What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I wanted to develop my writing skills while I've been writing my first manuscript. I didn't have any hesitations. I had just completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and knew that I would enjoy this as well.

Pamela's feedback was great. I found her approach of using the video messages as a great way to take on the critiques.

I enjoyed the editing process for assessing my classmates’ work. I found it valuable in reassessing my own writing. It was great to see other creative ideas and the different approaches.

I had been mulling over a story arc for my manuscript. I was unsure where to take it. By having the class take a look I was able to decide where I wanted to take the story and plotted out an outline. I don't think I'd be at that point without the class.

It has helped to keep me motivated in my writing. I now have the constant voice in my head to continue writing.

It's a good starting point to see if you'd like to give writing it a try. The foundation classes don't require too much of a commitment and there are other classes to continue onto. It was great. Thank you!

I am about to start writing my second middle grade novel and thought it would be a good idea to go into this one with a good sense of the fundamentals before I start... a bit of procrastination I know, but worthwhile.

I appreciated the course content, assignments, and the level of feedback Allison provided. Also the number of students felt right. I enjoyed reading everyone's assignments and learned so much from Allison's feedback on all. I appreciated Allison's feedback on my assignments and agreed with her feedback on all assignments throughout the course. In each instance, it reassured me that I am on track with my learning and writer’s journey.

I enjoyed reading everyone's assignments. There is so much talent in this group and everyone has such a unique voice. I looked forward to reading the assignments every week and will miss that the most. I also enjoyed reading Allison's feedback on all our assignments.

I will write my middle grade novel with a strategy in mind. I will finish it and edit the drafts. And ultimately I will save time with less revisions because I feel like I have a good handle on the fundamentals going into it.

I recommend AWC all the time. I always tell people it's a good idea to take a course from AWC before they get too far into their writing journey - it helps set the stage. I have done this for picture book writing and now I will recommend this one as well. I would like to thank Allison for being a wonderful tutor and also let her know that I appreciated her speedy feedback.

The course was wonderful. I never realised how much I could edit and improve something I already thought was good. I feel like I now have the tools to take on picture book writing with confidence. And I feel I also gained editing skills I could apply in other writing!

Zanni was great. Very supportive and helpful and I could see that she enjoys teaching. Her videos were a great way to receive feedback.

I can’t stop thinking about picture books!

I now look at both online and print media very differently and analyze who their target audience is along with their subject matter. How long ago some of the articles may have been written and the work that goes on behind the scenes.

I found Sue very professional with good feedback to make you think about your audience and/or publication, ensuring both your subject and writing style match both.

(AWC is) a great learning environment that is very supportive with professional and helpful tutors.

I have always loved reading and writing. I am at a crossroads in my life and want to indulge in a little ‘me time’. So, learning the art of reading and writing different genres seems fitting.

Also, as an older Aboriginal woman, I feel it is high time I gave voice to my lived experience in this time and place. There are a plethora of Aboriginal writers out there but only a few have ‘shown’ the struggles of contemporary Wiradjuri country.

It was a thrill actually ‘following through’ with something I have always dreamed of doing. Another ‘tick a box’.

I feel empowered to add voice to the pain experienced by my mob, to have a forum for tiddas to ‘come together’.

DO IT. I recently showed my daughter, sister and brother in law this course. They asked for the link!

Keep up the good work.

I have always loved picture books and wanted to write but it never seemed to be the right time. I decided that now it was and I had been thinking about completing this course to get me motivated and give me the skills and confidence to start.

I really loved this course. It was relevant, motivational, informative, interesting, and very practical.

I was very impressed with how quickly Zanni assessed our work and provided helpful and encouraging feedback. I found her points were well-considered and professionally delivered. She gave constructive advice on how to improve our manuscripts which was very helpful.

I think it's just given me some very specific information regarding picture books and simply written stories for children and the importance of showing rather than telling in my stories. It's given me more confidence to write and believe that perhaps I could create something good enough to achieve publication if I work really hard and continue to refine my stories and submit them to publishers when the stories are ready.

This was a great course. I learnt so much about writing picture books and about myself as a writer. Thank you. I am excited to continue to use these skills to write more stories and submit them to publishers.

I learnt so much from it. If I were to be honest, I loved module 1 where we created the character the best.

(The tutor) seemed very kind and professional. Her feedback was helpful and informative. Using the feedback, I was able to create another draft which I then sent in exchange of the Q&A option so that I could have it marked. Once again she gave wonderful feedback that I shall put into action on my scene to make it even better than before.

A wonderful introductory course. Very professionally packaged. Effortless navigation through the course handouts, lessons and assignments.

Pamela was supportive and informative. I enjoyed the structure of the course, the intensity, the assignment outline, the length of the assignments (not too long).

I truly appreciate the feedback and reading through other peers' pieces. For me, this is personal, as hearing positive feedback was essential. It is a brilliant starter course. Thank you to the AWC staff.

