What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Valerie's lessons and the additional exercises were really well delivered. I thought the tutor's assessment was very fair, honest and encouraging.

I began the course hoping to get the fundamentals clearer in my mind. I still have a very long way to go, but I more fully understand how writing a story is the result of a lot of work first.

I learnt more than I expected and pushed myself. The hardest things are often the most rewarding.

It is a very helpful, informative course that will help you improve your writing.

I appreciated Stephen's clear and calm support in his feedback comments. I found that I could see the changes he offered to better a piece easily and the suggestions weren't overwhelming. I felt encouraged and could see my progress.

I enjoyed the feedback each week and the tools to scaffold a piece of writing to get the words down.

I feel more confident that I could construct a story that people might want to read.

AWC offers solid ready-to-use skills and a nice supportive community.

I really enjoyed Stephen's feedback - it was both overarching to the assignment as well as detailed in particular points. I found myself nodding along quite a lot in agreement with comments and feedback.

I enjoyed the group environment - providing and receiving feedback in a safe and friendly environment was definitely a bonus. Getting feedback from strangers is scary! But by week three I was already looking forward to comments and ideas from the others in the course.

I'm feeling so much more confident and excited to sit down and write! My self-doubt was getting worse and worse, but now I really feel like I could write my books - successfully!

I already recommended the AWC to someone who told me they were interested in writing and wished they were "good". Told them this was the confidence boost they needed!

Overall a great course, workload achievable to fit between fulltime work and family. I'll save all the lessons and exercises for future reference and guidance for sure. Can't wait to join another course 😀

Bernadette was great, very approachable, treated people's work respectfully and gave me very useful feedback.

I enjoyed everything about it. Although some of the exercises felt quite challenging at first, once I got into them I learnt a lot and surprised myself that I could make a reasonable go at them.

This is the first AWC course that I have done with Zoom meetings and this made it extra enjoyable for me, as you can interact with others more like in a classroom. Living in a rural area, I only ever can do the online courses, so this was the best from that point of view.

I really did the course just as something interesting to explore over winter, but what I learnt has made me feel that I would definitely like to keep writing a novel or short stories.

Go for it, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for the wonderful courses you offer.

I really was drawn to the premise of this course being actually writing. I had previously taken Creative Writing Stage 1 which was super helpful with theory and information regarding the process but I wanted something to put the theory into practice. It makes perfect sense why the courses are linked! They work extremely well together.

I was very worried about the actual process of workshopping. Actually having to meet with a group of strangers and show them my writing felt very scary but honestly I had nothing to worry about. Everyone was so kind and supportive and we became so comfortable sharing work close to our hearts.

Bernadette was amazing. From day one she has been extremely supportive and informative. She would lead discussions but step back and let the group members then offer their thoughts and when they had constructive criticism, she was always there to better explain the criticism, offer alternatives and make it really useful. I'm currently at university where I've taken many arts courses including a creative writing course but Bernadette made this course so likeable.

I really enjoyed the expertise, the comradery, the structure and the exercises. Everything was informative and useful.

Working with this group has given me the motivation and honestly just the confidence to keep writing. I was always very insecure about my writing but they really made me feel good about it.

I loved the course. It was super professional and very well run. I have done some online courses before and was not impressed. They put me off online courses whereas this one has made me want to do more online courses with AWC.

The tutor was very professional. Very knowledgeable. Very passionate. Gave very honest, helpful feedback.

I enjoyed doing the assignments the most. And being able to see the work of others and listen to their feedback also was extremely helpful and enjoyable.

It has encouraged me to do more courses, and to do more writing...

Very professionally run courses which are very informative and make online learning fun and personal! Getting the feedback directly by seeing the lecturer on screen is awesome.

Overall, an excellent experience which I will be doing again!

It looked like a true beginner course for a true beginner like me! It seemed achievable at only 5 weeks long and requiring only a couple of hours each week. I thought what it covered looked very practical as well.

Stephen was very helpful. I found his feedback useful and his advice practical - not just 'this could be improved' but rather 'perhaps you could try this to see if you think it improves it'. I liked that. His manner and style were very low key which is perfect for a tender over-sensitive beginner writer like me!

