyed Valerie's beautiful voice, and the content was concise, informative and funny. It taught me how to create the characters in my mind, to be 3D, to make them whole and not cardboard cut-outs.

Loved it all. So much information to ponder.

I now have the courage to put my words into my computer. Not to have a fear of failure. Like everything, practice makes perfect. A story doesn't write itself.

Just go to the website. You won't be able to help enrolling yourself in something. Such great courses.

I have always been interested in romance writing and wanted to learn more about it. My expectations were high, as I had already had experience with another excellent AWC course. This course met those high expectations.

I have learned a great deal about the construction of a story, scene by scene, character by character, as well as plots and pitfalls, and so much more! I also loved the inclusion of excerpts and/or comments from books by published authors.

Go for it! You'll get much more out of it than you imagine.

I started this course months ago and only managed to get back to it when my time was almost up. Pressure-prompted me. So glad I did. Blew my mind!

The course is crammed with insights, recommendations and supporting material. Hard to single one thing out that I most enjoyed but I'll say it was the level of detail about what's required to write in this genre. I honestly had no clue of the complexity - until now.

I want to learn to write romance. I was particularly drawn to this course because I wanted to learn how to write romantic elements in my cosy murder mystery as a sub-plot, and it has really helped me to do that.

I enjoyed all of this course and I'll be coming back to re-learn as I keep writing forward. I think I really enjoyed the exercises that solidify the learnings, and the interviews with successful romance writers too. I also enjoyed the depth of knowledge provided, as well as the questions asked that got me thinking deeply about my characters, their pasts and how that affects them in the present, and I especially appreciated learning the difference between what is romance and what are romantic elements. That definition was enormously helpful.

My understanding of romance is clearer than it has ever been. I've started using the handouts to learn about my cosy murder mystery characters who are also love interests. I've plotted my story and included romantic elements so I don't forget them as I write forward. This has been the first time I've ever felt like I'll actually be able to write a story with romantic elements that work.

I think the best aha moment was the realisation that I can do this. With the knowledge and guidance of AWC in my writer's toolbox, I feel equipped to make my dream of writing commercial/publishable romance fiction come true.

This course was brilliant! It provides clarity on what is and is not romance, and exactly how to write a story that includes romantic elements as well as how to write a romance that meets a romance reader's expectations. If you want to write romance and you're not sure where to start, do this course!

The author interviews were really interesting and encouraging. I'm now much more confident about the process of writing romance.

Do it. You will learn a lot. The course is very practical and encouraging. Plenty to sink your pen into (so to speak!)

I wasn't sure if I was actually a romance writer, but this course cleared up that there are multiple ways to write romance regardless of whether I see myself doing only that.

I liked all the worksheets and handouts; I think that's an integral part of what AWC offers in their courses.

I know what I want to write, how I might go about that and what paths there are if I ever feel like being published is in my future.

It's so easy to dismiss a calling as a writer as something for 'another day' - but with AWC courses, that day can be TODAY! They're easy, simple to understand, offer great connections to other budding authors as well as professionals and the takeaways are enormous.

I really enjoyed the audio lessons and working with the handouts. It was a great balance of theory and real-life application. I enjoyed the relaxed tone and the level of detail given in modules 1-4.

I was editing my second novel at the time of beginning the course, and it really helped me 'check' that I had all the right elements, tension points, the arcs etc. in place. While completing this course I also signed with Danielle Binks of Jacinta Di Mase Management. So, while the later modules weren't very relevant to me (pitching/publishers, etc.), the craft-based modules really helped me refine my manuscript.

The 3 Act Structure and tension points content was great, really well explained, and I appreciated the clarity provided with regards to the main character drives and motivations. These points really helped me while editing.

Great value for money. Self-paced! All materials can be downloaded. Easily accessible. Trustworthy and well-informed content. Loved it.

I love romance stories, so I was interested to find out the genre-specific requirements of romance writing.

The course was very detailed and informative in the plotting and character requirements. Great information and value for money.

I wanted to learn more about romance writing genres as my WIP had romance in it but wasn't technically a romance novel.

I enjoyed all the new information I learned. I now know I have written a mystery with romantic elements.

It's attractive because it's self-paced and you will definitely learn something, even if it's: you're on the right track!

I enjoyed the clear structure and expectations contained in each module. Valerie's professional and interesting reading of the information made it highly enjoyable.

I've re-thought the structure, characters and potential plot of a romance I had started writing.

I knew a bit going in, but this course took my understanding of romance writing to a whole new level. What I enjoyed most was how vast the romance genre is! You can explore until your creative heart is content.

It made me look at my writing, and what kind of story I want to write, in a new light. I've been confining myself (and my story) to a box and now I feel free to explore in different ways.

I think this course is great for people wanting a greater understanding of the romance genre. DO IT! Your writing will never be the same again.