What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Fabulous! Pam had such a great way of delivering feedback. Her feedback was friendly, positive, constructive and motivating.

I loved that it got me writing. It gave structure to my morning writing routine and the assignments were excellent practice in writing and then showing people my work.

I have always wanted to write, but never knew where to start, or if I would actually be any good at writing fiction. The assignments helped get me writing and I enjoyed working on them. Confession: sometimes writing the fiction assignments took over my work day because I loved it so much I could not put it down. Now I'm hooked! The feedback helped show me that I can do it and I'm excited for the next step.

It is amazing! The instructors are friendly and professional and the whole environment of the course was positive and motivating. I actually felt like a writer and it was great to have people comment on my work in such a constructive way.

This course made me feel better about my writing. There were many aspects of the course that were 'Yes!' moments for me. But there were also some points I can use to improve my character's interactions within the scenes and settings. Reminders such as write the scene/setting from the POV of your character, not your own.

As I went through the how-to's - I thought about the scenes I have already written and planned how I might change them in the second draft. Planning ahead to the next scenes to be written. The course itself was easy to follow, and the handouts excellent.

This course is the perfect tool to add depth to your characters, the plot, and your story as a whole. It helps you recognise when to summarise a scene and when to give a detailed description. Set up in earlier scenes for events that happen in later scenes and ensure your scenes are written in the voice of the POV character. This course can be used as you write your first draft or as an editing tool if you are at that stage. I highly recommend it.

This is the push to begin writing a novel I needed - with the technical knowledge I was lacking.

I will definitely consider the next appropriate course related to writing long-form creative fiction.

I really wanted to do something creative and had enjoyed writing at school. I also needed something which I could do while working full time.

I think the course is a great introduction to creative writing and - for someone like me who just wanted to do something creative and not necessarily write a book or get published - it was really helpful.

Angela provided really useful feedback and it was also provided in a very timely manner.

I enjoyed having to use my brain in a more creative way and, although it was challenging, I think my writing has improved already.

It's made me more confident about just giving writing a go. It's also made me want to develop my imagination more so I take more note of my surroundings now.

I even entered the Furious Fiction competition for the 2nd time and the 2nd effort is a definite improvement on the 1st!

Because I haven't actually written since school, I hadn't thought much about structure or setting in writing so to learn about the colours (for action, setting) etc and turning points etc really hit home that woah this is a craft and - even better - you can improve with practice!

I'd say that for anyone who feels like their creativity is non-existent and who has even a vague interest in writing then go for it! It's not a huge outlay in terms of finance or time and you don't need to be an aspiring author to get the benefit from it.

Just a big thank you to Angela for her time and feedback. At no point was I made to feel less than even though I knew other students were far more experienced at writing.

Great tutor and always patient and happy to answer any questions.

I learnt new things I'd always wondered at work and never learnt in my communications degree.

Do this course if you want to improve your writing skills at an entry level.

Angela is extremely knowledgeable, honest, and feedback was constructive. She explained things simply.

I enjoyed the weekly feedback and guidance.

It made me sit down and think and not come up for air until my weekly assignment was completed. This course took me beyond my comfort zone.

If you want to develop, or gain creative writing skills and techniques, this course is full of tools to help you do that.

I looked at doing a post graduate university degree and found that the five-week commitment for the AWC course at this stage for me was far more attractive.

I felt it was designed to encourage success. Never once did I feel like, 'I have to do my writing course'. It was a pleasure and achievable.

Angela was constructive and encouraging and exceptionally timely.

It has opened up my thinking about the necessary processes for creating long fiction. I think it has prepared me for the work involved.

The five weeks went so quickly.

In September, I started reading a lot of Stephen King stories. I didn't know how much a book could intrigue people back then. So, when I started reading his books, I was both amazed and stunned. I began to have so many story ideas flooding in my head, that I decided to buy myself a laptop only for writing purposes. I tried to write my own stories, but they weren't fitting as much as I thought they were. Then, in early February, my Mum suggested that I should join the AWC Teenage Writers' Program.

