What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I just released my first picture book and have been seriously thinking of going into schools etc. but didn’t really know where to begin!

Nat was very engaging and came up with ideas I would never have considered. I liked how it covered the business side of things too.

I enjoyed the video format with short videos which held my attention.

I feel like I am beginning a new journey in my writing career and this came at a perfect time. I have no doubt I still have a lot to learn but this course really helped me get the best start.

I have completed a lot of research for a work in progress. I see that I have much more to do, which is daunting. However, the course information provides a structure that is reassuring. Lots of great information about research techniques. This makes the mammoth task of researching seem do-able.

Writing my own stories was the best part of the course for me. Once l got going, the feeling of terror at the thought of producing something of my own was replaced with a beautiful sense of excitement and anticipation. I also liked reading stories others in the course wrote as well as learning from the feedback Cathie gave to all of us. Her feedback was very thoughtful and provided in a friendly, respectful fashion.

My feelings about the writing process and producing my own stories really affected me. It felt comfortable and uncomfortable, exciting and infuriating, nerve wracking and rewarding. Most of all, it felt really right. I was also surprised that l could produce something that Cathie said, 'Might have legs'. Lastly, when l now read stories to my classes, l seem to be reading them differently, more analytically and more in tune as to why authors make certain choices in their writing, how their story is structured and so on.

I really enjoyed this and found it gave some great ideas for plots for the future as well as being so very interesting.

I enjoyed learning about it all, even the areas I didn't think initially would be of much interest to me - the trial and prison life. Really educational.

The section on prison life was something I had no experience of other than TV and I thought it was fascinating.

So worthwhile for anyone interested in this genre. Great content.

I gained invaluable information about aspects of writing that I thought I already knew. The modules were easy to follow and I appreciated the reinforcement of some of the critical messages - it really helped me a lot.

Angela was very helpful and positive in her feedback. I appreciated the extra info she posted in the Course Chat regarding particular aspects of writing.

I enjoyed having a focus and developing a method to my process of writing.

It has made me realise I can write a novel, and given me some fantastic knowledge and tips to help me get there! I particularly appreciated becoming more aware that the self-doubt and problems writers face are universal (more or less). I've also enrolled in the Write Your Novel course.

This is a great course to gauge where you're at in terms of writing because others will read your work and critique it. You will learn techniques and tips to help improve your skills, and gain a better understanding of things you might've thought you already knew. If you're serious about writing a novel, this will really get you going.

I really wanted to have others read my work and help me to see where my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer. I also really wanted to make writer-friends.

I was worried about being able to give helpful feedback as this was my first time in a workshopping group, but as the course went on I actually learned from the others in the course how to give better feedback. It's given me more courage to share my writing, and also to just write!

It was seeing the different feedback being given by the other students; some were confused by aspects that others loved, some thought certain passages were too long whilst others thought they were just right. This course has really taught me that feedback/criticism is subjective and will always be affected by personal preference to a certain point. This revelation has actually made it less daunting for me to share my work and leave myself open to criticism.

AWC offers a range of courses suiting all stages of experience and interests. The course wasn't overwhelming or intimidating, and the lecturer was approachable and helpful.

Bernadette provides very constructive feedback. If she feels a participant has not quite grasped a concept she is quite candid but also provides positive encouragement and ways that something could be said or done better in order to obtain results.

The pricing section was extremely helpful. Also the section on how to talk with customers and encourage them to take the action you want them to take. Having the right words to use when dealing with customers has given me so much more confidence.

I now have the confidence and the tools to move forward with setting up my copywriting business.

Angela was a very considerate and kind tutor who gave excellent feedback and ideas on how to improve our writing without burying us in the ditch, so to speak. She encouraged me to keep going and I learnt so much from her about the craft of writing. I thought I knew how to write but I found out I knew so little. Thank you, Angela.

The most enjoyable thing about the course was that I began writing and found that I loved it. It sounds funny but I think I actually learnt more from giving feedback to others rather than receiving it. This feedback part of the course is possibly the most valuable part.

It has taught me to write every day. Even if you have nothing, sit down and write through it.

I would say that you will not regret joining one of these courses. You will learn a lot and also you could possibly make lifelong friends who can help you with feedback on your writing. I would say DO IT!

Thank you , thank you, thank you.

Bernadette is a great tutor, with extensive knowledge and business nous. This is the third Copywriting course I've taken with Bernadette and AWC, and I have found them both challenging and exciting.

I enjoyed learning so much about how Google works and how much we are/can be manipulated by it! (But on the other hand, also learning how to work with Google to serve potential clients and the community.) Fascinating stuff!

Understanding SEO and how it can enhance my services /skills is an absolute no-brainer in adding to my income and value as a content writer.

