What’s it like to learn with AWC?

The course forced me to write and forced me to think about what I was doing with my writing. It allowed me to experiment and helped me to cease procrastination. With a solid due date ahead of me I have found I spend the time writing and learning. That was invaluable to me.

The online tutor was extremely encouraging and appeared very knowledgeable about writing. She was able to comment on aspects of my writing I was unaware of and could provide a different perspective to what I was used to.

The scene setting lesson was probably the most helpful lesson I have received about writing a scene. I will very likely return to it whenever I am struggling with a scene.

The AWC website whole-heartedly encourages people to pursue a career (or even a hobby) in writing. The breadth of courses and activities available has something to suit every individual person. Everything you see is inspiring and encouraging and you truly feel like a part of a community.

Thank you for creating the opportunity for me to write and learn at the same time.

I've done quite a few of your courses and this one was a standout. Practical. Great to have a clear process to follow and templates to assist with editing. I will use this process and tools to edit manuscripts in future.

Well structured, clear, practical, great tools.

Great course. Some things I'm already doing but each section contained something new for me to think about and bring to my own writing. I really want to revisit my character language, for example, to see how I can make sure each has a unique voice through my book. I'm also desperate to weave in some ping-pong conversations now that I know about them.

I think my 'aha' moment has been the realisation that it's not just making your characters say funny things that brings humour to your work. I suddenly see the full toolbox of techniques available to a writer such as situation, wordplay, repetition, surreal comedy etc. I have never stopped to think about the different elements of comedy before. Some I've already introduced to my work without knowing it, and others I can now consciously plan in.

You don't know what you don't know. Even if you learn one new thing, it might make all the difference to your work.

Bernadette is thorough and gives clear explanations and instructions. Great detailed feedback on assignments!

I've learned the skills to be more strategic with content. I love the practical, hands-on nature of AWC courses.

Vivienne was very prompt and active in the online classroom, and my impression of her was that she was a very encouraging but also honest and genuine tutor. I enjoyed the feedback immensely, and I think her delivery of it is very inspiring. I feel encouraged whilst also challenged, without ever feeling judged.

I enjoyed getting to listen to lessons, and Valerie's style of teaching was wonderful. I looked forward to the sessions with my headphones on and my notebook in front of me, and getting to follow along the audio with the helpful summary of points. The profile writing assignment was my favourite activity by far!

It's opened up a world of possibility which I'd never given thought to before! It's helped me reconnect to the love of writing I had in school, which I had been discouraged to pursue as any sort of career. This has given me the knowledge that it is totally possible, and given me a feeling of excitement that I could use my love of words and creativity to carve out an unexpected career path and do something I consider meaningful and aligned with my values.

The course is delightful! It's well-structured, affordable, interesting, and equips you with very practical, real-life knowledge to go down the writing path.

Thank you to the team for designing and offering this course! It's been a highlight of my year.

Tim was great with so many tips and stories to tell! Thank you! I enjoyed the videos and bits of advice along the way.

I know more about the process which is comforting for me. I like to have a pathway to work towards.

Highly recommend before you start your writing journey as an excellent overview.

Carli was a joy to be taught by. Her knowledge was so generously shared with us all and she made me feel as if I could approach her about anything.

I really enjoyed the homework, funnily enough. And being able to send this work onto Carli for her feedback has been wonderful!

I feel so much more confident in going forward with my writing and pitching ideas to publications. And feel that I am definitely on the right track in pursuing this as more than just a hobby.

It has changed the way I feel about writing as well as injecting an extra dose of confidence within me that I didn't have beforehand.

The whole course really was so wonderful, and it brought me so much joy in what has been a challenging time. So thank you!

The professionalism and quality of this course - in both content and presentation style - far exceeded anything I anticipated. The online platform and modalities have worked extremely well. Very smooth!

Bernadette is extremely knowledgeable and professional. Her presentations are rich in detailed information and her conversational style is friendly and relaxed. She maintains an encouraging tone in her feedback, while providing helpful and constructive criticism. An outstanding presenter!

I have gained a whole new skill set and awareness, which provides confidence and opportunities moving forward. It has been very rewarding starting to be immersed in a new genre and its culture. I have learned to be more economical with my writing and gained a bunch of strategies for arresting the attention of the reader quickly. The fact that there is some immediate income earning potential after this course is fantastic. Because these skills can be transferred to so many other areas of professional life and writing, it feels like being on the threshold of a whole new world of possibilities.

It has been great to discover that I can be dragged into the 21st Century and learn the SEO component of copywriting without feeling completely overwhelmed. Having come from a very off-line, classical, academic background, I have gained confidence that I can actually understand and do this!

AWC has been well-organised and easy to deal with. There is a great range of courses, which in my experience so far have been high quality and professional.

Thank you for introducing me to something wonderful and new!

I learned so much over the past 5 weeks! Carli was extremely generous with her time and knowledge. I enjoyed going through the readings and looked forward to our Tuesday evening classes. I appreciated her feedback and help with improving my writing skills.

It helped me find new ways of exploring my personal interest with food and food-related topics. Equally, Carli gave us the tools to go and pitch to publications on a deeper level.

I've always gotten a lot out of the AWC courses. After taking 3+ courses this year (and the Freelance Writing Masterclass), I'm developing more confidence in my abilities as a writer.

Angela was fantastic. Really responsive and helpful. I found her feedback on my writing excellent and insightful in ways that helped me breakthrough blocks I was facing.

It helped me actually finish my book and gave me insight into what my strengths are and what areas I need to work on. I felt more like I could actually do this. It also introduced me to other excellent writers, who I hope to keep in touch with.

Angela's comments on my synopsis and the questions she asked were a big 'aha' moment for me - they helped me nail the final story and identify crucial things that were missing.

