What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Though an experienced writer for government, I am relatively new to creative writing and felt that a short story course would be a good stepping-stone into creative writing

I found the list of suggested reading very helpful, and discovered many good short stories and writers as a result. I found it a practical course as well, with good advice about structuring a short story and formatting and submitting manuscripts to publishers, as well as writing techniques.

It was really useful to submit my final short story to Cathie and receive some valuable feedback and positive comments!

I am motivated to write more short stories now as I can see that they are a genuine art form in their own right, and that some of the world's best writers regularly complete short story anthologies. Short stories are good practice for the would-be novelist - I think that I may stumble upon a story idea for a full novel through this form of creativity, and it is certainly a more achievable and less daunting prospect that can keep writers writing and gaining skills.

This is something I CAN do, and enjoy!

The AWC is a good avenue to help you bridge the gap between dreaming of being a published author and making it a reality.

Thanks Valerie. And thanks Cathie for your positive and useful feedback advice.

There was so much to learn about short story writing! Valerie Khoo also has a very relaxing voice that was enjoyable to listen to.

I now know what has been missing in my writing and what techniques to use when it is going nowhere.

Even if you're not interested in short story writing, many of these techniques can be used to enhance teaching skills and writing submissions or job applications.

I am still building the confidence to get started, so this course was a great introduction and gave me a lot of useful information to help me on the road to writing.

I enjoyed the handouts and exercises which reinforced the learning in the audios.

The AWC has a great range of courses to suit all needs. Most importantly, the courses are quite in-depth which some other courses are not.

Thanks very much! I've enjoyed this course and it's given me the confidence to write a lot more short stories and enter competitions over the past year - I won one and have been listed in others!

The course is really thorough and made me work hard!

I enjoyed the complexity - and being able to go back and review. Also, the up-to-date nature of the course with modern trends and styles taken into account.

Thanks for a terrific course. I'll be reviewing modules from start to finish.

I've really enjoyed my progression from Creative Writing 1 into Short Story Essentials. I feel my writing has improved exponentially. I invented a character for an exercise in CW1 and at the end of that course wrote a short story about him as a test of the skills I'd gained. I submitted that story to a competition (I'm still yet to hear how it went). But I struggled to find someone who could give me expert feedback before I submitted it. I felt Short Story Essentials would be a great way to get that personalised feedback and hone my writing skills at the same time. Now I feel my second short story with this character is even better than the first one. But even if that first story bombs in the competition, I know I can improve it!

It made me feel good about doing some things right by instinct alone, but it made me aware about how often I was lazy and would tell instead of show.

If you want to write better short stories - do this course.

I was looking for a way of starting my writing journey without being overwhelmed by having to write a novel.

I enjoyed the handouts and the fact I could complete it in my own time. I feel that I have deeper insight into the elements that make up a good story and therefore I'll be more aware of them in my own writing. I realised 'being a writer' is not as easy as it sounds!

The AWC has a great range of courses and resources (i.e.. podcasts) available for all levels and interests. I have found the Centre to be supportive and they have always responded quickly to any questions I had.

The course is very comprehensive. The layout and instructions are clear and I liked the repetition. I have been attending a weekly writing group for years. We do quite intense feedback and editing. I was concerned that this course would just repeat a lot of information that I knew. However, the opposite was true. I have learnt 'heaps'. Thank you for a well run and enjoyable course.

I really wanted to access a distilled essence of short story composition and this course absolutely delivered.

I enjoyed the handouts, the explanations and the reading lists. I'm reading some incredible short stories now making me realise how much I've got to learn!

I now have a dot point list of essential criteria on my wall where I write in which I measure what I've written against it.

If you want your writing to improve, enrol in one of the courses and soak it in.

Writing fiction is a relatively new pursuit for me and I know I need guidance so this course was an ideal entry point. I recently finished a PhD so waited until I had the time and headspace to be able to tackle the exercises and story writing before starting.

I enjoyed the variety of sample stories and exercises, but my favourite part was watching my story develop from the structure I'd mapped out.

