What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I am attempting a novel with a clear antagonist, however I needed guidance on getting the balance right. I was a bit concerned the seminar would deal in cliches but it didn't and I got a great deal out of it. I enjoyed Pamela's energy and the Q&A.

Makes me think and create in a much more focused way.

Insightful and accessible seminars that don't cost the earth.

Pamela explains each of her topics well, succinctly and with humour, and I always find I get ideas for my story when I listen to her. She is a born teacher and a font of knowledge.

I was looking to increase my knowledge and skills in short story writing and the outline of this course looked like it would provide a helpful structure and guide. I love that it is a self-paced course and the option to submit a story and receive feedback was what convinced me to enrol.

Having a structure to follow has made writing so much easier and more enjoyable. Knowing what elements make up a short story has made me feel more confident with my writing as well as giving me the confidence to enter competitions.

The course is full of practical information, set out very clearly and was a joy to complete with all of the examples and tips included. The self-paced and online mode was so convenient and allowed me to complete the course in my own time.

Looking forward to completing other courses available.

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for in a course about structure! So very thorough, well-organised, clear & concise, and with lots of worksheets to guide the student along the way. I definitely feel my understanding of structure has improved, and I'm eager to apply this knowledge to my work-in-progress and future works. Thank you so much!!!

I enjoyed EVERYTHING!!! The content, organisation, audio recordings, handouts... All EXCELLENT and very thorough! Fantastic value for money! I also really liked that this course covered multi-book storylines & structure!

I'd hit a roadblock with my work-in-progress, primarily because I felt the structure and pacing were off. I've done several courses in the past that dealt briefly with structure in theory, but never came away feeling satisfied on the practical application of the subject to my own work; I knew what The Hero's Journey, 3-Act Structure, etc. were, but still found it difficult to shoehorn my story into those structures. I really love how THIS course takes the student STEP-BY-STEP through the process of discovering their theme, building their structure & increasing the narrative tension -- all with supporting worksheets & exercises to further understanding & practical application.

Hard to limit it to just one 'aha'! But if I had to choose, then it would probably be understanding the differences of dual storylines and subplots, and how these interweave within a story's structure, as well as how to apply these concepts to a multi-book storyline.

Australian Writers' Centre offers affordable, detailed, and high-quality educational courses that help both the budding novelist and the seasoned pro to greater understand the fundamentals of writing, and how to practically apply these fundamentals to their own writing. A++! Highly recommended!!

I love Pamela's presentations - her joy and passion for writing are always evident. I learnt new insights and picked up tips that will be useful.

I now understand the nuances of my villains.

Take an AWC course, and build on it. AWC is like a 'lolly shop' for writers.

Nat was excellent. She was positive and encouraging without shying away from issues in the writing. I found her enthusiasm infectious and looked forward to assignment feedback every Tuesday. I wanted to submit something she couldn't find anything to highlight, except the good stuff; didn't quite get there, but it is great fun trying. I love her attention to detail and clear "reader's eye". She certainly picked me up on some lazy habits I have and a big take out is to be vigilant and focus on every word. I also loved that she loved the dingo in my last assignment, because that "character" is a favourite of mine. :)

Loved the assignments and feedback. I also loved Valerie Khoo's audio lessons. She reads so well, with tone and texture and variation. I am a visual learner so thought audio would challenge me, but Valerie kept it colourful and engaging. Thank you!! Similarly, Nat's video assignment feedback sessions were at times a riot, as well as amazingly helpful and instructive.

It was value for money and relevant and I have learned a lot.

I have to take myself seriously as a writer and do another edit until it's right. I've done several edits of the two stories I've written, and now can see a mountain of work to look at them with my newly trained eyes. This is daunting, but I now appreciate how I have to commit to this.

The learning tools are excellent. The load is just right. The feedback is respectful, relevant, and fun. You can interact with other learners and writers. The team (Valerie and Nat) are clever, accomplished, and easy to follow.

I've been writing but felt like I needed a bit of guidance and someone to hold me accountable. It was flexible because it was online and there were a lot of courses on offer.

Nat was fantastic, always open for questions and great with her explanations. Firm and fair approach and she has a real passion for it that shines through - so so great!

The information was really great and Nat was a fantastic tutor. I enjoyed (and was nervous) about getting feedback, but really enjoyed submitting something to a group of strangers and putting myself out there.

It's been great to be around enthusiastic people! Also, it was great to see others work and to see their feedback/growth in real time.

For me, it was really great to focus on having everything you write to help progress the story - often it's a big world and it's hard to know what to write, which details matter etc, but that was a good moment, to see that everything you write can serve the scene/story.

Do it! Great course, great tutors, passionate people!

