What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I'm half-way through a first draft novel and just wanted some guidance, some connection, to see if I was on the right track, and to know when it's finished (if it ever is!).

I have found the suggestions and links to other forums helpful--the how to be a writer as much as how to write.

Suzanne was very thoughtful and considered in her feedback. It is no easy thing to give constructive feedback to budding writer/authors and she did it wonderfully. I was very happy with the feedback I received, and particularly glad that she had recognised elements that I wanted the reader to infer.

Online courses can feel very disembodied and uninspiring but this one defied that notion. There was a good balance between being able to engage as time and creative mind permitted, and achieving a feeling of collective participation and collegiality.

It has given me some writing confidence, but perhaps more importantly it has helped me to understand that there is more to being a writer than plonking away at the keyboard and hoping for a positive outcome. I have felt encouraged to go out and find a community, engage with it, and support it.

You don't know what you don't know, and if you are in the early stages of the writing life this course will help you understand where you can go and how to get there, with a few less stumbles along the way.

I enjoyed receiving feedback and the lovely people who were a part of the community.

Really lovely teacher who is careful with her feedback as to not discourage new writers but to give them some confidence in their writing

The 200-word assignments were manageable and stress free to complete whilst doing life.

I have the knowledge that yes, I can learn this craft and it could be possible to publish one day. I am going to give writing a novel a red-hot go!

Such a comprehensive course - incredibly valuable to my work as a writer and a copywriter/editor.

The step-by-step instructions and complete coverage gave me a thorough understanding of how to work through the process for myself and my clients.

Having done a few AWC courses over the past few years, I have no hesitation in recommending the AWC to people, no matter where they are on their writing journey as there are so many great courses on offer. Without the AWC I wouldn't be running my own business as a copywriter, or feel confident to branch out into other areas as my business evolves. The courses are practical and comprehensive and the support and contact with the presenters has been invaluable - in online, self-paced, and face-to-face learning.

Angela was great! She provided really thorough feedback, which struck the right balance between encouragement and constructive criticism. The extra links and resources she provided were helpful in giving extra context.

I was surprised at how much I learned from workshopping with other students, not just my work but from theirs. I also loved that this course gave me structure and accountability for my writing practice.

It's given me more confidence in my writing ability, more confidence in sharing my writing, and a brighter hope that I can actually finish this draft!

If you want to take improving your writing seriously, go to the AWC.

It was great learning about best practices in UX writing. The information shared in the course was pragmatic and readily applicable for anyone moving into UX writing.

The presenter was great and offered very practical advice on UX writing. The insights provided on stakeholder management were very insightful.

The whole course provided me with new information and skills that I can keep in my writing toolbox. It has provided me with more options and hopes as I look to segue out of teaching.

I have been considering writing a memoir for many years however when I came across this course I realized that writing it as a novel gave me so much more scope for imaginative characters, setting and plot.

The professionalism of this course surprised me. I felt every aspect of the basics of creative writing was fully explored plus I can come back any time in the next 12 months to review. Fabulous!

I felt I was in competent hands with Stephen's guidance. His approach was measured, encouraging and I like the way he introduced different aspects of improving our writing each week. This way we could focus on improving that skill in the following module. His feedback was very helpful and not overwhelming.

I most enjoyed experimenting with my writing. Taking the tutor's feedback and seeing how I could improve the narrative. Listening to his appraisal of other participant's writing was also particularly helpful.

I have come away with renewed confidence that I can write my novel. I was not expecting that :)

If you are thinking of writing your book, the Australian Writers' Centre is the perfect place to start as they cover all the aspects of writing and some you may have never considered before. Writing a novel takes dedication and a commitment to consistently turn up at your desk. Enjoy the process and have fun, and above all, you are not alone with the assistance of the AWC.

Such a professional, thorough and informative course and Valerie is a fabulous and engaging presenter. I am actually blown away by the granular detail AWC has provided. Suzanne was great as well. Very gentle and encouraging.

The course provided me with so much detailed information. I now have a blueprint.

Mark was super helpful with great feedback. Bernadette's tutorials were so informative and I have pages and pages of notes.

The content was great and I enjoyed interacting with other students.

You can make real money and build a career out of something you actually love doing!

I have read some of Candice Fox's crime books. I love watching British crime drama on TV and wanted to get tips on writing crime fiction.

The material and information provided in this course is current, well-researched and gives lots of details about writing about murder crimes. Advice on research, web links and checking the laws in the country or state you are writing about are very helpful.

I am an emerging writer. I like the structure of the course breaking down the crime into modules. It can be very daunting undertaking research. Information on how to find it was given. I liked being shown the whole picture, the criminal, the crime, gathering forensic evidence, the hunt, the arrest, the trial and finally prison. How the justice system works.

Do this course if you like murder crime writing and solving puzzles. This course is very detailed. A good idea to undertake and get a wide coverage of the legal system, police operations and the criminal mind. Lots of comprehensive information and suggestions are provided for websites for further research.

Carli was fantastic - engaging and approachable. I enjoyed her insights and how she made the material relevant and interesting.

It's given me the confidence to think of stepping out and freelancing.

