What’s it like to learn with AWC?
Each year, thousands of students just like you achieve their writing goals through our courses and world-class presenters. Here they share how their new-found skills and confidence enriched their life.
I was looking for an overview of the industry and a way to get started. This course delivered exactly that.
Valerie's videos were easy to watch and the content was well delivered in an organised sequence and in bite sized chunks.
It's prompted me to get started, reaching out to writers I know, taking other courses and exploring more opportunities.
The Reinvent Yourself course offers a fabulous overview of writing for a career and how to begin the journey of transitioning to a full-time writer. It opens the doors to other ways to learn more and other opportunities to explore writing.
I liked the broad scope of the course, in terms of explanations of the different types of writing, as well as the very supportive approach of the process of getting started.
I really like Valerie's well considered and very humanized approach to this topic for beginner writers.
I feel a much stronger interest in the prospect of developing a writing career after doing this course.
I enjoyed hearing about other people's journeys - it's refreshing to hear stories of success 'later' in life. I feel success stories of those in their teens and twenties are much more visible in mainstream media.
There are many different lenses when looking at success - to be a successful writer doesn't necessarily mean you writer for a major newspaper or are a top 10 best-selling author. Plus, it is a career pathway that can be grown concurrently to your existing career, and something that is possible to break into if you didn't start in the industry as a young person.
Practical and polished courses worth investing in!
This course was well set out and had lots of great information. Once I completed the course, I realised I want to pursue my dream and am now eager to take the next step.
The content was more than I was expecting. There were various topics and ideas covered. I enjoyed the interviews with various authors. I found the course was very informative and left me wanting more.
I found the course inspiring and practical. I enjoyed the real-life stories of writers; they resonated with me and inspired me. I also enjoyed Val's no-nonsense advice throughout the course. She gives practical advice that is easy to follow while understanding that people have lives to live and may not know where to start.
This particular course felt like a good way for me to shift my mindset. The price was attractive for that initial step and it has now opened my mind to not just moving into a different career path as a writer, but given me practical steps to do so while still supporting my family.
I was able to complete the course in my own time and whenever time allowed. I have now enrolled in your Copywriting Essentials as a practical way to continue on my path to reinvent myself.
I loved the quote you provided in the final lesson "feel the fear and do it anyway". Fear has been an enormous roadblock for me. I have felt like an imposter for so many years and this was excellent advice to finish on.
AWC offers good advice and a practical way to begin your writing career. At no time have I felt like an imposter and feel I now have the confidence to progress onto the next course and path in my journey.
I loved the title - it was so positive and full of possibilities. I was looking for inspiration and an easy step-by-step map to get me started, and the course offered that.
I loved the interviews with people who have studied at AWC and are now working as writers.
I enjoyed learning about the diversity of a writing career and learning more about each area. My favourites were the writers working in the children's book industry, which is the area I'm most interested in. I also loved Valerie's positivity and can-do attitude. The steps are gold. Especially the emphasis on reaching out and building connections with those in the industry.
It gave me clarity on what direction I wanted to go - and clarified that direction. I also realised I have been struggling with imposter syndrome, and seeing that has really helped my confidence.
If you want to change careers and are wondering if writing could be it, I would recommend AWC as top of the list for quality, value for money, and practicality, with the emphasis on having a clear step-by-step plan and taking action, plus lots of inspiration and real-world success stories.
The allure of transitioning into a writing career has always been a dream of mine, but the path seemed shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. What drew me to the Reinvent Yourself program was its promise to demystify the process. The focus on overcoming mental barriers and laying out clear, actionable steps to start writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, spoke directly to my aspirations and challenges.
Initially, I was sceptical about the efficacy of an online program in addressing such a personal and profound career shift. The fear of investing time and resources into something without guaranteeing a tangible outcome. However, the program's emphasis on practical guidance reassured me that this wasn't just another generic writing course but a tailored guide to navigating the writing world successfully.
The seven-part video program created an engaging learning experience. Each module was thoughtfully crafted, making the journey from doubt to confidence not just educational but truly enjoyable.
The most enjoyable aspect of the course was the diversity and depth of the videos. It felt as if I had a community of mentors guiding me through the process.
The major 'aha!' moment for me was realising that the biggest obstacle to becoming a writer wasn't a lack of talent or opportunity but my own mindset. And with the right mindset, the path to becoming a writer is accessible to anyone, regardless of their starting point. The program's focus on fostering a positive mindset shifted my perspective from seeing obstacles to seeing possibilities.