Pamela identified the potential and is eager for an emerging writer to keep going and improve and learn as much as possible while developing writing skills. She was always positive - firm and positive.

I enjoyed reading other emerging writers' work and the workshopping.

During the Novel Writing Essentials course I had a writing epiphany: writing will become the easy part when you learn as much as possible (and I mean everything!) about the characters you have created, then the shape of your synopsis will develop. If you don't focus on these ingredients the 'stuck' feeling or frustration will keep occurring. Return to the characters and be directed by their mannerisms, beliefs, confidence, ability and more. They will direct you.

I enjoyed listening to Valerie's audio - she has a voice that (for me) made the subject matter easy to listen to and her industry knowledge is great.

The course really does give a person a very good understanding of the basics to start freelancing. I would definitely recommend the course.

I was in the last couple of months of parental leave and in a Melbourne Covid lockdown. I've always loved writing, and after spending this last year with my two little ones reading and enjoying countless books, I thought it would be wonderful to learn more about writing picture books.

I thought Zanni was a great tutor. The format of sharing live video feedback was a good one as it felt like you were getting her first, fresh impressions of our work, and it was really useful hearing everyone else's feedback. She went the extra mile to answer all our additional questions, and I think she shared some really valuable thoughts and advice.

Getting to instantly apply what was learnt during the week in our stories for each week's assignment was a brilliant way to dive right in. It's easy to umm and ahh when it comes to writing, but the fast pace here meant you just had to crack on with it, which I found worked very well for me. I think there were so many brilliant insights shared by both the online tutor but also in all the audio and handouts. It was a really frank, realistic look at the industry, and (without crushing dreams), I think it sets students up for what are the best formula/tools for success when it comes to the realities of creating a picture book.

I'm feeling inspired... I feel having a published picture book actually feels like it could (maybe!) be possible one day. Obviously with a lot of hard work and refining all these wonderful new skills and all the rest, but even just learning about the industry, about how sales and royalties work, about all the structures and language elements, have made it all feel less daunting and unattainable.

This course is really excellent for anyone with an interest in writing a picture book. It spans the journey from defining what a picture is, to creating your own author platform once you have a published book. It's fast-paced, packed with industry and author insights, and helps you turn the ideas buzzing in your head into a structured story that people will actually care about.

Really enjoyed it, I'm keen to do lots of practice on my own now, and then consider the next course on honing a manuscript.

Pamela was incredibly helpful and gave excellent specific feedback and gave lots of insight into writing and publishing when answering my questions. The feedback and answers provided were really useful and fascinating to learn.

Probably a major learning moment was just hearing about the different ways authors and other writers write and plan their stories and that it doesn't really matter how you do it (compared to school where there's always a method and steps you're supposed to take).

The course has been amazing and super helpful and insightful, so thanks!

Inspired me to write again and to get the character floating in my head down on a piece of paper.

I completed the Creative Writing Stage 1 course first and found this course a great course to follow up. It was a rewarding process to work through to further developing my characters.

I found the process of working at my own pace through this course gave me the freedom to take my time and really absorb the ideas shared.

Although I'd thought I had given my characters a background story, it really made me think and understand their motivations more fully.

There will be less writer's block if you put in the work to fully develop your characters, then you can focus on the storyline and enjoy the writing process because you know how your characters think, feel and react to certain situations in your story!

I'd been looking at writing courses for some time but the AWC always seemed to be the one I kept returning too. I've been receiving the newsletter for some time as well and love it. As a starter course this one was a good length too.

It was all pretty good but the assignments were great. I was always looking forward to the next assignment so I could put any feedback in to practise.

Annabel's feedback was always great and spot on. I found that specific lines or words I was most unsure of myself were the ones Annabel pointed out! So it was a good lesson in learning to trust your instincts. She was knowledgeable and fair in her feedback but most of all I appreciated her honesty.

It has definitely set me on the path to being a better writer, in just five short weeks! And it's also given me more confidence to continue with my fledgling novel.

It has been a great 'reality check' - talking with other budding writers, listening to Pamela's experiences in the industry, and workshopping. You were right, workshopping is very useful...

Pamela was very approachable, very responsive and interactive, and very knowledgeable. It was really great to have such an experienced tutor.

(I enjoyed) making connections with my classmates and talking outside of school! It is great to be connected with a peer group and sharing our struggles.

Hoorah! and Thank You!

I tried to write a novel in lockdown, and realised my writing skills were severely malnourished. Googling writing courses, this one had the most attractive information, tutors, and was Australian - which helps with practical info in terms of publishing.

It has given me much more inspiration to write and much more knowledge with which to do so.

Thanks for the opportunity!

It's making me take steps to finally make my dreams a reality. It's now or never.

I wanted to develop my writing skills and find a course that had flexibility but also enough structure to create a sense of discipline. I was led to looking up the the course by listening to the "So You Want to be a Writer" Podcast.

I would say it's worthwhile and have already recommended it to friends.