What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I was keen to inject some more humour into my writing for children, and it seemed like something fun to do during COVID lockdown.

The exercises given were long enough to get my grey matter working, but not too onerous to fit into my busy life. Tim's presentation style was engaging and he presented the information clearly and concisely.

I now feel capable of ramping up the humour in my writing for children. I'm excited about blowing the cobwebs off a previously written story for children and giving it the humour makeover I see it now needs.

If you are really serious about learning to write, or improving your writing, the right course could be a great investment.

This course is very practical and hands on, i.e. supplying 'formulas' and templates for copywriting; most courses don't offer this. I also like that it's online and I can do the class when it suits me each week.

Bernadette is great, very personable and interesting and her feedback was always really constructive and positive.

I liked the homework assignments each week; it was a good way to put into action what I had learned. I felt the course evolved at a good pace.

I like the practicality of the course and Bernadette made it all seem easy. It takes the fear out of staring at a blank page as I now have tools and templates to get started.

Great course, really practical and useful - whether you're just learning to write or have industry experience.

Suzanne was very thorough, and gave really easy to understand feedback. She picked up on points in my writing I was not aware of, and was very encouraging.

I really enjoyed the lectures and how the assessments built upon each other.

It has given me the confidence to take writing seriously. I received really encouraging feedback that left me smiling each time which is pretty amazing to me!

I would say to take the chance, and you won't be disappointed.

Great course. Has delivered what I expected it to and encouraged me to continue my journey towards my first novel. I feel confident enough to just begin writing the book now.

I enjoyed the structure and the way that it scaffolded the various elements as we learnt them and applied them. The tutor was great, very considered feedback and very positively presented.

Absolutely great resource for aspiring and experienced writers alike. A great place to start if you need to find your voice and the confidence to start.

I will be back for more courses!

I'd been hearing a little about copywriting as a growth field so I wanted to find out more about it as a possible side-hustle. The simple format of the sessions, the breakup of the content and the small assessments made this a really achievable 5 weeks of learning.

Bernadette is really easy to listen to, full of advice and stories, and I found her feedback to be both encouraging and informative, pushing me to further develop my work.

I enjoyed the real-world references to actual ad campaigns, and I also enjoyed having the verbal feedback on my work, and also hearing it for others too. This is a really powerful learning technique!

I think the course is a well-oiled machine that's running perfectly!

I've already started using some of the techniques in my current work emails. And I can see that there is a possibility for me to use these skills, and find the courage to call myself a copywriter.

Thanks for your approachable and encouraging manner, Bernadette. You really made me believe that I can become a copywriter!

Suzanne always gives a very enthusiastic response to all submissions, and under that influence you feel compelled to submit the best you can.

Got enormous pleasure from responding to targeted exercises and applying them to the story I am working on. Loved that creative challenge and the feeling of achievement that starts with: "OK, Robyn what have you got (in response to this exercise)? Now what can you DO with it?"

There is so much satisfaction in taking up the challenge to make your writing hum by employing concepts that are introduced and described weekly. Even more satisfaction though, if by condensing, rearranging, re-examining and rethinking - you can make them sing. Doesn't happen all the time, but when it does...

Writing re-energised. Confidence boosted. Onward.

I am interested in writing in general, and also part of my work involves writing copy for a website, brochures and emails. I joined as I thought having some training behind me would make me better at these tasks, as well as being interesting for me personally.

I found Bernadette to be very professional yet relatable. She was able to provide great tips and feedback in a manner that was easy to understand and put into practice.

I will be able to put these skills into practice in the aspects of my work that require copywriting. It has also given me skills that I may be able to use in future jobs and any writing that I do for myself.

I would definitely recommend it. Great course - thank you.

Since moving to Australia, I was unsuccessful in securing a job as a journalist and worked instead in community care. When Covid-19 hit in 2020, I decided it was time to get back into writing. This course with the AWC has given me the assurance that it can be done no matter which stage of life you are at.

The modules are self-paced or can be binged during these frequent lockdowns in Melbourne.

The case studies with authors and writers is invigorating. It's almost like I've found my tribe.

I found this course at the point in my life when I was ready to make a career change. It has shown me that it is possible to venture into freelance writing or novel writing while having a job.

The Australian Writers' Centre allows you to dream and helps you achieve it.

Suzanne has great industry knowledge and was a massive asset to have as a tutor. She provided constructive criticism and often provided alternatives to the way things were written. That helped me understand the differences between my writing and what publishers are looking for.

I enjoyed writing! Being given a weekly assignment to write stories was great motivation and a thoroughly enjoyable task. It has made me realise that I really want to pursue this path to writing a children's picture book.

I would highly recommend the course! The more your commit to the course and the assignments, the more you will gain from the feedback.

Bernadette was excellent. I found the thorough feedback given to everyone to be very valuable. I enjoyed the challenge of the homework!

It may be a pathway to something new for me. Even if I don't take it that far, I will now think about what I've learned in this course whenever I have to write something. Great course.

If you want to improve your writing skills for whatever reason give the AWC a go.

I thought it was going to be like all the other how-to's I've encountered on the Internet over the last 5-10 years, but I was proven wrong.

The tutor is skilled and experienced, and knew exactly how to diagnose what was wrong with my work or the approach of it. I found the learning and the "breaking down" of what I thought I knew enjoyable.

The course and teacher for the course taught me how to improve my writing, since I had an inkling of something about my previous work that didn't feel right. In attending this course, I had someone look at my work, no matter how small, with fresh eyes.

It will change your writing.

I am writing a chapter book for children and would like to include a lot of humour. And it looked like it'd be fun to do! :)

I enjoyed the examples read by Tim, bringing theory to life. Exercises were fun and practical. Loved getting Tim's recorded assessment of my writing exercise - that was an unexpected added bonus!

