What’s it like to learn with AWC?

The detailed course materials unpacked the style of writing that is required in a picture book with sets of exercises.

Suzanne was a very positive and astute tutor. Her feedback was helpful and insightful. She was very prompt in giving feedback and constructive criticism.

I enjoyed the challenge of meeting the criteria set out for writing a successful picture book. It gave me confidence to write for children.

Being able to read the work submitted by other students (and to listen to the feedback they received) was very helpful. It was great to build a rapport with the other students, as we encouraged each other and offered suggestions.

Suzanne was marvellous, and readily answered any questions. Her feedback was specific, timely, and helpful.

I've realised I want to write children's picture books :)

The range of resources and courses on offer is amazing. The tutors are knowledgeable and supportive. I also highly recommend the 'So You Want to be a Writer' podcast.

It's a brilliant course!

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep up with the workload…but it was not only enjoyable but very manageable - even when I had a week with a 'sick' household.

Suzanne was great! Hearing her feedback on my work (as well as the work of others) was clear, constructive and encouraging. Such a help in pinpointing what to address in your next draft.

I really did enjoy everything! I looked forward to the modules, course chats and feedback each week. And in doing this course, I also discovered the podcast and blog of AWC 👌

Such a helpful course! Less intimidating than doing face to face and yet the feedback is sharp and helps you target areas to work on and improve your writing.

Excellent resources and realistic advice given regarding the publishing industry.

I enjoyed the written exercises and assignments, the concise resources in regards to all aspects of writing, illustrating and getting published, and the links to industry and further associations in the children's picture books world.

The course covers every aspect of writing and illustrating a children's picture book, from the beginning to getting published. I have more confidence in my writing and the formatting recipe to write a better and more engaging narrative for children.

I would love to illustrate children's books and I have been working towards this for some time. It would be an absolute dream to develop my skills in writing to both write and illustrate and get the wacky visions in my head out there. I would love to help struggling readers develop a love of reading.

My biggest concern was dedicating enough time to the course. The way it is run is fantastic. I ended up having so much other work on my shoulders and still managed to actively listen to the lessons, read the handouts and complete the assignments.

I love that there is so much detail about the industry. I feel so much better equipped to chase this passion. I have wanted to start writing for a long time. I briefly started a university course that was nowhere near as valuable as this one. I feel confident in practicing now where I was so lost before. I am so thankful I found the Magic and Mayhem podcast that led me here.

Susan was amazing. She was empowering, gentle and so knowledgeable. I can't thank her enough for all her wonderful feedback and dedication to helping me become better.

I loved the bonus material for illustrators. It really made me feel I'm where I'm meant to be.

I didn't know how to start a story at all. It was as if there are just too many options in how to write a story. You gave me structure and now it's like I can control my creative powers! It was also so nice to get positive feedback. I'm a very practical person and I'm almost embarrassed to admit I'm chasing this dream, but this all just feels normal now.

Please tell Susan thank you! She is a rock star and I can't wait to do another course to learn more!

Just do it! You won't just improve your writing but get guidance on the whole journey.

Completing the course provides a sense of achievement. But knowing I will use the learnings provides a sense of excitement and anticipation!

Suzanne is a lovely tutor. I liked the balance of feedback - constructive and positive. She has the sweetest voice so I always looked forward to hearing her views on our work.

I enjoyed getting to understand the important elements of writing a children's picture book. Sparkling language, structure, rhythm, and having a protagonist that moves the story along. There is so much to learn but it all made sense.

It has given me the theoretical nous to actually do something. I am spending more time focused on the next steps. Watching more and researching more. It has become an important passion for me.

The course is a nice entrance into the world of writing. No matter how daunted you might feel, take the step and know that there are many others like you who aspire to write. This course gives you the tools to match up your aspiration with practical application.

Thank you for the encouragement and the ongoing benefits of this investment. I will continue to utilise the AWC resources and maybe another course down the track once I master what I have learnt and start pitching manuscripts to publishers.

I have a passion for writing and with two young children I thought children's picture books was a great place to start.

Suzanne was wonderful, her feedback was very useful and helped refine my writing. Listening to other people's feedback was also a great resource.

I enjoyed everything! Every module was informative and I am grateful for everything I have learned. It has inspired me to follow my passion and work towards becoming a published author.

I would highly recommend AWC. Experienced tutors and very useful content.

The level of theory exceeded my expectations. Very helpful feedback on student assignments, great insights into the industry. Suzanne's feedback was always supportive as well as constructive.

I feel like I've learned a lot about writing techniques. The level of information provided and the exercises reinforced this.

Great for technical knowledge in writing picture books.

This course has given me a great basic understanding of the anatomy of a picture book and what publishers are looking for. Within a couple of weeks of starting the course I was analysing the books I read to my kids. Also, the information on how to put together a manuscript for a publisher is just what I needed to know.

It's such an easy course to fit around life. I listened to the lessons while doing the kindy/daycare run. And each week was packed with information, tips and insider knowledge that I soaked up.

Writing a children's book has been a lifelong dream. I'm also trying to set a good example for my young children - if you want to achieve something, you often have to put in the time, practice and hard work.

I was very motivated by the deadline of completing some writing every week - it kept me focused. I appreciated the tutor's kind observations, encouraging and then also constructive.

It was the first step on my path to making my dream come true.... It has given me a framework to draft my ideas around.

