What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I enjoyed the clear instructions, the excellent content, Valerie's clear diction (has she ever thought of reading an audio book?)

AWC is very comprehensive in what they cover and it is well presented and easy to follow.

I recently worked with a copywriter who provided such a great service to the organisation that I work for - I thought, “I want to learn how to do that.''

Glad I signed on because it has been excellent. Both Bernadette and Mark have been great and I enjoyed learning more about copywriting.

I think Bernadette's presentation style is excellent. Her experience and passion for the subject matter is apparent, plus she really cares that you understand and enjoy learning too.

Mark's feedback videos were great and I definitely learnt a lot by going through the full feedback videos. He also had a great presence on screen.

I liked that the assignments helped consolidate my learning per module but they weren't arduous. It was just the right amount of work for my time poor schedule.

I think I want this to be the next step in my professional journey. I'm a bit obsessed actually.

I was excited about having a deadline, a community of writers to work with and the expertise of an instructor.

Pamela did a great job. Very helpful. She delivered exactly what the course promised.

I most enjoyed collaborating with the other writers, most especially The Sapphires in our final group.

My two biggest takeaways were the idea of the "head, heart, body" and keeping the scene focused on the visible action.

I'm glad I did this course.

This was such a great course and I liked the breakdown of it. I learned so much in bite sized chunks; it was amazing.

Just take a leap of faith - these courses are amazing!

I enjoyed discovering the amazing range of authors and illustrators! Understanding the differences between picture books, chapter books and middle reader books.

The course sparked an interest in pursuing writing for the 6-9 year old age bracket.
It has also given me guidance to attempt writing picture books.

The course is a great stepping stone and enables you to find the age bracket you're interested in.

I'm writing a biography at the moment and drawn to non-fiction, not just memoirs. I wanted to better understand structure and how to make a story interesting that isn't about trauma or dramatic events

I thought the structure of the modules very helpful and logical. Offering videos and interviews of authors was terrific, especially as they all fit the genre

The audio modules were great for matching up with the handouts. The course offers flexibility, which I needed. It's a very good course and Valarie's voice is also easy to listen to.

The structure and narrative arcs were areas I need to pay more attention to. I will revise that module as well as the one about characterisation

It's very comprehensive and self-paced, makes for a perfect match for people who say they are time-poor.

It was a well curated course; a lot to cover of course so I will still need a lot of time to process the tools and tips and find what and how to use the tools. I think Grant talked about this mentality well too.

I enjoyed Grant's presentation style - he was friendly and open to learning new things.

Since it was online, I was able to run my own prompts in real time on my computer to test things out as Grant explained them.

I've used AI for several tasks in the days following - not so much for business writing but getting my life admin done in a much more enjoyable way. I think the course also helped crystallise a clearer project management workflow for me that leverages AI for any task, again, not limited to writing.

Consulting demands being a project manager with AI as your colleague. I liked the way Grant showed a task with 'jobs to be done' and allocating them between himself and AI.

I have been writing in other genres and felt more and more drawn to Romance, and wanted to make sure I do the genre justice.

The biggest takeaway would be that I discovered the book I have been writing is not in fact a romance, it has romantic elements. That's probably why I've been struggling to connect with it and trying to force it to be something it's not.

The course has steered me in the direction that I want to go with my writing. My first (unpublished) book is contemporary fantasy with no romance, the second I've been writing is paranormal mystery with romantic elements, and the third that I have now started while doing this course is capital R romance. I feel like I've finally found my voice and that feels pretty amazing.

The resources are excellent and the AWC is very receptive to feedback and the customer support I have had when needed has been superb.

Everything is presented in a way that is uncomplicated and easy to absorb. I'm re-working my writing and trying to apply the principles each time. Love the simplicity of the presentations and the depth of information.

The Focus On series is short bites that I can manage in a sitting and go through several times if needed. Life sometimes gets in the way, illness and a house move. The 12-month period gives me a chance to apply what I am learning to what I am writing.

Thank you for making the courses enjoyable.

If you want to improve your writing, Australian Writers' Centre has a course for you.

I love how Pamela's sense of humour and enthusiasm come across when she talks about writing.

The seminar reminded me that characters must interact with that world to prevent info-dumping. The world you build is a character in the story.

Don't hesitate. AWC courses are well worth it.

Resources and content in the MR course are immediately actionable. Valerie delivers in a no nonsense and highly knowledgeable manner.

Enriched my understanding and appreciation of the diversity of writing forms.

AWC offers value, excellence and relevance!

Brilliant. So much detail and practical advice. THANK YOU!

The examples were excellent, and the handouts were really useful. I think I will go back to them again and again.