AWC offers great courses, with valuable content, skilled tutors and practically-focused programs that can make an immediate difference to your skills and confidence.

I love writing poetry and have written many poems for celebratory milestones for family and friends. Recently becoming a grandparent has kindled an interest for me in writing picture book stories and I explored courses available to progress this interest.

The tutor was very engaging. The learning was interesting and helpful. Suzanne provided constructive criticism in such a kind manner.

It was busy fitting the course around full time work and outside work responsibilities. I found the time because it was important and now it's over, I miss it.

It has given me confidence to further develop my writing approach and how to navigate the publishing world.

This course profoundly changed the way I think and work as a writer for the better and made me feel I could finally complete my troublesome work in progress.

I think this course connected back to the others I had done and provided a complete picture for me. It was well constructed, easy to follow, well-paced, very interesting.

Bernadette was fabulous. You can tell she has extensive experience and is very qualified to teach copywriting.

I really enjoyed the mix of videos and associated documents, and receiving feedback on assignments was a great touch. It really kept me engaged in completing the course. Thank you.

I now have a deeper awareness of the power of words.

The tutor was excellent. Pamela's comments were always spot on and very useful to improve my draft.

Feedback from the class and the tutor after each submission was great. Course content was great. I learnt a great deal about story structure and what needs to happen in each scene. Helped me look at my work in a more critical way and improve the quality of my novel.

It's a great collaborative learning environment and you learn 'specific' aspects of writing rather than 'general' theory.

Kate's legendary lessons inspire and ignite! Knowledgeable in writing, she also shared her expertise with us in ways we could all understand, helping us to create our own toolbox of skills along the way. She understands the minds of novice writers and makes it an interesting and nurturing learning environment.

The joy Kate clearly got from presenting this course was infectious and engaged the participants. Her material was interesting and thoughtfully curated.

Kate gave me ideas how to integrate writing more easily into my life and offered tips and inspiration for writing and improving stories.

Suzanne has been great. She has insightful comments that clearly relate to the course material. It really feels like she takes her time with her feedback.

I found the weekly assignments really fun. The actual course material was useful too, and gave an insight to some of the jobs I hadn't been doing that I now know I need to do.

I have learned how going back to work on character descriptions or setting descriptions can really dislodge you when you are stuck in a scene. Maybe more profoundly, I am one big step closer to daring to call myself an amateur writer.

I would recommend AWC. I would say that if you like writing and you find that you keep getting stuck around 6-10k words into a story and lose forward momentum then this course will teach you nearly all you need to push through that barrier.

I feel immensely enriched by this course. Kate was amazing. Personable, clear, presented in depth tuition and analysis of texts.

I am already utilising Kate's guidance to deepen my current WIP, extend my research and enrich the overall tone of my writing.

Looked forward to every Monday night. Highly informative, constructive, relevant tuition in a comfortable online class. I will absolutely invest in another Kate Forsyth class. I was immensely enriched by Kate’s knowledge and writing wisdom.

I found Stephen's feedback very helpful, encouraging and prompt.

I enjoyed all of it, but in particular the assignments. As I sat down to begin the assignments, I discovered that I really enjoy the creative process of writing, from developing right through to editing. I'd look forward to it every week.

I now have the confidence to continue writing and believe that writing a novel is actually possible for me. I like the message given to us students that there are only two reasons our story wouldn't be published - we haven't written it yet or it's not good enough - and we have control over both of those.

A great introduction course to see if you want to be a creative fiction writer and, if so, it will give you the fundamentals to get you started.

Thank you, it's been an awesome experience for me.

Kate taught so much and so well. I will do more courses with her as I can dedicate the time. I enjoyed her explanation of literature, her ease of creating a safe place to learn and her love for her profession.

Angela is very knowledgeable and cares for us students and our writing. Feedback is thorough and constructive and there was always an extra link to an article or information on what we were struggling with - for example, POV for me.

I enjoyed reading my classmates' stories and learning a new skill - tracking changes in the document and giving feedback on a fellow writer's work.

At first, because I was nervous about people reading and commenting on my work, I submitted a story I started writing about 7 years ago and wasn't sure what I was doing with it but the feedback and writing practice has been invaluable and I'm strides ahead from where I was before joining.

I'm very conscious now about what I write, even if it's a text message! I'm not so blasé with just throwing words out there. I've learned so much about how to structure a novel, create scenes, describe characters, all these things that I was not aware of before. I feel excited to keep writing.

The AWC is a professional organisation with excellent content in their courses, great teachers and you will definitely learn something new. I highly recommend you do one of the courses that interests you.

Thank you and 8 weeks flew by!