What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I enjoyed getting the feedback! Couldn't wait. Also, the bitesized tasks. I am a panster and an avoider, so last minute with very little editing.

I loved Nat. I like the personal bits she shared too about learning languages, her background. Her encouragement.

I have had a few stories lurking but have not known how to start. I loved the story from one well known writer about getting my bum on the seat. So true. Also, the concept of not being afraid to write and that we are all different. I feel something has shifted in me that has given me a secret purpose and it's all for myself.

Well worth spending the money to open the door, into your own world of creative magic.

I wanted to write believable romance whether in a romance story or as romantic elements in another genre. As I have done other AWC courses, I knew it would contain lots of value for me.

I enjoyed the discussion about emotion being the core of romance, and that is what drives every scene forward. I can create intimacy far better when I realise it is about emotion and changing emotions. It felt clunky before.

I always say that the AWC is full of people who know their stuff and present the information well. You can't go wrong with one of their courses.

Ever since I was a child, English and writing were my favourite subjects. I fell into my career of business administration and people management. However, I cannot say I have ever been truly 'passionate' about it and as I've gotten older (now in my 50's), I honestly have started to feel trapped and stuck. I have always had a creative side, whether it be drawing, painting or making decorative cakes. I stumbled on the Reinvent Yourself course first, which quickly led me to the writing courses and it was like a lightbulb moment that pulled me back into my love of writing.

I enjoyed everything. It has truly inspired me and sparked my creativity bug.

Margaret gave good feedback and encouragement. She appears to be a very enthusiastic tutor who wishes for everyone to put in the time and effort to edit and re-work their writing, story structure and characters.

I came into the course with only a couple of ideas buzzing in my head. I've now got approximately five different stories or plots partially drafted, with one of my stories mapped out as potential for a series with approximately eight different story plots. I am a long way off feeling capable to get them to the point of presenting to a publisher, which is a whole other challenge, but I'm excited about where I might be able to go with my writing.

If you want to write and don't know where to start, whether you are serious, or just for hobby, this is a great, affordable way to start. The content and advice provided by the course creators is so simple and achievable to follow. But furthermore, the advice from the tutor/s, other industry experts but most importantly the past students' success stories is really inspirational and motivating.

The recordings are always engaging and interesting. I also like the way the modules are positive and take the approach that with time and energy it is possible to have a successful outcome.

The story I submitted didn't come as naturally as some other things I'd written. Initially I found this frustrating, but it was a good learning experience to press on and eventually achieve something I was satisfied with. It was different from other things I'd written and as a result got lots of feedback about ways that I could improve. This was great and I really appreciated the time Nat put in and the detailed feedback.

This is the first time I've received feedback on an entire story, as opposed to the feedback on exercises in the past 2 courses I did. I'm really looking forward to implementing the suggestions and tightening up my writing.

AWC has courses to help you no matter which stage of your writing journey you are on. There are also a variety of ways to learn, so you can choose a way that's most comfortable for you.

I enjoyed the assignments. I really liked Nat. Her feedback was constructive.

It was good value for money. If you are wanting to learn how to write, this is a great starting point.

Amy was great! She really directed everyone's assignment every week, which I found helpful to listen to not just for my own work, but for my classmates too. She was able to articulate things in ways which was really easy to grasp for newbies like me.

I enjoyed getting the feedback from Amy and reading my classmates' work - I really hope to see their names on bookshelves in the future.

The writing community is truly so supportive! I was only able to attend one of 'The Write Direction' Zooms offered due to my schedule, but WOW, it was a wealth of knowledge. Pamela spoke candidly and from the heart while offering really useful information. I left feeling like "I can do this!". I also really appreciated all the handouts we received during the course. Not only are these useful tools during the course, but also for the future.

I've really learnt about narrative tension, about summaries vs scenes, pace. It has reignited a spark that I had lost.

As a stay-at-home mum, I want a way to work from home and have the flexibility to spend time with my growing family. I also love writing and used to be a B2B journalist, but there were certain things I didn't like about the job. I thought copywriting sounded interesting and like a great new way to live, not just work.

Bernadette was brilliant and I love that I now have the content in my back pocket that I can refer to anytime I need to refresh my memory on what I should do to further my business.

I liked the "scripts" that Bernadette provided on how to talk to potential clients in certain situations. I found it really helpful to have a guide for these situations as I find it hard to speak confidently to people in a face-to-face business setting.

I feel confident now to start my copywriting business and plan, plan, plan! I'm still nervous to get out there and talk to people, but as Bernadette says, it will come naturally the more I do it.

If you're thinking about starting your own business and love to write, but aren't sure where to start or what you need to do to get the ball rolling, this is the course for you. I can't think of a single thing that wasn't covered and I'm ready to get started NOW.

Thanks so much, Bernadette and the team at AWC for providing this amazing course. It absolutely was what I needed.

Bernadette Foley's feedback was on point and useful. Pamela Freeman presented the recorded seminars. She's amazing.

I now have a whole slew of notes for the opening of the book I'm currently writing that I'm sure will make a huge difference when I begin editing.

I like that, while sub-topics within specific topics don't change much, AWC has a way of presenting the material in such a way that new ideas and understandings are always triggered. This 'twist' to the tuition content is what keeps the courses relevant.

