What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Angela was fantastic. Her analysis and assessment of each person's submission was very comprehensive, positive and encouraging. I especially liked the last assignment evaluation as she edited these as well.

The most enjoyable part of the course was reading and commenting on other student's work. Their comments on my writing was so encouraging in the sense that I really felt that I was in a community. I have made some new friends.

The course is very balanced in the amount of lessons and handouts as well as assignment expectations. I didn't get time to finish or even look at some of the extra exercises, but I will work through these at my own pace.

It has made me want to take up writing seriously, not just as something I dabble in. I want to be a writer! That is a profound life choice for me.

I had a wonderful experience participating in the course and this was due, not only to developing a creative process for writing, but also in the resources and support I received from my tutor and AWC.

I'll be back!

Angela's feedback is affirming and supportive, giving valuable comments and guidance, especially for someone like me who came into the course knowing absolutely nothing about the process!

I enjoyed reading the other students' work and communicating with them. Also, being able to do the assignments in my own time and at my own pace, within the weekly format.

I knew nothing about how to construct a narrative, a scene etc. I had no idea about structure, the importance of setting the scene, and using the four colours in a scene. This course has taught me so much, and has given me sign posts to guide the way. The handouts will be invaluable to refer to in future.

You don't need to be an enormously gifted writer to succeed - you do need to be prepared to do the work with passion, time and self-discipline, but you don't have to be the next Charles Dickens!

The atmosphere within this course is stimulating, but always very encouraging, which gives even the most sensitive writers an environment of acceptance and trust, knowing their work will be dealt with in a respectful way. This, in my opinion, is a huge "tick" for AWC.

If you're looking for an excellent grounding in the craft of writing creatively, to learn important guidelines and receive valuable feedback which will enable you to hone your skills and help you grow as a writer, then this is the course for you.

The tutor was good and informative. I enjoyed how matter-of-fact they were when talking about techniques and other writing stuff.

I'm thinking more about the writing process and taking breaks from different stories to gain a better perspective.

Nicole was a skilled writer and I found her feedback on all our submissions to be informative and supportive.

One, I grew in that I finished the course and committed to it the whole way through. Two, I learned from others that there is no magic - it's giving rein to your imagination and then, word by word, scene by scene, putting your story down. Three, don't agonise over making your first draft perfect - you'll change it anyway later.

Well-organised, practical lessons and handouts. Thoughtful, detailed feedback from the tutor and AWC's coordination/moderation of workshopping means that feedback is constructive and useful and not scary.

It was practical, topical and I haven't seen other courses covering this topic.

Bernadette provided great feedback - she always had something constructive to add, but also found something positive to say as well which helps with motivation!

I am now picking up on the SEO techniques mentioned in this course whenever I google something. The tips are very practical and applicable for setting up any kind of business.

The courses are practical and informative. The feedback provided on work is extremely constructive and the format is very convenient. I particularly like that most of the course work is listening to audio which (during lockdown) has been great to listen to on daily walks!

I've really enjoyed the course - thank you!

I'm writing biographies for a charity organisation and have always been interested in creative non-fiction.

I enjoyed the use of the examples from well-known authors. Also the clear layout of the course. I think I have a clearer idea of structure and I picked up some very useful tips.

The AWC offers an extensive range of courses taught by passionate teachers. The courses are insightful, inspiring and practical and will guide you in the world of writing.

I love the examples and author interviews. I purchased nearly every book discussed. I like the bite size format. This made it very easy to consume when I have tiny moments throughout the week available.

It has broken down what's commonly seen as daunting.

High-quality courses, designed for the busy professional in mind. Easy to fit into my schedule, skills for confidence and life, skills for income and improving your business. Grateful for AWC and will seek out more courses once I have finished those on my dashboard.

So many great tips about getting the most from Scrivener. Natasha teaches just as brilliantly as she writes!

I think this will transform my use of Scrivener and improve my ability to organise and visualise my writing projects enormously.

I've done quite a few of your courses and this one was a standout. Practical. Great to have a clear process to follow and templates to assist with editing. I will use this process and tools to edit manuscripts in future.

Well structured, clear, practical, great tools.

The course forced me to write and forced me to think about what I was doing with my writing. It allowed me to experiment and helped me to cease procrastination. With a solid due date ahead of me I have found I spend the time writing and learning. That was invaluable to me.

The online tutor was extremely encouraging and appeared very knowledgeable about writing. She was able to comment on aspects of my writing I was unaware of and could provide a different perspective to what I was used to.

The scene setting lesson was probably the most helpful lesson I have received about writing a scene. I will very likely return to it whenever I am struggling with a scene.

The AWC website whole-heartedly encourages people to pursue a career (or even a hobby) in writing. The breadth of courses and activities available has something to suit every individual person. Everything you see is inspiring and encouraging and you truly feel like a part of a community.

Thank you for creating the opportunity for me to write and learn at the same time.

Great course. Some things I'm already doing but each section contained something new for me to think about and bring to my own writing. I really want to revisit my character language, for example, to see how I can make sure each has a unique voice through my book. I'm also desperate to weave in some ping-pong conversations now that I know about them.

I think my 'aha' moment has been the realisation that it's not just making your characters say funny things that brings humour to your work. I suddenly see the full toolbox of techniques available to a writer such as situation, wordplay, repetition, surreal comedy etc. I have never stopped to think about the different elements of comedy before. Some I've already introduced to my work without knowing it, and others I can now consciously plan in.

You don't know what you don't know. Even if you learn one new thing, it might make all the difference to your work.