Received so many tips and ways of injecting humour into a story that I wouldn't have thought of or naturally used. Invaluable.

Bernadette was so welcoming and friendly from the get go. Her welcome video made me feel so comfortable as she was so confident that absolutely anyone could become a copywriter. She also seemed to be able to read my mind and know exactly what reservations I had and why I should put them behind me and give this a go. Her feedback was always kind and constructive. She was able to tell me what I had done well and where I could improve and how. Best feedback I've ever had from any tutor!

I actually enjoyed the assignments! They didn't make me feel overwhelmed and they were short and sweet while allowing me to put the skills Bernadette had taught me to the test. I also loved the handouts Bernadette provided; they were all extremely helpful and are a great visual for me to keep and refer back to.

The instructors are friendly and helpful and make the learning process simple. Learning online and at your own pace is also a win, so that you can take your time and take it all in. You can also download the slides, audio and handouts so that you can come back to the material in the future.

Zanni came across as caring and experienced. She delivered her feedback in an insightful, helpful and constructive way

Although in the beginning it was daunting to construct a story in a week, it became a bit of fun to create another new story idea within a timeframe. I also enjoyed reading everyone else's creations and enjoyed how different they all were.

Before this course I had very little confidence in my ability to write a children's story let alone let anyone read any of it. This course made me face my fears and allow my thoughts to be public. I feel I have moved closer to making my aim of writing a book a little bit closer to reality.

It's been so wonderful to be creative and challenged as a distraction and different focus from the current everyday life. In fact, my partner watched me enjoy the course so much he signed up to do the copywriting course as well.

I've heard a lot about Scrivener and out of pure frustration of scrolling through 90K plus words in Word I finally took the step of faith.

I've never done an online course before (I'm an in-class face-to-face kinda girl). But Natasha was SO clear and thorough and explained the steps really well. I also liked that it was a short course, giving me the motivation to do it knowing that it can be completed.

I enjoyed the clarity and sharpness of Natasha's voice and articulation. The fact that each video was short and could be accomplished in one sitting (say after work). And I liked that she repeated the steps a few times just to make sure we got it.

I did a little dance when I discovered you can put images, and research notes and web links directly next to the scene you're working on! Amazing! I haven't applied it yet (as I just finished the course), but it's been something I've been imagining for a long time. I believe this Scrivener course will change my life - for the better.

Definitely do it! These people are passionate about their craft.

I've promised my Nana I will write her memoirs for her 90th birthday. I'd like to take her life story and turn it into a novel one day as well. I know I need a bunch of new skills and feedback on my writing to achieve both!

Suzanne is kind and creative. She has offered constructive feedback to all the writers in my course. I learnt something from every recording Suzanne provided, not always from the writer or their piece, but how to become a better reader too. It's been great to look deeper into my own writing with her guidance.

One major learning moment was understanding how the structure of a novel plays the most crucial role in the success of a book. The different roles of scenes and summaries was something I didn't know, and now notice in every book I pick up!

I got so much out of these five short weeks. You won't regret investing the time and money into this course if you want to really get serious about your writing. I feel like I have new skills to implement and know I WILL write this memoir.

Just THANKYOU! So much.

Tim was very entertaining and funny - which I guess you would expect in a course about writing humour! Everything was laid out very clearly. The reading suggestions were highly beneficial. Loved that Tim used examples from his own work and other popular books to illustrate concepts.

I've realised how important it is to include humour in children's books, regardless of the target age group. I have re-written an idea to include more gags, especially ones delivered via illustrations.

Stephen gave very thoughtful and encouraging responses to all the participants. I learned a lot not just from his feedback to me, but also from what he said to other writers in the class.

I enjoyed exploring fiction writing for the first time in decades!

The difference point of view can make when you are writing characters is astonishing. While I knew that intellectually, I had a real aha! moment while exploring one of my own characters on this course.

Thank you for giving access to the online material after the course is over. This allows dipping back in when you have time, which I find valuable.

I liked the idea of having deadlines to work against and the feedback aspect from multiple people unfamiliar with the genre I was writing in. I had self-doubt about what I was doing and my writing, but with the encouragement of my tutor and classmates that was stripped away pretty quickly.

Angela had a great no-nonsense approach to giving feedback which I loved. It let me know clearly what needed work and how to go about fixing it. She gave me a great motivational boost when telling me what worked and why. She also gave real world examples to the group that were thoroughly helpful and made sense. I couldn't have asked for a better suited tutor.

The most enjoyable part was definitely the workshopping. As writing is a pretty solitary pursuit, it really helped to get second opinions on sections I was unsure of. It was also great to read genres I don't normally read and to see how others worked through plots and character.

It helped me to understand that even the most successful writers still have doubts about what they're doing. It also helped me to develop habits to continue writing, maybe not at the pace of this course, but definitely to continue with a second book. Nothing is perfect and to let mistakes happen. Just continue writing and get that first draft done. Everything can be fixed in the next draft.

I loved this course. Yes, it was stressful and I feared I wouldn't finish my first draft, but I did and had fun while doing it. This was the perfect course for me. It has made me a better writer, a better planner and most of all given me the motivation to keep going and write more.

If you're looking to develop habits to help you write, get used to feedback and not feel so alone, or to just finally get your first draft finished - do this course!

Cindy provided me with great feedback on my assignments. She was professional and insightful in her feedback.

I enjoyed interviewing a classmate. Even though I did not really know the interviewing process, I really enjoyed talking to another person doing the same course, learning about their lives and what they hoped to achieve.

It has given me some tools to start writing stories for magazine and online publications.

Value for money and helped focus me in Sydney lockdown. If you want practical information and knowledge that builds your writing practice, whether creatively or commercially, then try out the AWC courses.