What’s it like to learn with AWC?

This course is professionally presented and wonderfully supportive and encouraging. You just know you are getting the industry gold. Each week it was fabulous fun to write, edit and rewrite, nail-biting to submit (was it ready?) and exciting to wait for professional feedback.

Hearing everyone's wonderful stories read aloud and the precise but always gentle, inspiring, encouraging and helpful feedback from our wonderful tutor Zanni Louise was a revelation. So many imaginative stories, so many styles, so much joy in hearing the stories read aloud, so much to learn from Zanni's feedback. It was like opening a beautiful box of sparkling gifts on Christmas Day.

It has been a joy to participate in this course. I have learnt so much and now feel confident to keep writing, knowing I am heading in the right direction. Thank you Zanni Louise. Fabulous. So supportive, always helpful and encouraging. You just know Zanni knows how to teach writing. I learnt an incredible amount. The feeling of being creative is incredible.

I have wanted to write for children for nearly a decade now. I did this course face to face many years ago and became very discouraged when my writing didn't seem to be hitting the mark. I put the pen down and didn't write anymore for years. Recently I picked up the pen and thought I will try again. I loved the online version of the course. I wasn't rushing to write like during a face to face class as I knew the lessons were there for me to go back to anytime. I just listened and absorbed the lessons, and then wrote.

I cannot thank Zanni enough for her encouraging and helpful comments to everyone. I now feel like I can write and enjoy it, and that I am heading in the right direction. I can't wait to enrol in your Writing Picture Books Masterclass and I hope one day to be published.

Thank you to everyone involved in this course. I think it might have changed my life and it has certainly made me feel confident to write again.

If you want to write, pick up a pen or grab a keyboard and enrol in a course at the Australian Writers' Centre. Thank you to everyone at the Australian Writers' Centre. I would love to do more courses and hope to be a published author one day. Fingers crossed.

I had been using Scrivener for a couple of years for very basic organisation of my scenes, chapters and character POV. I knew there was more to it - but the manual is unwieldy and complicated.

I enjoyed being able to see the video and work on my document at the same time.

A very informative and user-friendly course. I learnt a lot!

The course is easy to follow, encouraging and empowering. It shatters the notion that a university degree is required to find success in writing and emboldens the amateur writer to step bravely into the world of career writing with confidence!

After feedback on one of my stories, I felt like perhaps I could ACTUALLY do this! I was energised and ready to make it real. Since finishing the course I need to find that level of energy again, but to feel it for even one week was a big boost.

After completing Creative Writing 1, I wanted to go further. (My tutor) suggested Novel Writing Essentials as the next logical step, and she was right.

Bernadette's feedback was empathic and constructive, and I particularly liked her Loom audio feedback. Hearing a voice via Loom made the tutoring personal and immediate.

I became convinced that critiquing other writers' work was a very powerful way of looking at my own writing more objectively.

It's a well-constructed course that offers a unique approach to learning to be a creative writer.

I have always wanted to complete a creative writing course and this one stood out.

Nicole was great - good detailed feedback and quick turnaround.

I enjoyed the writing! It has reignited my passion and now I know that I want to pursue a new career.

It's a great community, a really engaging and non-threatening way to learn. Being online meant it was flexible and so much easier to manage.

I needed some structure and focus through lockdown and this looked like a good opportunity to explore something new. I’m confined to reading business and management stuff for work, so this was a refreshing break.

The tutorials were terrific, and I feel I learnt lots - and I've started reading fiction again - thanks!

Loved the structure, the tutorials and the information provided. Really gave me something to look forward to each week.

The feedback was terrific, and I learnt lots in a very short period. Thanks for keeping it positive and not laughing.

It has given me a gentle intro into writing and, more importantly, allowed me to grow in confidence in a reasonably anonymous way. I realised after some feedback - I need to read MUCH more.

Give it a crack, challenge yourself, and enrol. It’s safe, really informative and fun!

Thanks heaps - I LOVED it!

I enjoyed the material. So much to use!

I'm smitten with writing. Can't get enough. Have signed up for a short story course that starts tomorrow.

I am looking to take my career in a new direction and want to leverage my love of writing into a way to generate income. This course struck me as a great first step in that direction. I was unsure if copywriting was something that I could do, but this course alleviated that concern.

The course gave me confidence that I didn't have before.

Bernadette was terrific. Very informative, came across as really knowing her stuff, and was easy to listen to in the audio lessons. Her feedback was concise and very helpful. The assessments were challenging, which was very enjoyable.

This course has shown me that there are other possibilities, professionally, for me out there. I've been unhappy in my current career and one big reason that I don't make a change is that I convinced myself there was nothing else I could do. This course showed me that I was wrong about that. Early on when Bernadette talked about how she just decided she was a copywriter, it was a real eye opening moment.

Just a big thank you to Bernadette and the AWC team for this course.