Thanks very much for this. It was great and would definitely do it again! I'll be buying the editing course next. :)

I was keen to inject some more humour into my writing for children, and it seemed like something fun to do during COVID lockdown.

The exercises given were long enough to get my grey matter working, but not too onerous to fit into my busy life. Tim's presentation style was engaging and he presented the information clearly and concisely.

I now feel capable of ramping up the humour in my writing for children. I'm excited about blowing the cobwebs off a previously written story for children and giving it the humour makeover I see it now needs.

If you are really serious about learning to write, or improving your writing, the right course could be a great investment.

I was blown away by how much I learned on this course. It took me to areas and writing opportunities that I had no idea even existed!

Bernadette is just lovely! Her genuine love of copywriting and the knowledge she imparts, in such a down to earth way, and always positive, is not only thought provoking but informative and confidence-building.

The way in which the course was run and the fact that it was only 5 weeks gave me the opportunity to fit this in between work and family commitments. I enjoyed the many different aspects to copywriting and the tips, tricks and templates Bernadette imparted.

It has inspired me to want to be a copywriter! To want to and believe that I can actually make a living from my love of words, together with all of the relevant information and templates imparted by Bernadette. I'm looking forward to my journey with newly found self-belief!

I actually knew more about copywriting in my day-to-day life than I thought I did! Was just the terminology that was missing! The whole course was one BIG 'aha!' moment for me.

Even though this course was a challenge for me in every way, from personal to practical, I just loved the fact that, at the end of this course, I wanted to learn MORE!!

Excellent courses! Interesting, informative and relevant with manageable timeframes and fantastic tutors!

The tutor was professional, funny, clever, encouraging, met you at your level - generally fab!

Superb - really eye opening course. AWC were doing online courses well before COVID, they set it up this way and they know what they are doing. This is not just a reaction to not being able to do things in person (as many seem to be).

Thank you very much to Bernadette and the whole team.

Suzanne always gives a very enthusiastic response to all submissions, and under that influence you feel compelled to submit the best you can.

Got enormous pleasure from responding to targeted exercises and applying them to the story I am working on. Loved that creative challenge and the feeling of achievement that starts with: "OK, Robyn what have you got (in response to this exercise)? Now what can you DO with it?"

There is so much satisfaction in taking up the challenge to make your writing hum by employing concepts that are introduced and described weekly. Even more satisfaction though, if by condensing, rearranging, re-examining and rethinking - you can make them sing. Doesn't happen all the time, but when it does...

Writing re-energised. Confidence boosted. Onward.

This course is very practical and hands on, i.e. supplying 'formulas' and templates for copywriting; most courses don't offer this. I also like that it's online and I can do the class when it suits me each week.

Bernadette is great, very personable and interesting and her feedback was always really constructive and positive.

I liked the homework assignments each week; it was a good way to put into action what I had learned. I felt the course evolved at a good pace.

I like the practicality of the course and Bernadette made it all seem easy. It takes the fear out of staring at a blank page as I now have tools and templates to get started.

Great course, really practical and useful - whether you're just learning to write or have industry experience.

Suzanne was very thorough, and gave really easy to understand feedback. She picked up on points in my writing I was not aware of, and was very encouraging.

I really enjoyed the lectures and how the assessments built upon each other.

It has given me the confidence to take writing seriously. I received really encouraging feedback that left me smiling each time which is pretty amazing to me!

I would say to take the chance, and you won't be disappointed.

Great course. Has delivered what I expected it to and encouraged me to continue my journey towards my first novel. I feel confident enough to just begin writing the book now.

I enjoyed the structure and the way that it scaffolded the various elements as we learnt them and applied them. The tutor was great, very considered feedback and very positively presented.

Absolutely great resource for aspiring and experienced writers alike. A great place to start if you need to find your voice and the confidence to start.

I will be back for more courses!

I'd been hearing a little about copywriting as a growth field so I wanted to find out more about it as a possible side-hustle. The simple format of the sessions, the breakup of the content and the small assessments made this a really achievable 5 weeks of learning.

Bernadette is really easy to listen to, full of advice and stories, and I found her feedback to be both encouraging and informative, pushing me to further develop my work.

I enjoyed the real-world references to actual ad campaigns, and I also enjoyed having the verbal feedback on my work, and also hearing it for others too. This is a really powerful learning technique!

I think the course is a well-oiled machine that's running perfectly!

I've already started using some of the techniques in my current work emails. And I can see that there is a possibility for me to use these skills, and find the courage to call myself a copywriter.

Thanks for your approachable and encouraging manner, Bernadette. You really made me believe that I can become a copywriter!

I am interested in writing in general, and also part of my work involves writing copy for a website, brochures and emails. I joined as I thought having some training behind me would make me better at these tasks, as well as being interesting for me personally.

I found Bernadette to be very professional yet relatable. She was able to provide great tips and feedback in a manner that was easy to understand and put into practice.

I will be able to put these skills into practice in the aspects of my work that require copywriting. It has also given me skills that I may be able to use in future jobs and any writing that I do for myself.

I would definitely recommend it. Great course - thank you.

Since moving to Australia, I was unsuccessful in securing a job as a journalist and worked instead in community care. When Covid-19 hit in 2020, I decided it was time to get back into writing. This course with the AWC has given me the assurance that it can be done no matter which stage of life you are at.

The modules are self-paced or can be binged during these frequent lockdowns in Melbourne.

The case studies with authors and writers is invigorating. It's almost like I've found my tribe.

I found this course at the point in my life when I was ready to make a career change. It has shown me that it is possible to venture into freelance writing or novel writing while having a job.

The Australian Writers' Centre allows you to dream and helps you achieve it.