All feedback and support from my online tutor (Pamela Freeman) was extremely helpful. They taught me how to improve and edit my work in ways that nobody else could.

The most enjoyable part of this writing course was learning how to write a story and being excited every week for a new module.

Anybody who is invested in trying to write a story needs to check out this program.

I had completed Fiction Essentials course on Characters and loved it. I wanted to continue the series of courses.

I've been experimenting with POV in several stories and novellas. It's really given me skills and confidence.

The positive and supportive nature of the whole course was very motivating. I have already signed up to two courses (Creative Writing Stage 1 and History, Mystery, and Magic)! I was surprised that I enjoyed the case studies so much - I had thought they might be a little boring, but they were intriguing. Thank you so much for offering the course.

The course has motivated me to take the next step - in this case, the Creative Writing Stage 1 course. As Valerie says in one of the modules, "Feel the fear, and do it anyway". That's how I feel right now!

I would say that the course gives you an insight into what you can do with a writing career. There is no pressure to rush to do it as it is available online and pre-recorded, which means that you can access it at a time of your choosing, when you are in the right frame of mind.

I listened to the 'So you want to be a copywriter' podcast and loved learning about the world of copywriting from Bernadette. I decided I wanted to know more so I enrolled in the course.

I was so impressed with how practical the course was and the structure was great. It was easy to fit in around my other commitments.

Bernadette is a dedicated tutor and she really wants you to succeed. The course content was really engaging and Bernadette's feedback was so encouraging and constructive.

I loved the assignments and had a blast completing them. They were very manageable, even during a busy week, but creatively they were very challenging.

It has opened up another potential career path for me and reinforced my belief in myself and my abilities.

Once you understand the formulas copywriters use, it's easy to see how you can sell anything.

I would encourage anyone thinking of doing a course with the AWC to go for it! The tutors are passionate and the courses are affordable and well-structured.

The tutor was so nice and made me think about things I wouldn't have thought about. She got me out of the cliché ‘mum dying’ and helped me improve my ideas and how they can be developed.

I enjoyed that I was able to really think about what I wanted to do and put more detail and thought into it.

The character building made you really get to know the character you create and put more detail into them. I actually think about what I am writing and imagine the scene more clearly in my head. It also has more balanced portions of dialogue, emotion, description and thought.

Carli presented well and happily shared a lot of knowledge. She was very professional with a touch of fun!

I loved that I could attend as it was virtual. It supported some of my ideas and got me excited about my next steps. Thank you for arranging this via zoom.

I needed to develop a writing habit and brush up on some technical skills. I also enrolled in Mojo so my writing habit has definitely been re-established. A combination of prompts from both courses has enabled me to write a draft story outline for the novel I've been working on in pieces for years. Very happy that I can now 'start in earnest' to write it.

Pamela's feedback was constructive and practical and she was very encouraging, tailoring her comments to the different skill levels of the participants. She was also quite inspiring with her talk of all of her projects. Made me understand that inspiration could come from almost anywhere.

Good group of people, well moderated course, feel like I honed some long-abandoned skills and I felt my confidence returning. Finally.

I'm now confident enough to 'write my novel' and am seriously considering in enrolling in that course. Whatever happens, I feel like I'm on an unstoppable path now after years of procrastination and being stuck in 'imposter syndrome'.

Being with like-minded people is inspiring - this is a way to develop a writing habit and find your way into whatever project you've had 'on the shelf'. The course is extremely motivating because you are accountable to the group. And the tuition is invaluable.

1. More people in Australia need to learn to write;
2. It's fun. An open forum to come up with ideas and not always be shut down;
3. It's encouraging. People say nice things to you. And when you encourage them, they act like your opinion is important. That's encouraging.
4. When life gets tough, write. It's cathartic. Netflix ruins your eyes and your sleep. Writing heals your heart. So, learn to write right.

The tutor was incredibly encouraging. Even when I made mistakes, she encouraged me to see that a mistake in one area is not a mistake all through. Further, she recognised my lack of experience and was very gentle.

