What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I wanted to learn techniques to add humour to my stories. I heard a podcast with Tim and thought that he would be a wonderful person to learn from.

I enjoyed Tim's enthusiasm and light-heartedness.

I am thinking about how I can make scenes humorous by using some of the ideas that Tim taught me. When writing funny books for children it is okay to be silly and think outside the box.

The courses are practical and easily accessible. You can do them in your own time and truly help you to think about your writing.

I liked the structure and pace of the course. Although initially I didn't think I could do it but I did. I love the feedback process, and now understand the benefits of sharing your work with the group.

Bernadette is an excellent tutor who provides constructive feedback.

It was easy to follow; the resources and materials were very helpful.

I gained a lot of confidence to continue developing my writing skills. I am not novel ready yet but with practice I can get there.

I realised how important it is to enjoy the process, especially editing. Also, I have a greater appreciation for writers and how hard they work to produce a novel.

It's a great learning experience and so much fun.

It's very nice to know how to use some of the features before plunging into a project.

Bernadette Schwerdt is one of the most generous tutors I have had the privilege of learning under. Her ability to make the classes fun and informative is a real credit to her. The feedback provided was informative and well structured. I would take the opportunity to enrol in her future courses.

I enjoyed the fun we had with each other's submissions and Bernadette's stories. And the speed with which my copy improved, along with my confidence.

I now believe I have the tools I need to write well. To be able to write copy that people will enjoy reading. I now take the time to draft my material. I'm good at this!

The Australian Writers' Centre (AWC) has a wonderful website. Take a look for yourselves. The list of courses is amazing, and the online learning platform is the most user friendly I've experienced. Check it out and see what course resonates with you.

Just, thank you so much!

I enjoyed the challenge and the online lessons that I was able to listen to anytime.

The AWC gave me the confidence and support to try something that I've been interested in trying for a long time.

I honestly felt the course was comprehensive, concrete and well set out. I would say that it was better than my Graduate Diploma in Journalism with regards to covering print journalism.

Sue was very supportive, encouraging and honest. She also has worked for noteworthy publications so has got credibility.

I enjoyed getting feedback from the assignments that we had. It was a bit daunting doing them but getting encouragement and direction was very helpful.

I think it's given me a new mindset on how to think like a writer. It was a refresher but also covered a lot of new ground.

Do it! You won't regret it.

There’s not a lot of writing programs offered for teenagers and the idea of direct feedback from a professional was very appealing.

I thought the tutor was very nice and clearly knew what she was talking about. I valued all of her feedback and her enjoyment of my work really made me more confident as a writer.

I enjoyed the feedback and the freedom of how it ran.

It made me more confident and gave my writing more structure, especially when it came to planning.

Thank you for the opportunity and I hope to try this again or try a similar program like this in the future.

The AWC website was INCREDIBLY welcoming for writers, particularly those who were either new or very rusty. The humour and constant words of encouragement sprinkled throughout the site, ads, newsletters and course outlines made it very approachable.

It was a little out of my price range at first, especially during COVID. Plus, obviously, the fear that I wouldn't take criticism well, even if it was completely well-intentioned! But I quickly deduced that it was a worthwhile investment, particularly from the AWC, so I saved up for a little while and put the money aside for when it opened up again.

I thought Bernadette was very fair in her feedback. She gave honest, actionable criticism for each of us.

I enjoyed the self-paced structure. The way the whole process was broken down into small, achievable bits. There's also a great sense of humour and "informality" with the AWC, which makes the whole process waaaay less daunting.

Receiving real, meaty feedback on my work helped me see the minor (mostly) technical flaws in my writing and allowed me to improve my skills. I can already see a difference to what I'm writing now to what I wrote even just a month ago.

The AWC seemed like a very welcoming, collaborative place, even online.

Hearing that it is possible has fed my fire for writing.
At this stage, I’m the only one that believes in me to do this, so reinventing myself is my support.

Bernadette is an engaging tutor with a wealth of knowledge.

Zanni provided kind, constructive feedback overall and seemed to look for the strengths in every piece.

The content delivery is excellent - the mix of handouts, audio and feedback makes for an enjoyable learning experience.

It has encouraged me to keep writing and makes me feel that getting published is not always easy but it is possible with preparation, practice, networking and by getting to know the industry well.

Thank you to Zanni and the AWC. I was very pleased with the decision to complete this course. It was enjoyable and I feel much more knowledgeable about children's picture books.

Bouquets to Bron, her feedback was incredibly valuable to me. To have the opportunity to be assessed by a published historical fiction author was helpful and eye opening. I enjoyed reading the work of others, as well as their feedback to me, and being motivated to get behind my desk and continue writing!

I felt my story was validated by all who gave feedback. Initially I'd been afraid it could have been ridiculed as it is lightweight compared to most. I now accept that a mix of writing is needed to cater for all types of readers.

