What’s it like to learn with AWC?

The Zoom meetings each fortnight were excellent and really helped me to learn. Having helpful comments made about everyone’s writing in a Zoom format - much more useful than just written feedback.

It got me going so I am going to write that book. That it’s ok to keep learning and I can write no matter how good or not so good I might be.

I looked forward to the course each fortnight.

I absolutely loved it. Pamela is a fantastic teacher and mentor. She is patient and gives you constructive feedback that is useful. The exercises, the teacher and classmates. I have some tools to start writing my novel.

In the last section, the exercises enabled me to summarise my story in a way that pulls out the key elements. I will find that very useful in planning future stories. Can't wait for Part B!

I thought the course sounded like the boost I was needing to improve my writing.

The tutor was great and I was given the help I required. I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with other people to gain feedback.

Do not hesitate to enrol in a course. There are plenty of opportunities.

This is the best writing course I have done (and there have been a few); all those skills the previous courses taught actually coalesced into something so practical I actually felt myself improving.

Pamela is a gift. Her ability to identify how something works, why it works, how to make it work better is just amazing. Even better were the incidental gems she dropped along the way that gave the most brilliant insights into writing.

The Zoom format had the group of students developing a real rapport and interest in each other's work as well as the immediate feedback that could be shared between the students and Pamela.

I feel I might actually have a book in me after all. That a book is not written in one draft and that it is okay to not get it absolutely perfect first time.

Do it. Just do it. Even if you never do write The Book simply giving yourself permission to put words out there is a bonus.

I enjoy the stimulation of your courses, and this one being fortnightly seemed not too onerous while I'm busy writing my novel.

The way Pamela structured this course was excellent - I learned as much from hearing her critique other people's assignments as I did from hearing my own. Pamela's ability to see and clearly communicate the faults in or suggestions for a piece of writing, and do it quickly, was excellent. She allocated her time between all the students equally so that no one felt left out.

Pamela sprinkles her assessments with absolute gems which hopefully I'll remember the next time I'm tempted to make the same mistake. I learned to trust the reader to fill in the blanks.

The Australian Writers' Centre tutors are not only highly successful authors, but they're able to communicate the 'how' of writing. Thank you for such well-organised, well-staffed courses. The Zoom platform is brilliant.

I've written several picture books but was keen to get practical advice on how to progress them and get them published.

I thought the course was excellent. It provided so many practical tips and resources and will allow me to take my writing to the next stage.

Zanni was very responsive, helpful and positive in her feedback. She is clearly a highly experienced writer and teacher and I was very grateful to learn from her.

This is a really high-quality course with an excellent teacher and course materials. I would highly recommend it to anyone!

I want to thank AWC for the wonderful opportunity they have given to me, moulding me into what I had been dreaming of.

Because of this course, I am now confident that I can put my writing in the right way. It was incredible!

It is the best place if you want to be a writer.

I needed to start somewhere, and had had a good experience with an AWC weekend course, previously.

Louisa was very supportive and helpful. I should have "used" her more :-) She was very positive and helpful.

The most enjoyable part was getting over the fear factor, putting words on "paper" and sending them out. The realization that what you put down will not stay that way. The first write is just that, the first of several re-writes, just get it down! The obvious nature of writing: it's a genuine skill. It needs practice and sweat.

I'm gearing up for the next course, Novel Writing Essentials. The AWC pathway is very helpful for a novice, and suspect it's helpful for fleshing out subsequent ideas, too.

If you genuinely want to write, if you want to prioritize writing, this course is a great start.

Fabulous, more than expected. The ability to listen to the lessons and follow the handouts. I personally learn better by listening.

I submitted my first manuscript to Austen Macauley publishers (after much editing and many drafts!) 'The Shaky Cactus' has been accepted and is currently in house styling. I have written another two manuscripts, including 'Purple Bananas' which I will submit shortly.

There were many 'aha' moments, so here's two - learning how to 'kill your darlings' and when the concept of 'show don't tell' finally clicked!

If you are passionate about writing, but you don't know where to start, the Australian Writers' Centre has an extensive range of inspirational and educational courses. Even if you're trying to discern whether you'd like to pursue writing as a hobby or career, this is the place to start.

Awesome course, really enjoyed it. So many hot tips on how to work the Dark Arts of copywriting. I loved Bernadette's dulcet tones and storytelling style :)

This course was really easy to manage, coordinate and complete. The pace, the handouts and the exercises. Mostly, I really enjoyed Bernadette's example storytelling style. It tightened up my end game for online content.

I'd say (and have done) that this course is a content creation game-changer. #loveYourWork Bernadette!

I was interested in documenting my travels and seeking further information about the possibility of publishing them.