The Australian Writers' Centre is more than just an educational institution: it's a gateway to realising your writing aspirations.
I have been thinking about changing careers to writing for a while. I joined mailing lists for writing courses and this year I decided to actually take the plunge.
This is a very positive and motivating course. Thank you for making it enjoyable.
I liked hearing the interviews from real writers. The information throughout the course is also well worth listening to.
I know that with commitment and hard work, I can reinvent myself as the writer I have always wanted to be.
I just engaged in a motivational, engaging and inspiring short course, that showed me I can change my career and be the creative that I want to be. I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to try writing as a career to do this course and be inspired to strive to be your best self as a writer.
I enjoyed all aspects of the course, particularly the different options available as a writer. Excellent starting point, if thinking about becoming a writer. Course delivery was clear, concise and logical and delivered with integrity.
The course helped to reaffirm that the creative/fiction area is exactly where I want to be, and has also opened the idea/possibility of linking my extensive knowledge, skills, and experience in Early Childhood Education with a writing career. Mainly through freelance feature writing for childhood development/parenting websites and magazines.
I enjoyed the case studies. It's so inspiring to see and hear from people who had regular day jobs and turned their passion for writing into their day job. And they've done it from all walks of life at different stages of their life. It highlighted the notion that it's never too late to make the change. There is literally no boat to miss unless one does not apply themselves.
Invest in yourself and go for it; there is nothing to lose and so much to gain.
I was at a crossroads with what direction to take in my writing and needed 'detangling'. The course gave me a new focus and who can resist Valerie's motivation?!
I think I expected basic information about a writing career but this was so much more in depth and breadth and has given me much to think about in terms of the direction of my writing.
I enjoyed the bite size pieces of information - the videos weren't too long and Valerie was very engaging in the way she spoke.
This has given me so much more information about the types of writing available to me and how I can use that in many ways. The path is a lot wider than I thought.
It affirmed everything that I already knew, but also gave inspiration through the personal stories and experiences.
This course was practical and offered simple strategies to improve your prospects of transitioning to writing as a career.
Thank you for this course - you have no idea how comforting it is to know that my job is not the be all and end all - it's all up to ME. To learn, to upskill, and most of all, to WRITE (with discipline). But, after hearing your students' success stories, I am happy to also consider part-time writing with my part-time job (for now) - this takes the pressure off.
I'm still working on my paradigms around 'I am a writer', however I am confident that after working through the workbook, sampling the writing I enjoy, and the action of writing to my favourite authors, the hesitations or doubts I feel about my competence will be replaced by enthusiasm and the warm and fuzzy feelings I get when I write.
There is a HUGE amount of support here for so many different genres of writing.
It's given me some courage and ideas on how to take some steps in the areas I want to go.
Practical, accessible, relatable. You have everything to gain, and nothing to lose.
I'm at a time in my life where I'm transitioning from corporate to creative, i.e. what inspires me, and thought this course would be an excellent overview of other options.
Thank you for an excellent overview. I especially enjoyed hearing about other writers' experiences and how they have made writing work for them.
I've realised I already know the area of writing I'm interested in and already have lots of experience from my corporate experiences. Now just have to get on with it while the time is right. Will also be looking at some other AWC courses to support my journey.
Do it! Tremendously helpful.
The author testimonials/stories were great and they spoke to me. Helped to take the fear out and allowed me to own my life as a writer and hopefully soon to be published author, which has always been my dream. Writing books seems to be on the up and up at the moment.
This is a great centre which helps writers of all kinds to learn enormous amounts about a vast array of forms of writing, which enables many of them to reach their goals.
It was easy to follow, and listening to all the people who have turned into writers from all walks of life is inspirational.
I realised that beginning slowly and by setting aside 8 mins a day, I can achieve my goal. Previously, I thought I would have to write a story in one or two sittings.
There is so much more to writing than you know and the AWC helps you break down the different aspects of the different writing genres.
Having only fairly recently made the life-changing decision to take my desire to write seriously, this short course seemed like the ideal jumping-off point.
The success stories were fabulous and motivating.
The course solidified a lot of my own findings, having listened to your podcast etc - brought it all together in one place. It's reassured me that I'm on the right path.
Definitely just jump in! There's literally 'something for everyone'. I look forward to doing my next course soon.