What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Great course. Has delivered what I expected it to and encouraged me to continue my journey towards my first novel. I feel confident enough to just begin writing the book now.

I enjoyed the structure and the way that it scaffolded the various elements as we learnt them and applied them. The tutor was great, very considered feedback and very positively presented.

Absolutely great resource for aspiring and experienced writers alike. A great place to start if you need to find your voice and the confidence to start.

I will be back for more courses!

Suzanne was very thorough, and gave really easy to understand feedback. She picked up on points in my writing I was not aware of, and was very encouraging.

I really enjoyed the lectures and how the assessments built upon each other.

It has given me the confidence to take writing seriously. I received really encouraging feedback that left me smiling each time which is pretty amazing to me!

I would say to take the chance, and you won't be disappointed.

I thought it was going to be like all the other how-to's I've encountered on the Internet over the last 5-10 years, but I was proven wrong.

The tutor is skilled and experienced, and knew exactly how to diagnose what was wrong with my work or the approach of it. I found the learning and the "breaking down" of what I thought I knew enjoyable.

The course and teacher for the course taught me how to improve my writing, since I had an inkling of something about my previous work that didn't feel right. In attending this course, I had someone look at my work, no matter how small, with fresh eyes.

It will change your writing.

I've promised my Nana I will write her memoirs for her 90th birthday. I'd like to take her life story and turn it into a novel one day as well. I know I need a bunch of new skills and feedback on my writing to achieve both!

Suzanne is kind and creative. She has offered constructive feedback to all the writers in my course. I learnt something from every recording Suzanne provided, not always from the writer or their piece, but how to become a better reader too. It's been great to look deeper into my own writing with her guidance.

One major learning moment was understanding how the structure of a novel plays the most crucial role in the success of a book. The different roles of scenes and summaries was something I didn't know, and now notice in every book I pick up!

I got so much out of these five short weeks. You won't regret investing the time and money into this course if you want to really get serious about your writing. I feel like I have new skills to implement and know I WILL write this memoir.

Just THANKYOU! So much.

Stephen gave very thoughtful and encouraging responses to all the participants. I learned a lot not just from his feedback to me, but also from what he said to other writers in the class.

I enjoyed exploring fiction writing for the first time in decades!

The difference point of view can make when you are writing characters is astonishing. While I knew that intellectually, I had a real aha! moment while exploring one of my own characters on this course.

Thank you for giving access to the online material after the course is over. This allows dipping back in when you have time, which I find valuable.

I was hesitant at first, because I was a complete beginner and I had to get over those feelings that it wasn't meant for me, but only for people with experience or who were already 'writers'. That definitely wasn't the case! It was a really supportive environment and I felt comfortable being a complete beginner and learnt so much.

The course delivered everything it said it would. The information was extensive but easy to follow, there were so many helpful resources and the assignments were enjoyable. The feedback received from the tutor and other participants was really valuable.

Angela was responsive and provided really valuable and encouraging feedback. She also generously shared extra resources and hints with us, such as her blog posts and other articles.

It has improved my confidence immensely, and changed my mindset around writing. I feel like I have a much better understanding of the foundations, and that it has given me the 'permission' to take it more seriously.

I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in creative writing, for any purpose. I would tell them that if they're thinking about it, give it a go! It was a really encouraging environment, and there was so much to learn.

Thank you!!

I have written a novel (draft), but wanted to learn how to write better. I also hadn't written for over two years and wanted to get back in the habit of writing.

I was worried the course would be too basic, but I found it was great. There were some things I already knew like the three-act structure, but many that I did not. It was really valuable and Angela's feedback was great.

Angela was knowledgeable and encouraging. She also gave us link to articles relevant to each of us/our writing specifically, which was great.

I enjoyed writing! Having a Sunday night deadline was great as it forced me to do what I love (which sounds so stupid, but there you have it). Perhaps 'prioritise what I love' is a better description.

This course reminded me of how much I love writing and I have actually taken a semester off from my uni course to focus on it for the next six months. Perhaps I'm doing the wrong thing at uni...