Bernadette is thorough and gives clear explanations and instructions. Great detailed feedback on assignments!

I've learned the skills to be more strategic with content. I love the practical, hands-on nature of AWC courses.

Vivienne was very prompt and active in the online classroom, and my impression of her was that she was a very encouraging but also honest and genuine tutor. I enjoyed the feedback immensely, and I think her delivery of it is very inspiring. I feel encouraged whilst also challenged, without ever feeling judged.

I enjoyed getting to listen to lessons, and Valerie's style of teaching was wonderful. I looked forward to the sessions with my headphones on and my notebook in front of me, and getting to follow along the audio with the helpful summary of points. The profile writing assignment was my favourite activity by far!

It's opened up a world of possibility which I'd never given thought to before! It's helped me reconnect to the love of writing I had in school, which I had been discouraged to pursue as any sort of career. This has given me the knowledge that it is totally possible, and given me a feeling of excitement that I could use my love of words and creativity to carve out an unexpected career path and do something I consider meaningful and aligned with my values.

The course is delightful! It's well-structured, affordable, interesting, and equips you with very practical, real-life knowledge to go down the writing path.

Thank you to the team for designing and offering this course! It's been a highlight of my year.

Tim was great with so many tips and stories to tell! Thank you! I enjoyed the videos and bits of advice along the way.

I know more about the process which is comforting for me. I like to have a pathway to work towards.

Highly recommend before you start your writing journey as an excellent overview.

Carli was a joy to be taught by. Her knowledge was so generously shared with us all and she made me feel as if I could approach her about anything.

I really enjoyed the homework, funnily enough. And being able to send this work onto Carli for her feedback has been wonderful!

I feel so much more confident in going forward with my writing and pitching ideas to publications. And feel that I am definitely on the right track in pursuing this as more than just a hobby.

It has changed the way I feel about writing as well as injecting an extra dose of confidence within me that I didn't have beforehand.

The whole course really was so wonderful, and it brought me so much joy in what has been a challenging time. So thank you!

The professionalism and quality of this course - in both content and presentation style - far exceeded anything I anticipated. The online platform and modalities have worked extremely well. Very smooth!

Bernadette is extremely knowledgeable and professional. Her presentations are rich in detailed information and her conversational style is friendly and relaxed. She maintains an encouraging tone in her feedback, while providing helpful and constructive criticism. An outstanding presenter!

I have gained a whole new skill set and awareness, which provides confidence and opportunities moving forward. It has been very rewarding starting to be immersed in a new genre and its culture. I have learned to be more economical with my writing and gained a bunch of strategies for arresting the attention of the reader quickly. The fact that there is some immediate income earning potential after this course is fantastic. Because these skills can be transferred to so many other areas of professional life and writing, it feels like being on the threshold of a whole new world of possibilities.

It has been great to discover that I can be dragged into the 21st Century and learn the SEO component of copywriting without feeling completely overwhelmed. Having come from a very off-line, classical, academic background, I have gained confidence that I can actually understand and do this!

AWC has been well-organised and easy to deal with. There is a great range of courses, which in my experience so far have been high quality and professional.

Thank you for introducing me to something wonderful and new!

I learned so much over the past 5 weeks! Carli was extremely generous with her time and knowledge. I enjoyed going through the readings and looked forward to our Tuesday evening classes. I appreciated her feedback and help with improving my writing skills.

It helped me find new ways of exploring my personal interest with food and food-related topics. Equally, Carli gave us the tools to go and pitch to publications on a deeper level.

I've always gotten a lot out of the AWC courses. After taking 3+ courses this year (and the Freelance Writing Masterclass), I'm developing more confidence in my abilities as a writer.

Angela was fantastic. Really responsive and helpful. I found her feedback on my writing excellent and insightful in ways that helped me breakthrough blocks I was facing.

It helped me actually finish my book and gave me insight into what my strengths are and what areas I need to work on. I felt more like I could actually do this. It also introduced me to other excellent writers, who I hope to keep in touch with.

Angela's comments on my synopsis and the questions she asked were a big 'aha' moment for me - they helped me nail the final story and identify crucial things that were missing.

Thanks very much for this. It was great and would definitely do it again! I'll be buying the editing course next. :)

I was blown away by how much I learned on this course. It took me to areas and writing opportunities that I had no idea even existed!

Bernadette is just lovely! Her genuine love of copywriting and the knowledge she imparts, in such a down to earth way, and always positive, is not only thought provoking but informative and confidence-building.

The way in which the course was run and the fact that it was only 5 weeks gave me the opportunity to fit this in between work and family commitments. I enjoyed the many different aspects to copywriting and the tips, tricks and templates Bernadette imparted.

It has inspired me to want to be a copywriter! To want to and believe that I can actually make a living from my love of words, together with all of the relevant information and templates imparted by Bernadette. I'm looking forward to my journey with newly found self-belief!

I actually knew more about copywriting in my day-to-day life than I thought I did! Was just the terminology that was missing! The whole course was one BIG 'aha!' moment for me.

Even though this course was a challenge for me in every way, from personal to practical, I just loved the fact that, at the end of this course, I wanted to learn MORE!!

Excellent courses! Interesting, informative and relevant with manageable timeframes and fantastic tutors!

The tutor was professional, funny, clever, encouraging, met you at your level - generally fab!

Superb - really eye opening course. AWC were doing online courses well before COVID, they set it up this way and they know what they are doing. This is not just a reaction to not being able to do things in person (as many seem to be).

Thank you very much to Bernadette and the whole team.