I enjoyed reading other people’s stuff. I hope they hurry up and write their book, because I can't wait to read them.

I'm starting to write every day. I have been encouraged to think that what I write is interesting or readable. I have also been encouraged to think that maybe, one day, I could write a novel that gets published.

I'm doing the course again.

First, I enjoyed learning the techniques of picture book writing, and then seeing them come alive in the books I read with my kids each day. I also enjoyed learning about the publishing process - there was so much I didn't know. Lastly, I enjoyed that by halfway through the course, I had written a complete story! I didn't expect that. And while it wasn't polished or perfect, it gave me the confidence to know that I could do it.

Learning about the publishing process was a huge eye opener. For example, I assumed I would need to know an illustrator in order to have something published. Of course, I learned that wasn't the case, and further, that it could be detrimental to a submission if the illustrations weren't what the publisher was looking for. The course also brought writing back into my life and gave me the confidence to know I can do it and I still enjoy it.

I would say, go for it! This course was well worth the investment of time and money, and I'm sure other courses from the AWC would be as well. As someone who likes structure, I appreciated that there was a framework and flow to what we were learning. On the other hand, there was enough space to be creative for someone who is more creatively inclined.

Thank you for putting on such a great and helpful course. I am excited to continue my writing journey.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it was probably one of the best online courses I've done in a while. I found the feedback positive, informative and not too overwhelming. I was able to use the feedback and advice to rework my ideas, tweak and adjust accordingly. Couldn't have asked for more!

My ideas were initially a bit unorganised and mostly in picture form which wasn't ideal as I am not a good artist by any means. I now carry a little book with me and just jot and date ideas and expand as I go. I am thinking more in themes and overall structure also which helps me organise my thoughts.

The course helped me to develop my ideas, which up until now hadn't gone too far. Having a template in my head of how a story could translate into a final product I found useful and obviously the guidance on using the correct language, tenses etc helps it all click into place. I am now looking at other picture books and analysing them with a more focused view.

Great course! It was well structured and gave a fantastic overview on aspects of the picture book process and industry. It really gets you into the right headspace for writing and pushes you towards being able to create your own picture book manuscript.

I found Stephen's feedback to be clear and helpful - pointing out any lack of clarity, any weakness, and what I could do to strengthen it. Stephen's questions about my work revealed areas I was unclear on myself and helped me pinpoint some key problem areas I sensed were in my writing but struggled to identify.

I enjoyed the structure and presentation of this course and the way feedback was presented. It was also helpful to read others writing and the feedback on that.

For me, this course has confirmed my passion for writing. I have been stretched and challenged in a good way and have a better understanding of the skills I need to keep working on and how to keep developing then.

Bernadette is a generous and engaging tutor. She is so easy to listen to and I never once got bored or distracted listening to the presentations. Her feedback each week was insightful, encouraging and always positive. I found her down-to-earth teaching method very appealing and inspiring.

It has given me the confidence to start working as a copywriter, something I did not expect after a five-week course. However, I feel Bernadette equipped us with a set of skills to find potential clients and launch our copywriting career and really make it our own.

The Australian Writers' Centre has fantastic short courses that deliver exactly what they state. I was able to commit to the course knowing that I could manage it each week in between my other commitments.

I have already recommended the copywriting course to a fellow writing friend who hopes to do it once she's finished her current course.

A big thank you to Bernadette and her wonderful style of communicating. It made learning a real joy. :-)

The course showed me what I needed to focus on in order to get published. I think had I not done this course, I would have been trying really hard and putting my effort into tasks that were not going to get me published.

I really enjoyed the tutorial content and the material in the handouts. That was really useful. I enjoyed analysing the articles in the handouts to identify the different elements of an article such as intro, transitions and so on. Seeing that every good article has a set structure is a bit of a relief.

Don't even think of starting out as a freelance writer if you haven't done this course. The content of this 5-week course has been more useful than the content of my entire 3-year university degree.

A big, wonderful thank you!