In the final assessment, I chose to use a scene from my previously written draft and straight away I could see things that could be improved, which I did before submitting. Angela's feedback then allowed me to see in which areas, generally, that I need to work on and this can be applied to the whole novel (along with what I have learnt). I feel confident that I can read my manuscript now and improve it significantly thanks to this course.

Thank you!

Creative writing is something I loved at school, but never pursued. With a month of leave from work, and having been told by others that I should write something, I decided to see if this was something I wanted to explore.

I wasn't sure what to expect really, but I enjoyed the course very much and learnt a great deal.

I really liked Margaret. I found her to be very engaging and knowledgeable. I took her feedback on board and was chuffed when she said I should be pleased with what I had written for the Module 3 assignment.

It's pricked my interest for sure. I'll admit to being super daunted about where to from here...but I think with some space for reflection I will find myself making time to write and revisit the lessons.

I found the length perfect, the pace good, the interaction with the tutor good, the content good and the assignments challenging but relevant to the coursework. Great course. Not only did I start my investigative journey into creative writing as an adult, but it kindled that love of reading a book - not just listening to one.

Loved the presentation and layout of the web design - easy to understand and follow. Due to having not studied anything since I was 17 (now 54), I was quite daunted by the whole online experience.

I am so surprised at how easy I found it to complete the online study and interact with students and tutor. I labelled myself a technology dinosaur before this experience and now am very happy to report I am dinosaur no more!

Margaret is very observant, just and fair in her critique. Engaging and positive in all feedback, even the negative. I truly like her style.

It has opened my eyes to my own potential. Whether I decide to make a career of it or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Just a big thank you to everyone involved. A great learning process that has unleashed a creative streak that has always been lurking in the background of my years, waiting for a chance to spring forth out of the shadows!

I was wanting to learn how to write a novel, and two friends of mine had completed and recommended this course to me.

I really valued and respected both the feedback given and the way the feedback was delivered. Margaret was realistic, kind and quite obviously knew her stuff!

I'm going to start writing my story!

I thought the lessons were really well recorded and very easy to listen to. It was also helpful to have the content of the lessons itemised so it was easy to go back and listen to any part without having to listen to the whole lesson.

I was extremely impressed with the tutor. Her feedback was valuable and it was very beneficial to hear her feedback for all the students as I took something from each.

Every lesson has provided me with so much learning that I have already improved so much. (I think). Even my memoirs that I write just for myself have changed for the better.

A highly professional organisation. Great online content and support.

I had been considering participating in this course for a long time but only now had the courage to test my skills in English creative writing. I was concerned if my skills in English language were sufficient to take part in a creative writing course.

Stephen was great. He provided feedback on different aspects of the writing after each module which I found really useful. I can put the lessons learnt to immediate action on my current manuscript.

I enjoyed the feedback from both the tutor and other course participants on my stories and reading other course participants’ stories.

I decided early on to use this course as a kick starter for my next manuscript.

I enjoy participating in courses, listening to podcasts and watching the webinars provided by the AWC. I listen to the podcast every week and the AWC graduates group in FB has become like a home base for whatever writing related information I am looking for.

The tutor was very knowledgeable, encouraging and efficient in his replies.

I enjoyed meeting the other students ... we are from everywhere and all so different. Also working at my own pace.

It's made me realise that I can write that novel if I really put in the effort. In my mind, a Uni degree was the only way forward, but I've realised that these short courses are so much more suited to my learning style and still deliver the goods. The courses may be short, but they have a huge amount of precise information that really get the creative juices flowing.

I have always wanted to do a creative writing course and a few of my friends have done courses previously at the Australian Writers' Centre. I wasn't sure how much I would get from this course because it was all online pre-recorded, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually learnt.

I found the feedback very helpful and easy to understand. I enjoyed using my imagination and becoming more confident in my writing.

It has helped get me started to write a little every day. Now here is hoping it becomes a habit!

The Australian Writers' Centre is great place to learn about writing.

I came in with an open mind, so am delighted with what I have learnt in this short yet informative course.

