What’s it like to learn with AWC?

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

I wanted to use Scrivener to set up my second novel from the start. This course offered the overview I needed to use Scrivener to best advantage. I thought I should be able to work Scrivener out for myself using free information online. However, I knew that AWC would deliver the comprehensive course I needed and save me time in having to work things out for myself.

At first, I was concerned that Scrivener may be somewhat prescriptive and would inhibit the creative process of writing a novel. I have been pleasantly surprised that seeing the plot of my novel mapped out in front of me actually makes the creative process much easier and more enjoyable. After doing the course in full, I can easily dip back into it when I need to troubleshoot any concerns as they arise. I am so glad that I did this course as it is already making it easier to write my second novel.

Natasha Lester has an easy and engaging style of teaching and is a pleasure to listen to. The course is broken down into easy to follow pieces that you can tailor to suit your needs.

Having a bird's eye view of my novel has enabled me to plan it properly from the start. It is very easy to move scenes and chapters around as I need to and the colour coding enables me to balance point of view and identify major plot points. Structure and formula can actually help the creative process, rather than hinder it.

Two Hours to Scrivener Power is a great investment of your time and money. It is a comprehensive, easy to follow course that will set you up with the tools you need to complete your project on Scrivener.

The content was in-depth and the practical guidelines very useful to consolidate my knowledge. It has certainly provided me with more confidence and understanding of how to develop my characters. There is so much to learn about character development!

I'd highly recommend this course as it really spelt out the elements of character development that I was not aware of.

I did most of the course while on a solitary holiday and wrote a substantial amount of a work that had been on the boil for years as practice. Now I just have to get on and finish it in the crevices of time around a full time job.

I particularly liked the module on narrative structure and look forward to experimenting with various structures in my work.

This course covered the process of writing creative non-fiction in a methodical and thorough way. The workbook consolidated what I'd heard in the lectures and helped me work methodically through the process of planning and beginning my work.

Having been so impressed with the Creative Writing Stage 1 course, it was a natural step for me to enrol in this one. I was initially hesitant to share my story as I didn't want anyone to steal the idea! However the peer feedback has been invaluable just like Pamela said it would be!

Pamela was fabulous! Kind, encouraging and insightful.

The actual content of the lessons was so helpful and I also enjoyed receiving and giving feedback. Getting really positive feedback for my work (and in particular the humour in my work) has given me the confidence to keep writing.

I couldn't recommend AWC more highly. My 10-year-old daughter is now asking to do the kids course as she's seen how much I have gotten out of this one (we workshop our writing together). Thank you! I'm already enrolled in another AWC course and can't wait to begin!

I have been a real estate agent for over 20 years and writing ads is my favourite part of the job, which is what attracted me to this course.

Dean's course was informative and his sense of humour made the course fun. I liked the whole course.

I thought Pamela was incredibly knowledgeable, and you could tell right from the start she knew what she was talking about. Her experience came through in the succinct and clear way she could describe concepts from character tropes to plot and series structure. She was also very generous with answering class questions, and encouraging us to keep in contact with each other and her beyond the end of the course.

I liked the chance to work on projects that we're actually writing and intending (in my case at least) to submit to publishing houses when ready. Getting quick feedback on our homework tasks worked well.

It clarified/reinforced a lot of points I already knew about plotting and world-building, but also expanded on that knowledge to a depth I hadn't considered. Also, I am keeping in touch with others in the course to start a writing group.

I found a lot of benefits in completing the course with AWC. Learning from someone who has been in the industry for years is invaluable, and the community feels incredibly supportive of aspiring writers.

The information was very good and clarified some misconceptions I have had for years. I also learned new things I was not even aware I did not know and started applying my new learnings straight away.

The tutor knew what she was talking about and was very helpful and knowledgeable. It was also great to get her personal experience around tools I have started to use e.g. Grammarly.

I enjoyed learning new things that I can apply in the workplace. Learning from other people's examples and learning from having the tutor work with me to edit some of my own previous work was very illuminating.

Thank you AWC for providing another high-quality course.

I found Zanni to be very knowledgeable, honest, and diplomatic with her constructive criticisms. So grateful that she was our tutor! The feedback videos were a great way to receive hints, tips, and direction in a clear and concise context. I wasn’t sure about posting assessments for everyone to see, but it was actually a great way to share ideas.

Great resources, easy to follow instructions and content. Great tutor and an overall rewarding experience. Thank you for the guidance and confidence boost I needed to move forward with my creative process of writing!!

I AM GOING TO WRITE A BOOK!

For a first-time user of internet learning, I found the course easy to follow.

I thought the tutor was honest and generous with her feedback.

I enjoyed reading fellow students work, the challenge of getting work in, listening to audio lessons, feedback from other students, the positive and constructive advice from Cathie.

The course has lifted my spirits and has given me a renewed sense of confidence to continue on this path. Many thanks. I look forward to my next course with AWC.