I enjoyed having my work read and critiqued by so many different people. It was really encouraging. Also great to be able to read so many other beginner writers' work. It is far less daunting than reading published works! I feel more confident than I did at the beginning of the course. The practical nature of the course is also great. I actually feel for the first time that I may be able to do this!

I think my writing is already noticeably better. I feel more confident about my work which makes me feel more confident generally.

The best thing was that everyone was so helpful and supportive. The audio lessons were brilliant and I loved listening to them. They were packed full of useful information and advice.

Stephen Hart was so helpful and kind! His feedback was invaluable.

I enjoyed the online class - hearing about classmates' writing journeys and aspirations. I enjoyed reading other's assignments and hearing their feedback from Stephen.

I think I'll believe in myself a bit more from now on!

If you've ever thought you'd like to write - just go for it - AWC courses are an excellent way to get started. They give you so much encouragement to keep going.

Just, thank you. The knowledge I gained and encouragement I received has been invaluable.

The course content was presented in such a clear and simplistic way, it made the online learning experience super easy and enjoyable.

I found Bernadette's teaching style to be absolutely fantastic. She delivered the content in a super casual and frank tone which allowed us to connect with her easily and quickly (keeping in mind we have never met in person). Not only did she firmly guide us in understanding the key concepts using real-life examples, but she also encouraged us to maintain a sense of curiosity and fun in our work - which is a motivational boost for me!

I enjoyed the high quality of the course content and delivery by the tutor, the easy access to our learning platform and the promptness of AWC staff in replying to our queries.

It has opened my mind to the creative and fun side of advertising and how I can 'play around' with words depending on my client and target audience.

Super easy and fun learning that caters to an array of writing interests. There's bound to be a subject or field that you can enjoy, whether for personal or professional development.

Thank you for making the last 5 weeks of online learning enjoyable for me!

I wanted something fun to do during lockdown. This course seemed like a good all-round place to start.

The content was extremely helpful in understanding and improving creative writing.

I thought Stephen provided fair and constructive feedback that improved my writing and others'. He has a kind and approachable manner. I enjoyed listening to the classes and applying the learning.

It's encouraged me to keep up my writing practise and pursue my current project. I think the small improvements I've adapted as a result of the course will positively benefit my future writing.

Thanks Stephen & AWC. Most enjoyable part of my lockdown.

Excellent format and Zanni provided valuable feedback at each stage as we progressed. I also felt there was great class support, loved how the group engaged. The content was enjoyable. Detailed feedback that I was able to apply to my story each week. The feedback was given in an encouraging way.

The course was engaging and well presented. It was also fun. I have more confidence and have gained skills, and knowledge to craft ideas into stories.

I already have recommended the AWC :) It's the presenters, it's the format, it has the edge!

Fabulous course! It gave me a thorough understanding of the publishing industry. I enjoyed how well the subjects were explained.

It has supplied me with valuable knowledge and confidence of what to expect when dealing with publishers. It has given me a clearer understanding of the publishing process

If you would like to gain an edge and learn valuable information and insider knowledge then try one of the many courses on offer at the AWC.

I wanted to get back into writing after not writing for a long time.

The boot camp was wonderful. Having to write a certain number of words a day really stretched my writing. I realised it is just that easy to sit down and write. It's true if you have words on the page they trigger thoughts and feelings. You can then go through what you have written and can see how characters have developed and where the writing is heading.

I've written 10,000 words of a novel I never thought that I would start. It is just a starting point but l've been impressed with what I've accomplished. I can't get the characters out of my head and feel that I need to write every day now.

Travel writing is something I have been interested in for years and what better time to do some study than when I am in lockdown.

I looked forward to the feedback each week [hearing everyone's feedback] - this is what makes the course so special.

I enjoyed the satisfaction of actually writing an article.

I feel confident that I could write an article and pitch it to a publication.

Go for it. If you want to achieve something in the writing field, these courses help you get there.