If you want to be an author, you need to see yourself as an author! As a busy stay at home mum with a dream, it gave me permission to put aside some time to start focusing on a goal.

Don't just talk about it, do it!

I'd listened to the 'So you Want to be a Writer' Podcast for years, and listened to some great interviews with picture book authors, such as Victoria Mackinlay. The interviews were very inspiring. I've always wanted to write books. Since having kids my passion for picture books has grown. Lately, I haven't been able to stop thinking about writing picture books and did a few drafts earlier this year but wanted to make sure I was on the right track from the get go. I finally decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did!

I loved learning all about picture books, styles, process and learning about particular authors to look out for and classic books to add to my library. I also loved reading the stories from other classmates and hearing feedback about everyone's work.

Suzanne was great and very knowledgeable and helped me see the gaps in my stories and provided great feedback.

It's inspired me to move forward with my picture book writing!

Cathie was great. Her feedback was very thorough and very valuable, very encouraging and very constructive.

I had written a story prior to joining the course. When I read that story and the stories that I have written as part of this course, I can see a huge difference. It was fun to see myself improve through my stories.

My writing wasn't too bad (or so I thought :)), but it was very good to learn the technicality of picture book writing. The reference materials given were very good too.

A must-have if you want to learn the technical aspects of picture book writing.

Suzanne's tutorials were easy to follow and the feedback was excellent. It was exciting to submit a new story each week. I enjoyed the homework and feedback.

I really feel confident to submit my stories. Maybe I will get them rejected but to have the confidence to actually submit is quite exciting.

It's more important to gain knowledge on the mechanics of a story and the process of submitting for publication than you think. The Australian Writers' Centre teaches you all that and more.

I really liked the tutor's constructive criticism. She pointed out where we were doing the right things, so we could keep doing them, but also offered advice and suggestions on how to improve with specific examples. She was very encouraging and I noticed Suzanne replied within a reasonable time if someone put a question in the group chat.

I enjoyed reading other people's work and - although this was also the most terrifying part - putting my own work up for others to read.

It has given me confidence in my own ability and motivated me to do the masterclass and spend more time writing in general.

Thank you so much! I wish I'd done this a long time ago.

Suzanne's feedback was honest and fair. Her suggestions were excellent and I will definitely go forth in my writing with her advice in the back of my mind.

It's opened my eyes to how much work goes into writing a picture book. There's soooo much more to it than I first thought.

Do it! Such amazing content.

Being a teacher librarian in a P-12 school, I spend a lot of my time choosing and reading picture books. I wanted to get a sense of how to write one to see what it was that made them so special. Once I started and realised how challenging it is to write a picture book, I discovered a new appreciation for the wonderful picture book authors we have in Australia.

Suzanne was very helpful with her feedback. I found it beneficial to listen to all of the feedback to help with my own writing.

The way that the course is delivered is excellent. Not too taxing on time which suits me at this time of my life. I also enjoyed the information about publishers and the complexities of how to submit work. I thought that the course was great for the price with very valuable information shared.

I think I will start to gather stories in a journal to see where they end up. I've had a lot of ideas over the past years but haven't committed to writing them down. It's given me permission to start!

I have always loved reading and writing, and always imagined I would be a writer one day... however, I found life kept pulling me in other directions. With one toddler already, and another baby on the way, I realised it's never going to happen if I don't prioritise time to write. I read a lot of picture books with my toddler and I would love to write books that she can enjoy, but I knew there would be more to this genre than meets the eye. I decided to take this course to learn the ins and outs of creating a picture book.

The tutor was really great - I found the feedback provided for our whole cohort to be very useful. There were things picked up from the work of other participants that I have tucked away for future reference as they may well have popped up in my work down the track.

This course is pure gold with no fluffy stuff. It gets right to the point and shares exactly what one needs to know about how to write this genre. I started out doing a Master's degree in Writing (part-time around work and life) and completed 4 subjects. One year of study. I got more out of this 5-week course.

It has given me the confidence to give this a real go. And also a blueprint of how to go about it.

I liked the way information was given - there was no 'dumbing down' and it was realistic and usable information. It treated us as intelligent people capable of learning to write.

Cathie clearly has a lot of knowledge and was very encouraging. She tried hard to tailor her feedback to each individual which was beneficial for us all. She gently hinted us in the right direction.

I have greater understanding of the recipe for a picture book, and I feel I have a more realistic understanding of what to expect when writing a good picture book. It has helped me find a framework I can fit my creativity into, and encourages me to refine my practice.

The course was easy to access, with valuable content and practical skills you can apply.

Thank you to Cathie for her insights. I have really enjoyed engaging in this course and will continue to refer to the content as a new author!

Cathie's feedback was invaluable, clear and constructive and provided concrete suggestions to try.

It was a complete eye-opener into the world of picture books. 'Deceptively simple' - it was a challenge.

I feel it has helped my writing by learning how to refine my use of words, use sparkling language using the 'show don't tell' way of writing and becoming aware of the use of other senses apart from sight.

The courses I have done have been comprehensive, informative and given me the opportunity to read other participants' writing and connect online. The feedback from tutors has been invaluable.

Thank you for another great course.

I learnt a lot from the course, broadening my ideas of picture book writing and its complexities - beyond my naive ideas of its simplicity and realising its depth was greater than I first thought.

It's made me put into words my story, work on the ideas creatively, and rethink my original piece to my final piece, knowing there is more work to be done.