I thought the content of the course was terrific and the minimal feedback was positive.

I've wanted to write and illustrate a children's book for a while, and this course was recommended by a friend.

It has made me think about how I can improve, and makes me think that the idea of actually writing a book is achievable.

I had completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and wanted to keep my momentum going and some of the other courses I was interested in didn't suit my schedule. I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with the word count, but when I realised there were only 2 x 3000 word compulsory submissions, I felt relieved.

I found Angela quite direct but very personable as a tutor; you can tell she has a sense of humour. Her feedback is specific and it is encouraging to have someone of her expertise take your writing seriously; I felt she was invested in my work.

I actually loved reading my other classmates' work; so many great ideas in varying styles! It was also very helpful for me to practice receiving feedback; not take it personally or suddenly doubt my ability to write. I can really see the value in having a variety of people workshop your writing; there is so much you don't pick up on!

I still have a lot to learn, but, through AWC, I can see that it is a process and it just begins with writing! Just vomit out a first draft! Get down and write it!

AWC is definitely the place to go to if you are looking for the motivation, encouragement and confidence to begin writing. Just take the first step! Sign up for a course - you won't regret it - and it will open up a whole new world and supportive community!

I am wanting to do freelance writing aside from my full time job. I would like to take freelance writing seriously when I am out of lockdown.

The subjects on hook and good transitions were very interesting, also understanding and knowing a targeted publication's audience.

This is a great opportunity to go online and sharpen your writing skills especially when you cannot attend a class face to face.

I thought it may not be very practical - I was wrong! Lots of very usable content. In particular, I found the last section useful... how to pitch!

I actually enjoyed the discipline of weekly assignments (its been awhile since I have studied - so I was very scattered to start with). It has encouraged me to keep going. I am very time poor with two businesses and midway through another course but I am encouraged to get my writing out there... to make it a priority.

Do it. It is practical and will set you up to not only write your first feature but have it published. Thanks - really great course!

I needed help in providing structure to my writing and some tips on how to push past roadblocks in my writing.

I'm grateful for Stephen's feedback and the suggestions he was able to provide to mine and others' works. It definitely gave me things to think about. It has given me some tips to try to move past the usual roadblocks in my writing. It has given me motivation and a group of fellow writers with whom to interact!

If you are looking for a structure (weekly topics and expectation of submitting your work every week to motivate your writing) and community from fellow writers looking for that extra push, this is the course for you!

Sue is obviously very experienced and picks on one or two specific things that will make a difference to your work.

The content was all really relevant. Unlike some other courses I have done, there wasn't any content that I thought was not relevant to my current writing project.

It made me approach my first chapter completely differently. And gave me confidence that my character's voice was strong.
Being forced to re-write our first few paragraphs. I didn't think I needed to do it but after I did it, it made all the difference.

If you are considering a course with AWC, you should absolutely do it. Not only is the course content excellent, the online delivery is good, and the tutors are experienced in the field. The price is also very reasonable compared to other courses.

I hesitated at the cost but in hindsight it has been worth every cent.

Having a schedule to follow! It made me carve out time to focus and learn. I also really enjoyed the person who voiced the lessons.

It's knocked off one more excuse on the list - "I have no idea what I'm doing!" Still true in many ways but that excites me now.

The many times the phrase "if something isn't working, often this is why" was used. So many of them applied to me and now I see why.

Do it! You won't regret it! It's professional, supportive and hugely valuable as a learning experience.

Just thank you. It's been a really difficult few months stuck at home and this course has kept me connected to my creativity.

I was searching for something to keep me occupied during COVID and maternity leave and have always been impressed with the humorous, accessible approach of AWC. The reviews for this course were fantastic. The value for money was amazing!

Zanni was warm, thoughtful and very detail oriented. She struck the perfect balance between encouragement and constructive criticism and nurtured some of my best writing into creation.

I loved the online classroom format and the respectful, encouraging interactions between all the students. It was very collegial.

I have never seen so many ideas through to completed manuscripts before - this course gave me the drive I needed to achieve this.

This course is the creative kickstart your decaying lockdown brain needs. The content is clear and comprehensive and the tutor offers encouraging, practical advice to help your writing shine. Seriously, why haven't you enrolled yet?

Thank you for creating this fabulous course.

Great. And very efficient! Feedback was fast and clear.

The ability to listen to the audio file while reading along - or not. This made it flexible so I could multi-task while listening if I wanted to.

It's got me writing again by focusing on a specific task or technique - the idea of practising writing, rather than always writing for your project.

Give it a go. Very welcoming and fun, plus learn real skills. Thanks so much for a very enjoyable course. It's lovely to reconnect with this community again - will be hanging around :)