What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Bernadette is very knowledgeable and provides helpful and specific feedback. I enjoyed getting feedback from someone within the profession and also being in a group with other passionate and driven writers. I have really enjoyed being a part of their writing journey and I am excited to keep working together with some of them and seeing their stories flourish.

I think it has provided me with a good understanding of where my writing is at (and areas to improve), the process of writing, encouragement to keep going, and a group of people I hope to stay in contact with to support each other on the journey.

I would like to thank Bernadette for being a part of my writing journey. Thank you!

What especially attracted me to this course was its structure and writing schedule. Without this, I know I would still be dreaming about my story instead of actually writing it.

I was initially hesitant about people being able to read my (unpolished) work, but these fears were unfounded, and everyone in the course (both tutor and students) were really supportive and gave really insightful feedback.

Bernadette was amazing! She gave both professional and objective feedback, whilst also getting behind your story and becoming one of its biggest supporters. I cannot thank her enough for her insight and enthusiasm regarding my story.

I definitely enjoyed reading the feedback from other students. It was very exciting and rewarding to see people genuinely enjoying your work.

This was truly a magnificent course that I will be recommending to anyone who wants to kick-start their novel writing. I have actually found the motivation and inspiration to write! And having completed this course, I actually feel as though I have taken massive strides in becoming a writer.

Australian Writers' Centre provides the most comprehensive yet straight forward courses regarding writing. It is the best place to go for all your writing needs. Completing their courses will bring you closer and closer towards becoming a successful writer. I cannot recommend them enough!

Just thank you for this amazing course!

Having been so impressed with the Creative Writing Stage 1 course, it was a natural step for me to enrol in this one. I was initially hesitant to share my story as I didn't want anyone to steal the idea! However the peer feedback has been invaluable just like Pamela said it would be!

Pamela was fabulous! Kind, encouraging and insightful.

The actual content of the lessons was so helpful and I also enjoyed receiving and giving feedback. Getting really positive feedback for my work (and in particular the humour in my work) has given me the confidence to keep writing.

I couldn't recommend AWC more highly. My 10-year-old daughter is now asking to do the kids course as she's seen how much I have gotten out of this one (we workshop our writing together). Thank you! I'm already enrolled in another AWC course and can't wait to begin!

I thought I had learned loads on other courses. This one is head and shoulders above anything else I have done.

I had wanted to write a book and had done several introductory writing courses. As a terrible procrastinator, this one appealed because of deadlines and feedback. I also liked that it was focussed on novel writing and not prohibitively expensive!

The tutor was fantastic! Bronwyn gave detailed and very helpful feedback. I hit lucky that my tutor is a writer in a very similar genre to my planned book and therefore could help with that too. Her comments were encouraging and kind as well as pointing out issues I needed to address.

The camaraderie and learning potential of the submission and feedback schedule was immensely helpful. 9 of us from our group have gone on to create our own critique group to continue this.

But it wasn’t just the critique. I found the lessons and resources extremely helpful in developing my characters and story and know I will go back to them again and again.

My confidence has grown immensely and I’m convinced I’ll still be putting words on a page for a long time to come. The fear has gone (mostly!)

It’s motivational, helpful and really makes you think through your work at a deeper level that leads to improvement.

I loved this course and all that it contained. My online tutor is brilliant and addressed every aspect of writing.

The design of the course is amazing. To the point. The tutor is brilliant, and the peer interaction invaluable. It was faultless.

The course revealed much about myself and my life and writing to me. I am humbled. Upon reflection, it's hard to say what one specific 'aha!' moment was for me. There were many.

This course is invaluable, no matter what you write. Thank you.

I knew about AWC from Furious Fiction, and have entered a few over the past 18 months or so. But I've had a novel in mind, stopped/started over the past 7-8 years. I knew I had to do something like this though, or it would just remain a dream.

I had the usual self-doubt, with imposter syndrome kicking in early. But I managed to get over that. It's been brilliant.

Bron was great. My second submission consisted of a pretty intense couple of scenes. She gave me nothing but positive feedback and encouragement. And interestingly, everyone else's feedback was remarkably similar to hers.

I enjoyed the chance to read other people's work, see the issues and challenges they are wrestling with, and hopefully give them the positive feedback that helps them with their writing.

I think it's given me the confidence to think yes, I can do this thing. And produce something I think I'll be happy with.

I've written (non fiction) for a living for decades. I've learnt so much from this course. If you want to be a better writer, do it!

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 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!

Pamela identified the potential and is eager for an emerging writer to keep going and improve and learn as much as possible while developing writing skills. She was always positive - firm and positive.

I enjoyed reading other emerging writers' work and the workshopping.

During the Novel Writing Essentials course I had a writing epiphany: writing will become the easy part when you learn as much as possible (and I mean everything!) about the characters you have created, then the shape of your synopsis will develop. If you don't focus on these ingredients the 'stuck' feeling or frustration will keep occurring. Return to the characters and be directed by their mannerisms, beliefs, confidence, ability and more. They will direct you.

It has been a great 'reality check' - talking with other budding writers, listening to Pamela's experiences in the industry, and workshopping. You were right, workshopping is very useful...

Pamela was very approachable, very responsive and interactive, and very knowledgeable. It was really great to have such an experienced tutor.