If you have a great story in your head but are struggling to move beyond the first few chapters, this course can help by providing constructive criticism (and praise) from a peer group and tutor. I found it was not only motivational but it also gave me the confidence to navigate what I expect will be a frustrating and fantastic road ahead!

I appreciated the care and attention Bernadette gave to all of us, the opportunity to read fellow classmates' writing and the feedback given to them. The support of an encouraging yet discerning tutor stayed with me all week.

I enjoyed the weekly deadline as a motivator, as well as the opportunity to work alongside my classmates.

The course material is so interesting, I will relisten and reread it as I feel it really enriched my writing. I have extended some of the exercises, e.g. imagining fully the location & setting before writing, character building and using POV, and have found them incredibly useful to improve my writing.

The effect of the course has been both practically and emotionally supportive. The structural guidance has been delicious! I wish I learned these techniques earlier. Surprisingly, I felt encouraged by the creative 'risk' taken by my classmates. The way we were gently upheld and firmly guided has been a revelation.

The course material is informative, helpful and never patronising. The course is structured well. Each week you have the opportunity to apply new techniques and receive supportive feedback. If you are keen to learn the fundamentals of creative writing then this is the course for you.

A heartfelt thanks to this organisation. I have already signed up for one of the Fiction Essentials and plan to do more.

Thank you for providing a wonderful course with a spectacular, insightful and supportive teacher. Zanni was very knowledgeable, fair and supportive. I enjoyed the creativity and the challenge.

I definitely feel that this is an avenue I wish to pursue and that I may have some success in.

I look forward to enrolling in more courses.

This course was fantastic. I thought the structure was brilliant and every Monday morning the dog got a particularly long walk, while I listened to the lessons.

The tutor was brilliant. So helpful and motivating. I feel like everybody on the course learnt so much in such a short time. Between the first submission and the second, you could see the improvement in their work... particularly in 'showing not telling'.

I enjoyed the lessons and the personal feedback, especially from the tutor.

Due to the course, I set myself a deadline (before I was procrastinating and kept going back to edit). I learnt that I need to keep moving forward and now I'm writing from 5.30-6.30am each day and have to write 1000 words. I hope to have my first draft finished by November/December. Fingers crossed!

I'm a writer (was a journalist and now a teacher, specialising as an Instructional Leader in writing) but I learnt a lot and didn't realise how much I needed the motivation. It's a great course for a busy person.

I definitely enjoyed the practical content of the course. Explains the nuts and bolts of the craft and in an order that makes sense. Each week builds on the knowledge of the previous week in a seamless fashion. Liked the combination of audio lessons and handouts. I'd rewind the audio, listen again, and move on when ready. Liked the encouraging tone.

Sue provided thoughtful and constructive feedback.

It's given me confidence in my writing abilities and the belief that I could be a freelance writer if I apply all I've learned in this course. It's now up to me to get on with it.

'Wear out your shoes and luck will follow.' Like most creative endeavours, it's 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration!! in other words, don't sit around waiting for inspiration, just get started and the ideas will come.

It's a very supportive environment and it's very practical. The tutors are experienced professionals.... oh and it's a lot of fun! A bit challenging of course, as it should be.

Thank you to Valerie and Sue for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and experience with us. Thank you for taking the time to put together a really practical course. Thanks also to the team behind the scenes who responded quickly to my emails. By the way, the learning hub is very user-friendly.

I was interested in learning a new skill which could potentially provide a source of income. Bernadette was incredibly knowledgeable. I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to others. It's a stepping stone to your new copywriting career.

It was a good valued introductory course to learning how to put together a children's picture book. The feedback was useful and succinct.

I enjoyed reading children’s books again, haven't done that in many years. Learning about all the little intricacies of this industry.

It's inspired me to write my book, and I'm enrolling in the Masterclass for that assistance.

The Australian Writers' Centre provides courses by people who have been there and done that, and will guide you to achieve your dream.

I wanted to understand the steps to be able to pitch, find stories, and get them out there. This was only 5 weeks which was a perfect short course.

I enjoyed being able to access all the student's contributions and found this to be a good learning. I enjoyed the thorough comments from Sue and her constructive feedback was helpful in pointing me in the right direction. I enjoyed being able to choose my own story and apply all the skills I am learning to that story.

I know that I can write well and that I am on the right track. This reinforced to me that this is a good journey for me to be on and to be persistent in reaching my goals. That I do have the skills to be able to write well.

I would say that it is easy to achieve in the timeframe, the assignments don’t take up too much of your week, and the learning is flexible and valuable. I completed Blogging for Beginners and Reinventing Yourself while I was doing this course! Both of these complemented well.

I was nervous about taking this step, whether I'd be up to it. It did wonders for my confidence. Bernadette was a great tutor, very encouraging, really helped me develop confidence about my ability as a writer.