The tutor was kind. Gentle. Knowledgeable. I really appreciated Stephen's comments.

Even though I was doing a lot of these things inherently in my writing, it was great to have the skills outlined, explained and expanded on. I have enjoyed writing just for the sake of it and like the 200 and 500 word challenges.

I am looking to pitch my fiction to a traditional publisher, so the advice around this has been very helpful. Although I write as part of my living, fiction is a new area, and I now have more confidence to pursue this path. Thanks.

The course is professionally and cleanly presented. It is informative, encouraging and fun. The assignments are challenging and it's great to get professional feedback. The additional exercises are appreciated, and even if there is no time to do them in the 5 weeks, it is terrific that we can revisit and review in the future. Great value for money.

Thank you. I have already purchased several more courses, and have a few more in mind to do after that.

The lessons were comprehensive and provided great practical advice. Also appreciated the exercises; although optional, they were helpful practice.

Amanda was very encouraging and provided precise feedback. I knew exactly what I required to improve my writing.

I wanted to try a creative writing course and the length and format of this one seemed perfect for me to get some tips/advice before either seeking something longer or more involved. That a published author would be providing feedback was also a plus.

I think the feedback provided was excellent overall and was sure to point out the positives of submitted pieces and constructively appraise areas for improvement. It was also timely and the oral format suited the delivery of the course material. It also allowed self-reflection for the points made for other participants when considering my own writing style/choices.

Really, I just enjoyed the chance to give writing a go and have other people read it and enjoy aspects of what I'd done.

The course lessons provide lots of useful insights and tips to take on board in a very encouraging way. I would recommend this course if somebody were toying with doing some creative writing.

Wow, where to start. I'd never realised there was so much theory and structure that went into novel writing. I was stuck with the 'how do I put my novel together and arrange the story' and I have so much insight into that now. The lessons were fantastic along with the assignments to put learnings into practice and hone my skills.

I have always said "I want to write a novel" but had never studied creative writing, so this was the first step in taking my novel writing more seriously. I picked this one because of the reviews; it looked like a quality course compared to many others out there.

Pamela was fantastic. Really loved listening to her feedback each week on my work and was always able to improve it another notch. Was very helpful listening to others' feedback too. I learnt a lot in the process. Would love to have her as a tutor again.

I enjoyed the structure, the weekly activities and feedback. Working alongside other students. I got into a great routine of writing five nights a week and hoping to keep that going!

I was a bit of a 'pantser' before this course. Now I can see how much development there is to do before diving in and writing. Characters, structure, working out all the turning points etc. Of course, the plan may change as I write, but it's great to do this work first.

Go for it - you won't regret it! I have so much more confidence in myself as a writer now.

Doing this course has really broadened my ideas of what writing is and has improved my writing. I struggled with the 'show don't tell' before, but I have a better grasp on it after listening to the lessons and reading the handouts.

I thought Pamela gave good and varied feedback. She was good at doing the sandwich technique for constructive criticism.

My writing has definitely improved and I feel I have what it takes to write the first draft, if only just to bin it afterwards and start again. I really thought before you needed to have a clear idea of what your story is before writing, but realised that's not the case after this course. I think writing the first draft then binning it (or keeping it if it happens to be worthy) will really help with developing the story and what I want.

Definitely try it! It's life-changing, and also fun. Even with full-time work and language study, I still made time to complete the assignments and listen to the materials every day. The advice is really sound and inspiring, plus the weekly feedback is super beneficial to improve your writing! I can truly say I've come out of this course more knowledgeable, but happier and more confident with myself too. Plus there's the secret bonus of being invited to zoom events and receiving AWC weekly newsletter too.

Thank you for the wonderful course! I'm definitely looking forward to doing another one in the near future :)

Suzanne was very knowledgeable, professional and encouraging. I enjoyed the opportunity to have my work read and critiqued.

The lessons and handouts really filled in many blanks and gave me more of an understanding on how to plan and work on stages of my writing.

It's a fantastic learning platform and resource for writers in which to subscribe to. I'll be enrolling in more courses!