Really great feedback - positive but constructive. I don't usually care for criticism (I'm so sensitive, I'm usually completely discouraged by it) but in this case I loved it and really enjoyed editing once I had guidance. It really improved my writing having people to bounce off and it gave me a lot of confidence in sharing my work.

At first the fact we had to openly share our work TERRIFIED me. However- the support from the other students REALLY surprised me. We have a Facebook group already and I am excited to continue these relationships and am hopeful see published works from our group members in the future :)

I set my self a personal goal of writing a new story each week and I did and I loved pushing myself for inspiration.

I really feel like I have found my true passion. It's so nice to feel inspired and pushed to write. And pushed to edit. And pushed to create good work.

Thank you. And many thanks to Zanni.

Very thorough with good examples to emphasise points

I enjoyed the structure, the narrator, the content and having a year to go back over parts again and again when they were relevant to the next part of my project.

It reminds me it can be a long project but to keep working and I'll get there. I realise what I need to do and what else still lies ahead.

Excellent content and does what it says it will. I love the light humour throughout which says to me, this is hard work but it's a creative venture and should be enjoyable. You can accomplish your project if you are willing to work at it and learn. It is a journey.

I have had a desire to write and illustrate children's books since I first started working with children in 2001. I've written countless books but all with ZERO structure or technical know-how. This course was exactly what I wanted and needed to push me into a mental and creative place that enabled me to hone whatever skill I may have and concentrate on making my original dreams come true.

Zanni was lovely. Her feedback style is encouraging as well as direct and honest - definitely a style that can and did push the likes of me to try new things and go further than the crippling self-doubt would otherwise allow.

I enjoyed the content and information. And definitely being encouraged, pushed and guided through the feedback and the classmates' group chat.

I had never written in prose before or considered any formal structure in my writing efforts prior to this course. I wrote, and write, simply because I enjoy it. The structure and tools provided gave me a new approach to writing and I immediately saw the benefits. After a while, I even found the fun in doing things the way they're supposed to be done. It also opened my eyes to how other writers have approached their books and why some work and some don't. It amazes me the number of books out there that have completely ignored the tools and techniques found within this course, and yet are still published.

Just a heartfelt 'Thank you'. This course was humbling and super-informative. I loved every second. Thank you.

Do it. If you want to learn how to write children's books - do this course.

I completed the Creative Writing Stage 1 course last year and, much to my surprise, started writing a novel. I was stuck at around 4,000 words and signed up for Novel Writing Essentials to learn how to move forward. I was also interested to get feedback on my writing style to determine if I should keep going.

I was a bit hesitant about having my work read and critiqued, but it turned out to be a very useful, and not too painful, experience. I was also concerned about providing feedback on other people's work, however we were provided with advice on how to do this constructively.

I learnt more than I thought I would, the feedback was useful and I now have 24,000 words written.

I found Angela's feedback practical, helpful, honest and encouraging. She was generous in sharing her knowledge and experience along with useful techniques to improve structure and style. Angela answered all questions our cohort put forward and provided guidance. Overall I enjoyed Angela's class and was pleased we had her as our tutor.

What I found most enjoyable was learning more about the craft of writing a novel. It was comforting to realise that there are guidelines and structure that can help to get the story onto the page in a way that readers will enjoy. I've always read novels and marvelled at how the author creates dialogue, scenes and action that seem to just come naturally, to hook the reader and keep them reading to find out more - to learn there are techniques and guidelines to help me do the same was a wonderful revelation.

Do it, you will be surprised at the writer that's lurking within you and just needs coaxing out.

I had previously completed Copywriting Essentials and knew that Bernadette would give good, practical advice on how to break into SEO copywriting.

I thought it may get quite techy, but it didn't - everything was explained in a very user-friendly way.

I feel that I know my story at a much deeper level now, and have applied some of the lessons learned to a couple of other writing projects I'm working on.

I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere that Pamela created. I felt able to contribute easily, and I appreciated Pamela's skilful handling of group dynamics.

I really like Zoom online learning! So efficient of time, yet still able to offer productive interaction and inspiration. I really like the flexible use of shared screen to see key examples.