I have been able to finish editing my first novel! Huzzah! After writing a first draft a couple of years ago, I knew there was a big gap between what it was and where I wanted it to be but I wasn't sure how to get there.

Writing out the scene list immediately helped me see a bunch of problems.

Save yourself a bunch of time wriggling your way through the dark (on your own) and just do it!

There were a lot more AI tools than what I was aware and the course certainly expanded my horizons in terms of the tools and some of the challenges but more importantly, the great resources and links that were collated to get started in this domain and start on a more in-depth learning pathway.

The presenter was very knowledgeable and relatable (human) - took us through an extraordinary plethora of information in a cohesive manner with good pace and momentum. Amazingly informative and enjoyable prompting expansive thinking for workplace (and other place) writing tasks to be carried out much more efficiently and opens up a whole gamut of new ideas for content. Simply amazing!

I enjoyed learning more on AI - what can be done and what templates and tools you can use to enhance content. Learning to get AI to do the hard yards to enable me to focus more on critical and strategic thinking skills. I loved the frameworks of thinking and the phrasing for prompts (love the term 'prompt engineer').

I am thinking of new ways to use AI to improve my writing tasks and productivity.

Absolutely fantastic well-researched, credible resources to set you on an informed pathway.

Thank you!

I got even more from the course than I expected - the Pamela Freeman session was also a real bonus.

The tutor was very encouraging and supportive.

I enjoyed the pace and progress of the course and the practical writing assignments. Given me more confidence and a greater understanding of the writing process.

You will make real practical progress really quickly.

I found the information easy to understand and utilise for a variety of story ideas. This course is great for new writers (I found it extremely beneficial).

Highly recommend doing this course and any other AWC course.

The detail and clarity in the course material was exceptional. The course really speaks to the debut author and answers all the questions they will have.

Before the course, I believed in my book. Now, I believe in myself to be a better salesman for my book.

AWC courses are clearly well-developed and focused on helping each student achieve their personal goals in writing.

This course covered many things that I needed to know in detail. I enjoyed finding out about research options, sourcing material, defamation pointers, and creating past worlds. It was very thorough.

I've done several AWC courses and have always learned a lot. They are targeted, well put together, and provide heaps of information to help you find your way.

I enjoyed the encouraging nature of the content e.g. interviews from writers about their journeys of writing their book, the fact that it was self paced.

When I was approaching the end of the content, I came to the realisation that my memoir is still an amazing story that needs to be told - however, in order to produce a book of the best quality, I have to be willing to accept that it needs major editing - and that is totally okay! It was definitely a big moment of epiphany for me.

The encouraging aspect of the course is what makes it differ to just googling advice online.

Halfway through my first manuscript, I realised I'd need help on how to edit and shape it. The course outline ticked the boxes of my needs, with the bonus of doing it at my own pace around my schedule.

The Cut Shape Polish course provided an essential checklist with a process and templates to follow. Methodology and structure are important to me, and this course gave me confidence in spreadsheets I had already set up for my first manuscript, as well as crucial tools and skills to make it better. And better again!

I now have a tried and tested process to follow for future manuscripts. This course is a must-do!

I have my first novel out on submission and have launched into my second novel - not the writing of it as yet, but the research, the brainstorming, and now the plotting and planning. I thought this time round I would try sticking to more formulaic approach as I wanted to make sure I was hitting all the marks (beats) to write a book with higher publishing and marketability prospects.

I enjoyed Kate herself and her encouragement. I also really appreciated her final comments about plotting and planning in a way that suits you - i.e. she grants flexibility. I loved the self-pace and knocked the course off in two weeks as an 'intensive'.

I also loved the 'connection' I felt with Kate with the video tutorials. Even though she was covering the same material as set out in the handouts, listening to her in a 'face-to-face' context made a lot of difference. These videos also served, for me, to reinforce and cement the learning better in my brain (as opposed to just straight out reading of the text on the handouts). Loved all the visuals too, especially the artwork - really got me in the groove.

I have a more solid methodical approach going forward with this second novel I am writing - as in, I feel more confident this time round that I am following the advice for plotting and planning from an absolute expert in the field (my books are also historical fiction).

An aha moment came when, by rereading and revisiting the relevant video tutorial, I finally understood Kate's Dramatic Arc (and 13-step hero's journey). It took me a bit to be able to apply the steps to the novel I am ready to start writing, but once I shifted this and that, and that and this, around, I actually 'got it' and this feeling was gratifying. I felt triumphant because the model was actually working for me in this book.

First of all, open the AWC website and TAKE A LOOK (this costs nothing). Then enrol in how ever many courses you can afford.

I would also recommend listening to the 600 odd episodes of the podcast (haha, I am still playing catch-up!). These are informative and inspiring, and I have learned so much without spending a cent through them.