What’s it like to learn with AWC?

When I noticed Pamela would be the tutor, I was eager.

It's just a great experience. Joining other people, commenting, learning and being brave enough to post. Truly helped my confidence.

Pamela took the time to critique everyone every week. Her comments on my own writing and that of others were valuable and helpful.

I enjoyed finding my voice, squashing that self-doubt. Though that is technically not taught in the course, it does give you the push to think, learn, explore and allow you to see that it is possible.

I loved that the lessons were broken down in bite-size pieces. It is less daunting to listen for twenty minutes than over an hour.

I can write, I know that now. I just have to put it all together and let the self-doubt go. Focus on writing and getting the words down and the rest will come.

It's the push you need to take yourself seriously. The tutor, the lessons, the course mates are all there to give you that nudge into the writing world and it is a fabulous feeling.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and will likely do more. Thank you.

I am interested in writing upper primary and YA novels and thought this would be a great and informative course to do. I have also completed Creative Writing Stage 1 so I knew that this would be a high-quality course.

Allison provided wonderful and helpful feedback for my written pieces. I think what I enjoyed most was interacting with others and getting a wide variety of perspectives.

This course has made me want to begin writing my novel. It was the push I needed. The AWC is a wonderful place where you not only learn, but gain invaluable feedback from actual writers!

I was worried that other's might criticize my work too harshly, but I was wrong. Everybody was so nice and supportive. And it was actually better to have honest feedback. It improved my story a lot more!

Pamela was good. Gave honest feedback and helpful advice.

I enjoyed working on my story, and reading other people's stories. Hearing positive feedback. Also recognizing errors in other work that would help my own mistakes.

It helped me with the extra boost I needed to keep writing. When I noticed other similar writing styles to mine, it boosted my confidence a bit more!

I enjoyed reading other work and being part of a creative experience. I learned that it's ok to write without wanting to be published. It's fabulous to have a safe and supportive creative space to express the writer within.

I’ve been using Scrivener for a while but I felt like I’d been using it inefficiently. I was looking for a guide and found this course.

The pace of the course was done just at the right pace. Didn’t condescend but also wasn’t complicated.

I feel more confident using Scrivener which means I should be able to spend more time writing rather than worrying if I’m pressing the wrong button.

This course will give you the confidence to use Scrivener effectively so you can concentrate on writing.

The amount of detail exceeded my expectations. I've noticed an improvement in my writing. It's much easier to make decisions about how to structure and punctuate sentences.

It's like a language I only partially knew is rising from between the words of everything. I'm reading with an eye for punctuation and grammar, which I barely noticed before. I wouldn't say I feel confident with my grammar yet, but I've taken some huge steps. Thanks AWC.

I've loved AWC courses because they have helped me to increase my skills and confidence. The online format is well organised and accessible. Grammar is grammar, and no more fun than at high school. But this grammar course will improve your writing and teach you things you thought you already knew. Totally worth the effort.

I was surfing the net when I saw your website. It has been a crap year and I was looking for something fresh and different, plus I had just quit my job and I needed something new, challenging and refreshing.

The course provided a beautiful map of highways which I have never considered to take. Information is very powerful.

I enjoyed hearing about real people who have taken the steps to succeed and the opportunities in a variety of areas to learn.

It has made me have faith in myself. I do a lot of photography and it is only in recent years I have been sharing my photos as I did not think I was good enough. I am the same with my writing. Now I will learn and be proud of my writing.

I would highly recommend AWC and actually this course, as it makes you think about yourself, no one else but yourself. As we are the only person who stops ourselves from moving forward.

I've made multiple attempts to write a novel but keep getting stuck. Previous courses I have done have been rigidly focussed on specific structures... very by the numbers. This seemed more useful.

The tutor gave really useful feedback! I like the video form too as it meant he could talk for some time and really dig into what we were doing. I enjoyed the exercises/feedback.

The course gave me an idea about a novel that could work. Also reminded me of the importance of character.

The lessons were great and very engaging. I have done a year of creative writing at uni and I found this course much more practical.

It has helped me have the confidence to go on to one of the novel writing courses. Also helped understand more of the work of writing.

The AWC is a great place to start on your writing journey.

I enjoyed reading everyone's assignments. Having access to everyone's assignments and Stephen's feedback on each helped to reinforce the course materials. I particularly appreciated the level of feedback Stephen provided.

Stephen was thorough and his feedback well considered. I would not hesitate to take another course with Stephen as a tutor.

I have already begun thinking about the structure of my novel. I have a better understanding of structure and scene.

If you are serious about embarking on a writer's journey, one of the best things you can do is take a course from AWC. You won't regret it.

I would like to thank Stephen for being an excellent tutor.

Allison's feedback felt insightful, fair and clear. Her experience was evident and impressive. The module podcasts were excellent and more in-depth than I expected. The assignments were fun.

It has given me the confidence to continue novel writing. I have more self-belief that - with further learning and experience - I will get there.

If you're serious about writing, you'll definitely come away from a course with new knowledge.

The tutor seemed to know what she was talking about and offered realistic feedback based on what is considered favourably by publishers.

I enjoyed getting to practice writing and receive feedback.

I now understand the process of writing picture books better and feel more equipped to go on to publish work.

The course is achievable and offers something fun and different for you to do. You'll definitely gain some new knowledge.

I've wanted to know about writing for middle grade and young adult readers. I thought having Allison as a tutor would be great.

It was wonderful to get constructive and encouraging feedback from a great tutor.