This was my first online course. I was worried at the start I would struggle with the assignments. But everything was explained well.

This was a great starter course. I enjoyed listening to Zanni read out all our stories each week, and hearing how well they had developed over the five weeks.

It has given me the confidence to continue my dream of one day publishing my own children's picture book.

I was just really pleased how enjoyable the overall experience was. I'm keen to start the Masterclass course now that I've had such a great start.

Don't wait! Do it now! Or to quote Molly Meldrum 'Do yourself a favour!'

The course gave me the confidence I needed to get started and arm me with enough knowledge and applicable lessons to keep going. Loved it!

I had a wonderful time learning. I wasn't sure what my expectations were but it was very informative.

The tutor was very friendly, very knowledgeable and super helpful. Bernadette had a great way of explaining things - I could listen for hours.

I entered not knowing much... and now I know enough to feel comfortable to write copy - and that was the goal!

Even though the class was not conducted face-to-face or via Zoom, Bernadette had a way of being very personable with every student through her weekly feedbacks. I valued every single feedback she provided because there was always something to learn.

The feedback and assignments were very interesting and challenging.

Made me feel quite energized about the ways you could write copy.

The course has given me insight in starting a writing business and the difference between content writing and corporate writing.

I would recommend this course to anyone that wants a career change into freelance writing.

I liked that it was so in depth and provided exercises to complete that I might not have done otherwise. I think I've done a much better job at self-editing my manuscript because of this course.

Just do it!

I was a little anxious as I had never used Zoom before but the course was wonderful and I had a lot of opportunities to interact with my classmates.

L. A. Larkin provided a friendly and supportive learning environment.

I enjoyed getting to speak with my tutor and classmates in real-time and getting to know more about my classmates' work in breakout rooms.

I now understand the core differences between a detective novel and a thriller. At the start of the course I was struggling with a detective story; turns out I was hitting a wall because I was trying to write a thriller.

The story structure and narrative tension is something I struggle a lot with, but the way my tutor explained it, the second act finally made sense.

It's a wonderful course and a must if you're going into crime and thriller writing, regardless of level.

It was an overall wonderful course and I'm so glad I took it!

I enjoyed the balance between advice on writing style/what makes a ‘good’ feature article, and an overview of the industry more generally - in particular what editors are looking for and advice on how to actually get your work published is spot on.

I was very appreciative of Cat! She consistently provided constructive and very actionable feedback and advice.

The weekly audio lessons were well structured and very easy to find time throughout the week to complete each module. The examples provided in the audio and on the handouts brought the course content to life.

I also found the weekly assignments were challenging enough to consolidate the learning for the week and feel like you had achieved something (not just a 'ticking the box' exercise), without being excessively daunting or stressful. It was also good to interact with the other students, and see their assignments/feedback, as we are all from different backgrounds.

Thank you Valerie, Cat, and all involved for a wonderful course. I'm sure I will see you in another one soon!

I loved listening to the audio material... Valerie Khoo is a pleasure to listen to. I also liked the writing assignments, the way the course was structured and the opportunity to network with other aspiring writers and read and critique their work and get feedback.

It’s inspired and motivated me to dust off the cobwebs of my first draft I wrote many years ago and rewrite. That’s a big thing!

It’s a very inspiring and motivating experience to do one of their courses. Very well supported also by the podcasts and other material on the website and Facebook groups.

I thought I had learned loads on other courses. This one is head and shoulders above anything else I have done.

I had wanted to write a book and had done several introductory writing courses. As a terrible procrastinator, this one appealed because of deadlines and feedback. I also liked that it was focussed on novel writing and not prohibitively expensive!

The tutor was fantastic! Bronwyn gave detailed and very helpful feedback. I hit lucky that my tutor is a writer in a very similar genre to my planned book and therefore could help with that too. Her comments were encouraging and kind as well as pointing out issues I needed to address.

The camaraderie and learning potential of the submission and feedback schedule was immensely helpful. 9 of us from our group have gone on to create our own critique group to continue this.

But it wasn’t just the critique. I found the lessons and resources extremely helpful in developing my characters and story and know I will go back to them again and again.

My confidence has grown immensely and I’m convinced I’ll still be putting words on a page for a long time to come. The fear has gone (mostly!)

It’s motivational, helpful and really makes you think through your work at a deeper level that leads to improvement.

The online audio recordings were concise and straight to the point, and provided all the information that I needed.

I loved the writing exercises. I enjoyed delving into the five senses and drawing upon my own experiences to smell, hear, taste, feel and see the surroundings that I was working with in the assignments.

The course has helped me continue to develop and edit my book in a way that makes me feel proud to be able to potentially self-publish and monetise the story.

I would say that it's fun, it's low-key, the exercises are easy and enjoyable to do and that the assessors and tutors are friendly and open to receiving and giving positive and encouraging feedback.

I enjoyed the course heaps and it was a great finish to the year.