I come from a journalism background and this course has made me appreciate the value of just writing instead of editing as I go and giving myself the time to edit and redraft to make sure my story is polished, rather than going with the first draft and one round of edits.

The Short Story Essentials online course is structured so you can work at your own pace, with everything you need to plan, structure, write and edit a short story.

I loved trying a new writing style on for size. Thanks.

A wonderful course, wonderful option -- very helpful. Thankyou.

I enjoyed completing the story - i.e., refining it be professional, readable. Previously had plenty of loose short stories written but nothing tight enough for others to read. The course fixed that!

I now have the confidence, or can at least see the path, from writer's desk to reader's eyes.

If you're serious about writing but don't have the time: try AWC. They will get you there.

I read more critically. I read like a writer now - a major step forward for me. The real work is in editing and rewriting.

In my experience, from the few courses I have completed, the Australian Writers' Centre offers exceptional quality.

The Australian Writer's Centre is a must-have toolkit for any writer. They have tips and tricks to get you started on your writing journey. Their courses, like the Short Story Essentials course I just took, break down the process of writing and give you practical opportunities to practice the skills and theory discussed in lessons.

I learned the differences between a novel and a short story but found much of the course applies to novel writing as well. I was very happy with the many examples provided to explain the different points in the modules.

I've completed quite a few courses with the Australian Writers' Centre and have been more than happy with them.

I really loved all the short story examples given. I don't take the time to even read short stories anymore and this re-ignited my interest in and admiration for them. Through them, I came to know what works and what doesn't and that it really is a whole separate craft to the novel. The basics of the craft were laid out in really easy to follow steps. I loved the course.

It got me interested in writing again.

You've got nothing to lose, only to gain. It's supportive and inspiring.

The structure of the course was very clear, with audio, resources and writing activities. I loved listening to the audio and felt I learnt a lot from it. I also really like that there is the opportunity to submit work for feedback. As the course was self-paced it was a good place for me to start and develop an early-morning writing routine that I now love. I've just enrolled for the Creative Writing course as the next step.

It's kick-started my early-morning writing routine. It helped me give structure to this time when starting out. Rather than just feeling that I had to get up and write, I could get up, listen to some audio/ work through a module and then do the writing activity. This has helped me to establish the routine.

The course is comprehensive and extremely well-designed, with a focus on technique and craft. It was exactly what I have been looking for.

The lessons were very enjoyable and informative. I found myself looking forward to my next session. It gave me the tools to craft better stories and to feel more confident in my ability.

If you're after an accessible, craft-based course this is it, whether you're a hobbyist or aspiring to a writing career.

I enjoyed doing this course and felt that it prompted me to restructure and finish a story that I'd previously tried to write. The main aspect that made this work for me was learning about how to plan and plot. As a pantser, this was particularly valuable! Thank you.

Valerie Khoo's video explanations and audio lessons were fantastic.

The course has taught me many things and I've learned about so many different styles of writing, as well as how the short story format changes and evolves over time. Since I have not fully completed the course (feedback to be given), I say this course has very well met my expectations. I'm really looking forward to the feedback and love that this course offers the opportunity for an established and experienced writer to offer feedback. This part has definitely exceeded my expectations and probably could be made more prominent in the description of the course.

I now have much better writing habits. And I don't feel guilty when I'm not writing, because I know that even when I'm out for a walk or in the shower, I'm still in the author state of mind, thinking of titles and characters and what's next. I also feel a lot better about having various works on the go at once, and that this is normal and encouraged.

I used to spend so much time editing as I went, and now I know that I just need to get started and write until the end, then come back and polish it later.

I would say that the Australian Writers' Centre really set me up with all that I needed to know, or was unsure about, when it came to writing and what makes a good story. I felt included and like there were so many others out there just like me, not knowing where to start. If only I'd known, just start at the beginning. There were tips and frameworks to change my line of thinking about what it meant to be a writer. Writers write. And that's all there is to it.

I have actually completed a short story! And feel equipped to write more.