What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Kate is an expert so it's a privilege to be able to learn from her. But to be honest, what I loved most was Kate's love of storytelling and art, and how she permeated every aspect of this course with that love. It was beautiful and inspiring.

I've already learned so much from Kate but I really appreciate having all of this plotting and planning information laid out so neatly and in order.

The course showed me how important it is to dream and imagine. Writing isn't just words on a page; it's bringing an idea to life.

This is literally a how-to plot and plan a novel!

This course was exceptional! I had a couple of questions I was having trouble finding answers to in other plotting and planning texts and Kate answered them all. Whilst I love being creative and thinking up stories as I walk and daydream, I also like to know I am on the right track in terms of narrative tension and narrative thread. This was by far the best course on plotting, planning and structure that I've done.

I enjoyed the presentation style, the humour (the author's diagram - hilarious!) the explanation of the different planning styles and journeys. The easy breakdown of different sections of your plan in a step-by-step way is really thoughtful and shows Kate's years of experience and knowledge. The ART, oh my goodness! It's an entire framework that you can choose to hang your words on or take snippets of what you need. I am very grateful that I stumbled upon it in my inbox. Completed it in two sittings and will watch it all again without doubt. Such exceptional value!

Please do yourself a favour and do an AWC course - actually do several. They are really fun, exceptional value for money and you learn something new from each one!

I love listening to Kate; she is so passionate and so great at making the complex simple. I love getting a look inside her plotting process and visual way she does her research and plans her story. It was fascinating to see.

I knew I needed some expert advice/teaching on planning, and was very excited at the chance to learn from the wonderful Kate Forsyth! So much information, but presented so clearly and with plenty of opportunities to ask questions. A true masterclass!

Kate is so knowledgeable, approachable and friendly and so generous in the sharing of her own methods and processes.

I enjoyed the breadth of what was offered; so much research and knowledge summarised and refined into two sessions, so students benefitted from years of work and experience without having to spend those years ourselves before we could get started.

I had always struggled with the idea of planning a story as it felt a bit constrictive and contrived; but having hit roadblocks with my story I realised that my organic, free-range writing style was not the only way, and in fact could not get me all the way to a finished, rich and well-constructed novel. But I couldn't work out where to start with how to plan!

I learned that the plan can be just as inspired as the story itself, and that knowing where the story was headed could actually make the writing process more exciting, not less.

Whatever the style, genre or purpose of your writing, no matter what issues you face, the AWC has a course to make your writing better, devised and facilitated by experts who want to see you succeed.

As well as being extremely experienced and articulate, Kate was a great teacher as she took the time to check in with us, answer any questions and has a very approachable manner. Her delivery was very clear.

I enjoyed learning the process of plotting a novel and planning techniques. I also enjoyed the technical info about the structure of a novel, types of plots and characters.

I'm going to review my current manuscript and check it against the five points in a plot, and make sure they are in the right place for each POV character. I'm also keen to rework my one-page synopsis based on the structure Kate showed us. Also when I start my second manuscript later this year I'll refer to her planning structure.

Great courses and community. You'll find something that suits your needs and your learning preference.

I enrolled in this course because I have been writing consistently without structure and the writing is a dog's breakfast!

Kate Forsyth is very engaging and knowledgeable. She was experienced, patient, and completely immersed in the world of creative writing.

The course was a delight. The salient points were condensed in a practical way without being boring. It has assisted me to pinpoint exactly why my writing is a dog's breakfast and given me the tools to start fixing the problems.

If you are time poor and need to boost your creative writing it is exceptionally good value for time and money.

Thank you for making this course accessible to me by doing it online.

Kate was wonderful. She was so knowledgeable and gave such great advice. She made me think of things in structure that I had never given thought to before.

I enjoyed how well put together the course was, and how Kate married artwork with her teachings.

Part way through the first night of the course wheels started turning in my head and I realised where I want the narrative to go in the second book of my trilogy. This is something I had been struggling with.

My novel feels a bit overwhelming; I hoped that learning more about plotting and structure would help me to shape it, so I can keep going with my draft.

Kate Forsyth is so friendly, professional and generous in sharing her knowledge and experience. I learned so much from her sessions.

I enjoyed the quality of the information shared, and Kate's excellent presentation slides. The depth of information shared, and Kate's practical examples provided of different plots and narrative structures, have given me greater confidence and ideas on how to improve my draft novel. Very grateful!

These little courses are great value, highly practical and always exciting. The Zoom recording format make it so easy to review the content later, and I always appreciate hearing other people's questions. I was unable to attend the full Zoom sessions due to other commitments, but watching them later was tremendously helpful. I am just watching them again now - for the fourth time - because they were so content rich. Thank you Kate and AWC.

I love Kate. She is very likeable and is well prepared. Kate gives great answers and goes into detail for all of the questions that were posed. Really invaluable information that only an author would know.