I needed to get a better understanding of how to write so I may complete my second book. The tutor was very nice and helpful. I enjoyed being able to write freely and to be challenged. Thankyou.

My online tutor, Bernadette, always gave constructive feedback which in turn helped me to learn further. I enjoyed the feedback sessions.

Training under Bernadette is always a privilege and joy. I am entering a new profession through and after this course.

Thank you!

Very good. Bernadette explained things very well. Simple and easy to understand.

I liked the assignments; they were fun to do and didn't take too long to complete. I also liked hearing the feedback each week.

It was very helpful - the assignments were fun, the content was enjoyable and it only took a couple hours per week.

I enjoyed getting to know the other writers. I realised upon writing that I have become a better writer! This course has also made me realise what story to focus on, some very valuable insight for me; writing is my sole vocational interest.

An 'aha!' moment was realising how important it was to follow your strongest character, when it comes to deciding what story to write first. You can't just follow another story, and forget those characters—or any part of them.

Go for it. You will learn some valuable things and, regardless of the result, you would have some trajectory, as I have, with your ambition.

I already did Bernadette's Copywriting Essentials course and wanted to gain her insights into setting up my own business. Brilliant! So knowledgeable, of course, but also very relatable. You know she's done the hard yards herself, and in fact you can hear her marketing herself throughout the course, which is no bad thing to see in action! And always so constructive with feedback even when someone hasn't really nailed the brief.

It has made me both more scared at the enormity of what I am embarking on, but also more determined to succeed! Watch out copywriting world!!

I have started a freelance writing business and needed to upskill.

Bernadette was fantastic, thank you. Bernadette's voice and instructions are very clear and easy to follow. Her feedback is personalised so I understood my areas for improvement easily. I am able to apply my new skills to my business offerings.

Do it! These courses are easy to follow and apply and I feel more confident knowing I have learned industry-ready skills.
Thank you, I have enjoyed this class and Bernadette's teachings.

Our tutor was very knowledgeable, compassionate and very helpful in the feedback she provided.

I enjoyed receiving detailed feedback so I can learn, and reading the stories submitted by others. I have the motivation to continue writing and to aim for publication.

The course delivers on the learning outcomes and offers very helpful feedback.

I wanted to learn and understand how the publishing industry works. I liked that the course worked through the material clearly and logically. I also liked that it took into account e-books, audio books and TV rights.

It's made me feel more confident that I could talk with people in the publishing industry as I now have a better understanding of what they do. Finally understanding how advances and royalties work (while realising that this won't make me rich...)

If a friend or colleague was interested in becoming a writer, I would recommend that they check the AWC out for wonderful courses, a great podcast and a welcoming community of writers.

In regards to this course, I would say that anyone who wants to be a writer and who is planning to send their manuscript out, MUST do the Inside Publishing course first so that you understand the industry, so that you don't make mistakes and so that you understand what you are being offered. A brilliant course and I'm glad I took the time to do it. I have (copious) notes that I'm sure I'll refer to often. Thank you!

I've been writing since I was young but wanted a bit of structure and to actually learn all the concepts of writing a story. My first draft was a pantser attempt and with the second draft I wanted to be able to pick up on more of the technical details so I wasn't wasting too much of my time this time.

I find it hard to share my work - I don't have other writer friends. The last writing group I joined was awkward, so joining an online group wasn't as daunting. Pamela was lovely in the way that she suggested how all the participants could better their work instead of just ripping it apart. She was very positive which I loved.

I liked it being online as I sometimes get flustered when asked to write something in 5 mins in a regular physical class. Also it was lovely to be able to sit back and read the other work by the participants.

For me, it was just having someone say that it was good work and little things I can tweak here and there. I only have my family to tell me if I can write. It was lovely to have someone in the industry to actually say - I like this. I'm a typical writer and doubt everything I write.

I would say to definitely do it. I have taken a few courses now and have loved them. It helps and you don't feel so alone. Also it's great getting help from people in the industry - people who are selling their work.

Very good approach to develop and build on skills each week to progress your story. Excellent tutor. Very good feedback and guidance.

I enjoyed receiving actionable feedback and being able to walk away with a complete draft at the end. It has given me the confidence to map out a path forward. A great hands on approach to improving your writing skills.

I loved that it was so specific to picture book writing in Australia.

Zanni was amazing!! Her ability to give positive and constructive 'off the cuff' feedback on our stories was incredible - she clearly knows picture books inside out!!

I enjoyed the focus of the assignments each week and having a deadline! And the quick turnaround of feedback from Zanni.

It has given me the tools and confidence to give writing picture books a red hot go!!

This is a fantastic course!! I love that it is so tailored to writing for children and that the focus is on the Australian industry and how it works locally, as well as thinking internationally. Zanni Louise is a brilliant tutor - experienced, honest, kind and helpful.

Thank you AWC! Very reluctant for it to end but thanks also for the ongoing opportunities to stay in touch.