I currently teach Literature and English for a living and recently rediscovered my love of writing. I write stories for fun and have done some AWC creative writing courses. I'm keen to explore income streams allowing more flexibility to be with my young family, pretty much exactly as Bernadette discusses often on the podcast. I've followed the podcast for a while: I think copywriting could be good fit for me, but was seeking a bit more training and help with my confidence.

I am a fan of Bernadette, so she was exactly what I expected (and more). So prompt with her feedback and her replies to questions. Feedback was detailed and very helpful. Positive, thorough, funny, real and warm. A great tutor.

The teaching is all focussed on creating a new pathway, or improving your skillset, so it's practical, real-world and applicable. Bernadette is the reason I picked this specific course and she made it great.

Bernadette's feedback was really positive and I was enjoying the tasks > it made me realise that I could do it. I'm okay at copywriting. I now feel much more empowered to start my own copywriting sideline.

The AWC offers quality content from experienced tutors. The courses are accessible on a range of platforms which is fantastic - I listen in the car and watch at home - and the feedback is detailed and helpful.

I learnt a lot of valuable lessons, helping me to develop ways to write articles for magazines and newspapers.

Alexandra is an excellent tutor providing encouraging and knowledgeable feedback that is useful for me.

I feel more confident that I can accomplish the task of writing articles, and I have been given the tools for writing them.

Thank you so much for a well thought out, inclusive, and supportive course. I enjoyed the learning and feel positive about being able to write articles.

I always underdevelop my characters and only realise after I start writing, so I wanted a step-by-step guide on how to create a fleshed-out character before I started and got myself stuck.

Going in, there was a little part of me that was worried it would be a repeat of all the advice out there for creating characters, the advice being a checklist of their favourite colours and whatnot. I'm so glad to have been wrong!

I'm not exaggerating when I say I'll be using the activities in this course to help plan my characters and stories from now on. I know both my characters and my plot so much better now.

The comprehensiveness of this course attracted me. I have thoroughly enjoyed Petronella's guidance, encouragement and technical know-how. This course provides context for the individual subject courses like 'Structure'. Experiencing a holistic view of the basic writing skills gives me confidence to study individual topics and courses within AWC. I am so thankful for this course.

I was initially concerned about sharing my work with all students but as my confidence grew within the secure environment with Petronella this concern became a bonus to my learning.

Petronella has been honest in a gentle and nurturing fashion. She is very constructive in her comments and suggestions. Her obvious enjoyment of reading students' work is a huge encouragement to keep going. Many thanks to Petronella.

Feeling safe to share my work was the most enjoyable. Petronella fostered a secure culture within the classroom chat and feedback environments which was very nurturing. The encouraging feedback has been very affirming and has increased my confidence to keep going. This confidence is comprised mostly in the knowledge that I have learned vital skills in this craft.

I truly believe that the AWC has something for everyone and anyone interested in developing any writing skill.

I thought the course did a fantastic job breaking down the essential elements that go into writing fiction. I think Angela is very knowledgeable and highly experienced. This really showed in her feedback and comments during the course.

I had a sudden aha moment with an audio lesson when I realised a major structural change to my story would solve all the storyline issues I'd been concerned with since first coming up with the idea. I realised I didn't have to tell my story in a strictly linear way. I then remembered I knew of a fantasy TV series that tells its story in the same way for the same structural reason. It ties things in together with far more meaning and emotional impact and stops the story dragging in sections.

The course has made a great deal of impact in a lot of ways to the story I'm writing, particularly how to structure it so that it works and keeps narrative tension rising.

Angela was very encouraging and I enjoyed her feedback on my work as well as on the works of others. She really has an ability to get you to reflect about why you did or didn't do something through her comments.

I enjoyed everything about this course. Probably dispelling the myths around writing has been very useful to me. That I can't expect to stay inspired and sometimes it's just a matter of "pushing through". Characterisation and the importance of developing sound characters that the writer knows well was very valuable. I also liked realising that just because the writer knows these facts it doesn't mean the reader has to as well. I also enjoyed the point of view/voice week. Very new and valuable information for me. Thank you.

If you want to get help to get going and increase your confidence in writing this is the course for you.

Thankyou. I wish I could have Angela available all the time to encourage me to keep going!

Petronella gave us great feedback and I feel like I now know where to make improvements. I liked that we could also give each other feedback and see the other stories.

It has definitely given me the confidence to continue to write towards my first book.

I have learnt so much and, due to this course, I have changed my way of writing. It has given me more understanding of how and why I write. Thank you so much Mr Stephen Hart for all your feedback.

I enjoyed the other stories by my fellow writers and the encouragement we gave each other, even if it were a simple like.

Thank you so much. I look forward to my next course I take up at AWC.

Mark was gentle but he gave his honest feedback and that was what I needed. He certainly was not wishy washy with his comments.

I have just finished my simple website and I am so proud of it. I wrote the copy and I designed it too. I know I could not have done this without the course.

Do it - it is worth it. I am going to do more courses now. Copywriting will be ongoing for me. I think I will (with experience) be able to do it well and earn an income from the skill.

I am writing a new business book and wanted to incorporate some fiction into it.

The course was a great mix of deep expertise without being intimidating. Very encouraging and informative. I enjoyed the class exercises and interactions and feeling like I was part of something. I love the templates and providing freedom but within some structure.

Practical, fun and authoritative course that helps you be a better writer.