All the courses I've done with the Australian Writers' Centre have been great. Affordable and the teachers are fantastic.

Kate is such a generous teacher, sharing her vast knowledge and understanding in such beautiful and fun ways. I will treasure this experience always.

I now have loads of tools that I'm already putting to use in planning my next novel. I have a deeper understanding of story structure in a concrete way that I can put into use immediately.

I actually hadn't realised just how much could be taught in only two lessons, but Kate has completely packed these lessons with so much information and examples for writers. It is such a gift.

I loved the way Kate gave us so many examples, and she also unpacked trickier concepts so that all of us could grasp the way different plotting and planning ideas can be used in our own work.

Everything was enjoyable about this course!

Kate's example and discussion of her own plotting plans, including the word count she aims for with each incident in a story, has profoundly impacted my ideas for writing. I feel so much more capable and able to tackle the projects in my imagination.

Kate's planning session lined up with what I had done for when I was undergoing my PhD, but the plotting session just completely blew me away. Her explanation of how to go about plotting your story and its course is just the biggest help I could have asked for.

Any writing course you choose from the Centre is going to give you the *best* advice. And you will learn so much, you'll wonder how you never knew about this great resource before now.

Thank you for making these courses that are filled with information so affordable. It makes a huge difference, and sparks both our imagination and determination to go for our dreams.

Kate was fantastic - she presented her points clearly and had great a great slide presentation. She was generous in her sharing and open to students' questions.

I learned a lot - couldn't be happier with the course. It lent itself to online learning.

It's helping me to see where my work in progress should have its plot points. The examples from existing stories helped bring this to life.

Thanks to Kate for making the course interesting, comprehensive and visually luscious!

Kate is very engaging and helpful. Excellent that she provides detailed notes and slides. Slides help 'visual learners', good teaching practice.

Kate seems to relate in an 'intimate' way despite the large number of participants and via zoom.

I also work as a workshop presenter, mentor editor, and found it great to listen to others. I am unlikely to do much more of this work (nearly 81) but I finish a Master of History at the end of the year (researching the period I hope to write about) so hoping this will get me going again with my own writing.

I did History, Mystery and Magic with Kate Forsyth and I just had to have another course with her.

For us beginner writers, writing a book is such an all-consuming task that we forget the end goal - write a book that is publishable. What I realised from Kate is that the publishing industry has some expectations and norms. More importantly, readers have expectations and that’s when planning and plotting become so crucial. I hate even the prospect of planning my book. However, I know I need it. And Kate broke it down into steps and made it less daunting and more like following a recipe book.

There are many beautiful words that can be written to describe Kate and her teaching. However, you really need to experience one of her courses to understand that Kate shares wisdom and knowledge that goes beyond words and therefore resists description. Some unspoken magic happens at her classes that transforms you into a different writer.

Everyone keeps referring to writers being either 'plotters or pantsers' - and I've always seen myself as a bit of a fusion. So, I thought I'd see how a 'real' plotter works in building successful stories.

Kate was SO thorough. It's a very full program. This said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the handout, and most of the notes I took were just expanding on sections of the handout that she spoke to. Her slide decks too, were very useful in getting her lessons/tips/ideas across.

Kate was very generous with her time, and both weeks went over the allocated meeting time responding to participants' questions pertaining to their own writing challenges. She is obviously very knowledgeable and 'knows her product' and is very enthusiastic and practical in her giving of advice, and in her delivery of it.

I liked how Kate had book examples for every single 'tip' she gave and that the range of those books was broad, across many genres. She often referred to her own published works too, which made the advice relevant 'in real time', if that makes sense.

Though I didn't ask any questions, Kate actually answered questions that I didn't know I had! Through her examples and tips, 'stuff' was clarified for me that I now know have 'names' and are important to address earlier as opposed to later in the writing process.

Thanks again for the opportunity you've provided with this course. Glad to know that I'm not the only one 'needing' advice... and knowing there are others out there, at all different stages with their writing who also need advice, is very comforting(!)

Also, as an aside, I love Furious Fiction!

I have had a book idea in my brain for quite some time, but am stuck before I begin at the plotting and planning stage. This course is PERFECT for me.

While the course tutor may not be someone I'd choose to take as a best mate, I thought she was incredibly generous with her insights, wisdom and skill. I have great respect for her process and the manner in which she communicated to the class.

I know the story I want to write, I know the characters, but I don't know anything else! This course is giving me all of the missing pieces, so I can start writing my book.

If you are after a fairly brief but intense short course that will help you understand and focus upon the essence of your book, this is the one.

Kate has given us a blueprint for planning our novel, and also for digging ourselves out of writer’s block or finding ourselves if we lose our way. Kate is a delight. The images on her slides were magic.