I enjoyed having fun with writing again. I've had a break for a few years. I've reconnected with my writing voice and my creativity.

I think the pacing was good. The fact that it wasn't an intense, time consuming course meant I had time to think about each exercise and take in the lectures.

The lectures are relevant for today's industry and the environment is very supportive.

I'm glad I could do this course during our harsh, Melbourne lock-down. It gave me a ray of hope and a guiding purpose in this difficult time :)

I have been a journalist for many years and wanted to try creative writing in a structured environment. I was a little nervous of sharing my writing attempts but that passed quickly in the supportive environment.

The feedback seemed measured and consistent. Stephen pointed out flaws or parts of work that could be changed but always did so constructively and always with words of praise for other areas of the piece where he could.

I enjoyed making myself focus and write. I also loved reading everyone else's stories.

For me, the course reminded me of how much I love to write creatively and more importantly, showed me I need to set writing time aside and focus only on that for the specified time. The assignments were a great lesson in that.

If you've always wanted to write, there is bound to be a course for you. Do it. There is nothing at all to lose and always something to gain.

It was fantastic to have Alex's feedback. Alex is attentive and thorough.

The course boosted my confidence to pitch my articles. There are not many freelance writers that are reliable. This provides an opportunity for conscientious writers. I have a chance to be published.

Thanks for another great course, AWC!

Stephen was incredibly supportive and gave amazing feedback to all participants.

I do believe now that I have the capabilities to write a novel and move forward with it. Prior to the course, it would have continued to be a dream.

I told one of my fellow bus operators, who is also thinking about writing, a little of my background and my fears about putting pen to paper (or finger to laptop lol) and what I had got out of this course. He took the details and was going to look into it.

Thank you. I look forward to doing other courses.

I wanted to develop my writing skills while I've been writing my first manuscript. I didn't have any hesitations. I had just completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and knew that I would enjoy this as well.

Pamela's feedback was great. I found her approach of using the video messages as a great way to take on the critiques.

I enjoyed the editing process for assessing my classmates’ work. I found it valuable in reassessing my own writing. It was great to see other creative ideas and the different approaches.

I had been mulling over a story arc for my manuscript. I was unsure where to take it. By having the class take a look I was able to decide where I wanted to take the story and plotted out an outline. I don't think I'd be at that point without the class.

It has helped to keep me motivated in my writing. I now have the constant voice in my head to continue writing.

It's a good starting point to see if you'd like to give writing it a try. The foundation classes don't require too much of a commitment and there are other classes to continue onto. It was great. Thank you!

I am about to start writing my second middle grade novel and thought it would be a good idea to go into this one with a good sense of the fundamentals before I start... a bit of procrastination I know, but worthwhile.

I appreciated the course content, assignments, and the level of feedback Allison provided. Also the number of students felt right. I enjoyed reading everyone's assignments and learned so much from Allison's feedback on all. I appreciated Allison's feedback on my assignments and agreed with her feedback on all assignments throughout the course. In each instance, it reassured me that I am on track with my learning and writer’s journey.

I enjoyed reading everyone's assignments. There is so much talent in this group and everyone has such a unique voice. I looked forward to reading the assignments every week and will miss that the most. I also enjoyed reading Allison's feedback on all our assignments.

I will write my middle grade novel with a strategy in mind. I will finish it and edit the drafts. And ultimately I will save time with less revisions because I feel like I have a good handle on the fundamentals going into it.

I recommend AWC all the time. I always tell people it's a good idea to take a course from AWC before they get too far into their writing journey - it helps set the stage. I have done this for picture book writing and now I will recommend this one as well. I would like to thank Allison for being a wonderful tutor and also let her know that I appreciated her speedy feedback.

I was in the last couple of months of parental leave and in a Melbourne Covid lockdown. I've always loved writing, and after spending this last year with my two little ones reading and enjoying countless books, I thought it would be wonderful to learn more about writing picture books.

I thought Zanni was a great tutor. The format of sharing live video feedback was a good one as it felt like you were getting her first, fresh impressions of our work, and it was really useful hearing everyone else's feedback. She went the extra mile to answer all our additional questions, and I think she shared some really valuable thoughts and advice.

Getting to instantly apply what was learnt during the week in our stories for each week's assignment was a brilliant way to dive right in. It's easy to umm and ahh when it comes to writing, but the fast pace here meant you just had to crack on with it, which I found worked very well for me. I think there were so many brilliant insights shared by both the online tutor but also in all the audio and handouts. It was a really frank, realistic look at the industry, and (without crushing dreams), I think it sets students up for what are the best formula/tools for success when it comes to the realities of creating a picture book.

I'm feeling inspired... I feel having a published picture book actually feels like it could (maybe!) be possible one day. Obviously with a lot of hard work and refining all these wonderful new skills and all the rest, but even just learning about the industry, about how sales and royalties work, about all the structures and language elements, have made it all feel less daunting and unattainable.

This course is really excellent for anyone with an interest in writing a picture book. It spans the journey from defining what a picture is, to creating your own author platform once you have a published book. It's fast-paced, packed with industry and author insights, and helps you turn the ideas buzzing in your head into a structured story that people will actually care about.

Really enjoyed it, I'm keen to do lots of practice on my own now, and then consider the next course on honing a manuscript.

I enjoyed listening to Valerie's audio - she has a voice that (for me) made the subject matter easy to listen to and her industry knowledge is great.

The course really does give a person a very good understanding of the basics to start freelancing. I would definitely recommend the course.