I loved the practical guides and worksheets and the easy, accessible styles of audio-based learning.

Tracking your research! I so often get lost in a sea of information, it was so helpful to see how to organise your information once you find it.

It's practical, easy to follow and you never know what little gems you may find to help you along your writing journey.

I enjoyed the presenter's style. The handouts and slides were most helpful. I am writing in a mystery genre and received some great tips on character development.

I have just completed my first draft and I will be reviewing the characters it in light of the seminar.

Everything was really on point and very relevant. Every module struck a chord (sorry for the cliche!) It has really helped in developing my novel to the next step.

Every course I have done at AWC has helped me develop as a writer.

I really loved Kate's style and all of her advice was nuanced and beneficial all the while recognising the broad range of writing styles. I also loved the excellent back up materials.

With this course I had a book idea that was half-formed. Throughout the lessons, having that half-formed idea in my head, I was able to write notes directly about my ideas as the course progressed.

Between this and the other two courses I've completed, I finally feel ready to begin!

A fabulous range of courses that can be done in your own time, taught by experienced authors, at a price that makes it easy to say yes.

Once I had decided to write a middle grade fiction novel I realised very quickly that, like most things, I needed to learn the skills. I had high expectations for this course, and they were met.

Carla was encouraging. Her feedback was specific and targeted to be helpful. I really appreciated how this was achieved.

I enjoyed sending off a completed assignment. It felt like progress.

If you want to learn the skills - just do it.

Carla is a breath of freshness! She's balanced in her feedback. She's respectful and sensitive to the 'heart' students put into their work. She is pragmatic and makes her suggestions clear and simple.

Thanks to Carla, I feel I've grown in my writing, feel encouraged and re-energised.

I thought this was really excellent. It has given me a real and useful map of how to go about planning my next manuscript and moving forward from the ideas to the first draft.

I enjoyed the clarity and depth of the explanations. Kate Forsyth was great.

I am inspired to move forward from some ideas to actually develop the plot and get started.

Bernadette is an exceptional tutor. She strikes a fantastic balance between offering positive feedback and constructive tips for improvement, as well as industry advice. Her extensive experience, knowledge, connections and skill in the area of copywriting is evident.

I enjoyed learning a completely new skill, and seeing the potential, positive application to my new business.

I had not previously considered SEO copywriting as a line of work for me. Having attended this course, I now see it as potentially being a primary service in my new copywriting business. I do not have to be an 'IT guru' to be an SEO copywriter.

The AWC courses I have attended have offered a brilliant foundation for the start of my new writing career, in a surprisingly short space of time.

Nat was fantastic. She had a great way of delivering constructive criticism and quite active in the group. The cost is worth it alone for the tutor feedback.

I'm very new to writing so needed a course to give me the knowledge to get started.

Nat provided very thorough feedback. I didn't realise how much there was to think about in a single scene!

I enjoyed practising my writing. It's encouraged me to actually write and make writing a part of my life. Have decided to practise with short stories first, though. A novel might be a bit ambitious for me at this time!

AWC provide advice you can trust and are a great inspiration to start writing.

After doing Creative Writing Stage 1, I developed a new idea for a novel and wanted to go deeper with that and get it started.

Pamela showed excellent skill in delving deeply into each piece of writing. It was great to receive such technical and detailed editing and feedback on writing style, structure, and overall character development from her.

I enjoyed the podcast tutorials and the templates and guides that helped prioritise time for writing. It was lovely corresponding with the rest of the group every week.

Great online resource and virtual classroom lay out. Processes were robust and the communication from both pre-recorded material and the tutorial feedback etc was clear and timely. My advice would be to start with Creative Writing Stage 1, depending on where a person was in their writing journey.

The tutor was friendly, professional and the constructive criticism was always helpful.

I enjoyed the exercises and the assignment (and feedback) and reading others' work. I also liked reading some of the recommended material.

I learnt a lot about how to take certain words out to make writing more effective. It is also structured in a way that makes you feel more confident because you can get some positive tutor feedback and hear other people's feedback and how to improve writing in general.

I did not have one major 'aha' moment, just lots of glorious mini revelations !

AWC courses are professional and well-paced with great feedback and opportunities to extend yourself with reading materials, information and the extra exercises. The recorded sessions are amazing and build on each other each week.

Often these types of courses are a bit wishy-washy, but this one had very solid content. So despite my time constraints I wanted to engage each week to learn more.

Pamela's feedback was very honest and useful, particularly in the last assignment. While I missed the Write Direction session, I watched the video and found it very useful also. I look forward to more courses with AWC.

It is a great way to learn some skills in a short space of time and the feedback you receive on your work is valuable and useful.