I enjoyed the breakdown of why magic is so crucial to fantasy stories and, because it exists, the need to consider its impact directly on society and characters. This helped me with the stumbling block I had in a story I had previously written which lacked depth.

AWC courses are easy to follow at your own pace.

Cathie was very kind and direct, which I strongly appreciate. She provided feedback without telling me what to do and I got a better sense of what it's like to work with an editor.

My classmates were lovely. The group was engaged and kind, with useful feedback and encouragement throughout (and after) the course.

I've proved to myself that I can improve in the craft of writing and make my manuscript better draft after draft. I've also lost some of the fear of feedback and having my story read by other people.

I noticed how much providing feedback to others' writing helped me noticed gaps in my own writing. We'd been told that at the start, and I was sceptical. No more. It's 100% true.

It's a safe space that will propel you into action and progress on your writing goals.

I would just like to thank the AWC crew and Cathie for the support. I'm not the loudest in the room, but the way we were all treated throughout made this experience one that I'm happy I took the chance on.

Show don't tell' is one of many areas that I have problems grasping the concept. I think I have a handle on it and then I realize that I don't. However, after taking this course I think I have a much better understanding of the concept.

I thought Pamela explained everything in an easy to understand way and she was very relatable.

The examples given during the course, the showing and telling, side by side, were extremely helpful and most gratifying to finally 'get it'.

AWC courses are very user friendly, full of useful information (no padding) and extremely valuable in helping to further your writing career (I was going to say journey instead of career, but that word has been ruined for me by reality television).

Nat could talk the talk and walk the walk. Her rewrites of my work gave me a clear direction to follow and a much better understanding of what I was doing wrong. I enjoyed her analysis of our work and the challenges presented as either assignments or exercises.

I now look at my own writing in a completely different way.

I will be referring back to this course as a resource for some time to come, it's very good content.

I loved Pamela's points about world building. It's made me think about my own story and world in another light, taking into account things such as what kind of society and culture would form in a particular environment and why.

I'll approach my writing and world building in a more thoughtful, considered way. The story will still be most important, but the details I add to the world, characters and story will be chosen so that everything is cohesive.

I have two young boys and have read many, many, many picture books in recent years to the point that I can recite many of them by heart. My partner is also an illustrator, so we have often discussed producing books together. This course seemed like it would provide a good foundation in understanding essential elements in writing picture books.

I thought the quality and depth of information in this course was excellent. The narrator of the modules (Valerie) was engaging. Margaret was excellent. Deeply knowledgeable, generous with feedback, encouraging. The weekly feedback was incredibly valuable. It was useful to listen to feedback not only for my assignments but also to feedback for the other students.

The course had me thinking more carefully about the impact of every word within a picture book.

The Australian Writers' Centre has a range of online courses of excellent quality. I highly recommend the Writing Picture Books course as a useful introduction to essential aspects of writing picture books that will be engaging for children and attractive to publishers.

Pamela is so very knowledgeable and experienced. Being able to gain feedback and direction for someone so immersed in the industry is invaluable.

It made me get excited about my novel again.

If you really want to give your writing or novel a chance, do some courses and make it the best it can be.

This course was beyond beyond helpful for me. It helped with a lot of blocks I had. I learnt a lot more than I thought possible to learn within 5 weeks. It answered a lot of technical aspects I didn't even know existed, and to have support and feedback was also really helpful.

Nat was fantastic. She was clear, helpful, open and honest. Her energy was light and brought humour especially when I was a bit nervous to get my first lot of feedback-she delivered such helpful points in a really light-hearted, easy to take way. I enjoyed having Nat as a lecturer for sure.

I enjoyed how much I learned and how I could go at my own pace. I have really busy days and the freedom to lock in whenever I had a chance or window was really helpful.

It's definitely helped me get some structure, understand a lot more techniques, the quality of my writing has grown, become more clear & it's really opened a door for me to want to keep learning more.

The AWC is super helpful for anyone looking to start writing. It will open doors for you.

Tim's presentation and exercises to complete were excellent. I enjoyed learning the many small things that kids find funny that adults certainly don't.

It has taught me that humour can be used in many ways to make a piece of writing more entertaining than I would have ever thought about.

If you want to do a writing course that's a little bit different, do Tim's LOL because it's not only fun it's also very informative.

The pace and easy listening is great, as with all the AWC self-paced courses.

It has given me concrete tools and actions I can bring into my writing to ensure I'm creating something people will enjoy reading.

AWC covers every aspect of writing and is supportive and encouraging. A real inspiration for anyone who wants to have a go.

Vivienne was great.

My takeaways from the course are having a hook, the lingering nature of the writing after it has been read, the overall structure for opinion pieces, and how to make it personal.

I pitched a story to The Age and they responded to say they liked my pitch and wanted me to develop the story. The editor gave me some prompt questions to write the full story with a limit of 900 words. I've just submitted it back to him, so fingers crossed.

I enjoyed learning about how to write opinion pieces as well as a lot of background and context. Vivienne is an excellent presenter. She is easy to listen to and very knowledgeable.

It has helped me to better analyse my thoughts and be able to present my opinion in a more concise, and simple way. Hopefully this will help with both my written and verbal presentations and arguments.

I have the background and knowledge to express my opinion more directly and forcibly than I might have done in the past.

Excellent, value for money online courses that allow interaction with the tutor and the other participants. Highly recommended.