Living with profound vision impairment (Graham is legally blind) and growing up prior to the advent of the adaptive technology that has so enriched his life today, Graham felt completely lost when it came to mainstream employment. He had finished a Certificate IV in Professional Writing & Editing qualification at Melbourne Polytechnic TAFE but felt it was geared predominantly to fiction writing. So he decided to enrol into AWC’s online Freelance Writing Stage 1 course, and has never looked back.
“Since the age of 14 I had always imagined writing a novel, however this desire slowly waned over the years, leaving behind the dream of publishing magazine articles.
“I felt compelled to take the AWC’s Freelance Writing Stage 1 course as I was ready to make the leap from amateur to professional freelance writer, but I didn’t know how to go about selling myself to potential publications. Reading the course outline indicated to me that the course was aimed at those with a certain degree of writing experience and foundational skills, and as it turned out it was the perfect fit.
“I had no idea how to go about pitching, and this alone made the course worthwhile. The single greatest thing I learned was how to properly link paragraphs. It is now etched in my mind like the hymns offered up to Ninkasi, the ancient Sumerian goddess of beer.”
Graham says beer has long been something he has loved more than anything besides family and friends.
“Beer had always captured my imagination and while everyone was happy drinking Carlton Cold and VB, I grew increasingly intrigued by darker beers, and frustrated that I couldn’t easily find them. And that was when I decided to take AWC courses.”
“Since completing the Freelance Writing Stage 1 course I have had over a dozen stories published in The Crafty Pint, a handful published for indie beer fanzine, Froth magazine and a couple for Broadsheet Melbourne.
“I have also completed AWC’s onlineTravel Writing, Copywriting Essentials and How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business courses. And thanks to the How to Build a Successful Freelance Copywriting Business course I was able to land a couple of gigs, one writing the newsletter for Bodriggy Brewing Co and the other writing the content for Blasta Brewing’s website.”
Graham says he recommends undertaking any of AWC’s courses to friends and acquaintances he’s met through the craft beer movement, who are interested in covering the world’s most popular drink and its ever-evolving landscape.
“It’s an exciting, ever evolving and enthralling entity. Writing about beer’s every movement is the next best thing to pitching the yeast into the wort. Both are certainly equally as magical!”
Graham says undertaking the AWC’s Food Writing course is the logical next step as food and beer pairing is an unexplored frontier.
In the meantime Graham is studying to become a Certified Cicerone®️, otherwise known as a beer Sommelier.
“Once completed I aim to become a beer consultant, beer buyer or even a beer Somm in the truest sense of the word, working the floor of restaurants or helping them curate beer lists.”
Graham is also hopeful of publishing a book.
“I always knew I would have my name published somewhere, particularly magazines.
And where once the dream was writing a work of fiction, it is now a dream of publishing a guidebook to Australia’s best breweries, beer bars and beers.”
Graham you are an inspiration and we wish you every success in bringing fine dark beers into the mainstream and we have no doubt that you will publish that book.