(I enjoyed) making connections with my classmates and talking outside of school! It is great to be connected with a peer group and sharing our struggles.

Hoorah! and Thank You!

Pamela has such a strong grasp of the skill of writing. She is so adept at seeing why something works or doesn't and how to make it better.

Once again it was the incidental pieces of information from Pamela that made it so worthwhile.

I want to keep going. I've never had that before.

Something that caught my attention was how much I didn't know about the craft of writing. I loved this. It was great to delve into different POVs, story structure, character descriptions, and pace. These are the things we don't often learn, even in university.

I think my tutor gave some excellent insight into our stories. She definitely knows what she's doing.

I've learnt that I need to learn the craft of writing, and this is actually a lot different to learning at uni.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to gain insight into how others perceive their writing (rather than just polite family and friends), and to those who want to learn about the craft of writing.

Great work team.

I wanted the flexibility of being able to do the course at any time and liked the idea of getting and giving feedback from other writers. I have really appreciated the detailed feedback I got from Bronwyn. She takes enormous time and effort to provide very helpful advice.

I had thought about enrolling in a writing course in the UK, but when I read poor reviews about the UK course, I opted for the Australian course, and I have not been disappointed.

The online format of the course suited me perfectly. I liked the recorded lectures and the class materials, which were excellent.

My online tutor was amazing. Her experience as a writer made her the ideal person to provide feedback. I also read the feedback she provided to other students and was delighted when we both observed similar things.

I feel that I have learned a great deal about writing. I have written as an academic before now, but this is my first time writing a novel. There is lots to learn and I am enjoying the process.

I also enjoy the connection with fellow students. I hope that we will keep in touch and continue to provide each other with support.

I have not written fiction or a novel before. Most of my reading and writing has been academic. Writing a novel is completely new and I feel that I have learned a great deal, but have lots to learn.

The course suited me perfectly. The hours were flexible; the course content was helpful; the tutor was wise, insightful and considerate; and colleagues were open and constructive in their feedback. It was also great value for money. I plan on taking the 6 months Write Your Novel course.

Bronwyn was brilliant - made some fabulous feedback suggestions and a good dose of constructive criticism to really give you something to work with.

I enjoyed the networking with other students. Even though I was nervous about the idea of others critiquing my work, it's an invaluable tool in learning how to become a better writer. Likewise, reading the work of others, you can learn how they deal with things within their narrative and apply what you've learnt to your own writing

It's made me believe that I am onto something here, with my book idea, and I think I have the encouragement to continue. Up until then, I have been seeing it as just an interesting hobby!

AWC are great at cutting through all the noise within the writing landscape and getting you to focus on what's important. They provide a much required blend of focusing on your own words but also learning to become a better reader which in turn influences your own writing and makes you a better writer!

I'm now really excited to be commencing Write Your Novel with Bernadette this weekend!

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!

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.

Bernadette was great and very helpful with her comments and assistance. She provided constructive feedback tailored to my writing and how to develop it further. I also listened to the feedback she gave the other writers and felt that it highlighted the key issues with their writing.

I enjoyed getting the feedback from a supportive group. It was also a great way to progress my story during lockdown. A constructive way to spend my time.

It has given me confidence to commit to and progress my story. I realised I was trying to do too much initially, and I had to stick to one POV for a while, at least for the first draft.

Thanks for the course!

After completing Creative Writing 1, I wanted to go further. (My tutor) suggested Novel Writing Essentials as the next logical step, and she was right.

Bernadette's feedback was empathic and constructive, and I particularly liked her Loom audio feedback. Hearing a voice via Loom made the tutoring personal and immediate.

I became convinced that critiquing other writers' work was a very powerful way of looking at my own writing more objectively.

It's a well-constructed course that offers a unique approach to learning to be a creative writer.

I enjoyed getting to know the other writers. I realised upon writing that I have become a better writer! This course has also made me realise what story to focus on, some very valuable insight for me; writing is my sole vocational interest.

An 'aha!' moment was realising how important it was to follow your strongest character, when it comes to deciding what story to write first. You can't just follow another story, and forget those characters—or any part of them.

Go for it. You will learn some valuable things and, regardless of the result, you would have some trajectory, as I have, with your ambition.

I'd recently completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and wanted to continue the momentum. Getting my word count up to meet the entry requirements for Novel Writing Essentials was a good incentive, and I liked the idea of having writing targets to work towards during the course.

I enjoyed the pressure of showing my work to my classmates but I also feared it at the same time, if that makes sense! It made me try much harder to bring out my best writing. I enjoyed reading my classmates' stories too, and learning how to read and review as a writer.

Bronwyn is knowledgeable, kind and sensitive in how she provides feedback. She obviously put a lot of effort into critiquing our work, and I enjoyed reading what she wrote about my own writing as well as my classmate's. I've learned a lot from this.

Before doing courses at the AWC, I'd listened to or read dozens of books on the art of storytelling. I thought I knew quite a lot about how to approach writing a novel. But doing 'How to Write for Children and Young Adults', 'Creative Writing Stage 1' and 'Novel Writing Essentials' has shone a light on many gaps in my knowledge and skillset, and provided me with tools and insights to fix this. The encouragement and camaraderie of my classmates and teachers have been highlights too.