What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I have for a long time had the thought that I would like to write a children's picture book. I love reading, creating art, have dabbled in creative writing and work in a school library, so this course seems to bring all those interests together. I wasn't sure if I had the time to dedicate to the course, with working as well. I also was not sure about paying out the money if I didn't get anything out of it.

I learned a lot during my time studying this course. I found it very informative and I easily got the assignments done on time, which was initially my biggest concern. I live in Melbourne, and the timing of the course was perfect for me, as lockdown here had just started, so it was a great time to do it.

Zanni provided some very constructive feedback to all of us studying the course. I liked the way we could all see what each other was submitting, as it helped us all to learn. Also, the way Zanni read through all of our work, so we could pick up pointers from her this way.

I found that I can actually write a children's story, even though I need to hone my skills and write a lot more before I can consider submitting a story to a publisher! This is a really good feeling! I know I have a lot to do to get better at my writing, but I am encouraged to continue after doing the course.

Since starting the course, I am now going through my day thinking of ideas that I can write stories about.

It is worthwhile doing if you are serious about writing stories. It is a well laid-out and delivered course and I recommend it thoroughly.

Annabel is very thorough and knows her stuff. Helpful attention to detail that I had totally missed or wasn't aware of.

I enjoyed the writing exercises and the feedback.

To be honest, for me, it was hearing Annabel's positive feedback and realising that I was a decent enough writer to give it a go, that I didn't just think I was good and actually be rubbish.

Thank you. What a great organisation AWC is. There's everything a beginning writer could want.

Zanni answered people's online questions in a timely manner. The assessments were good and the fact that you could complete the modules at your own pace was helpful.

Although I don't think I am ready to devote time to sit down and write a children's book to be published yet, hopefully it will be something that I can come back to in the future. I think that completing this course has given me a basic understanding of how much more there is to know.

There is so much to writing children's books!

I value everything that I have learnt.

Resources and audio lessons were fantastic. These will be very useful for future reference.

My online tutor was Zanni Louise who was very honest and genuine in her feedback to my writing and stories and this I valued immensely. I am a better writer because of Zanni.

I enjoyed each of the tasks that we were assigned each week and the sharing of my work with other students. I felt connected with everyone as we worked together towards the same goal.

The course has inspired me to just keep writing as I am now really driven to make this work and become a published author one day.

The Australian Writers' Centre offers fantastic writing courses that are well resourced, engaging and rewarding.

I wanted to learn how to write a picture book. Initially my only concerns were the cost and what I would actually get from the course. However, after thinking about why I'd looked into doing the course I decided it would be worth the money - I'd either absolutely love it and learn loads or it would be something to put down to experience. Either way I couldn't lose :)

I have absolutely loved this course. It was perfect timing as I've been on leave, taking some time to reflect on what it is I want in life. The modules and assignments haven't seemed like work as I've been so excited and enthusiastic to work on my writing.

As an educator it has given me a new passion to take back to school and a much greater respect for all those authors whose stories I've shared over the years.

Zanni was really supportive and I found her feedback to be very constructive and at all times encouraging. I also found it interesting to hear her opinions and the reasons for her liking particular stories, especially those I felt I would find more difficult to read to a class.

I most definitely enjoyed the opportunity to write for an audience and to receive feedback on that writing. I also loved learning how a picture book is written and the range of different things that need to be considered when writing one.

Being able to finally focus on getting my writing down rather than the ideas whizzing round in my head has suddenly opened a flood gate of creativity I didn't realise was hidden away.

The focus of my job is working with and supporting children at educational risk because of a huge variety of social factors. I have thought for a long time about how I could support them in a different way and have toyed with retraining in counselling as this is something I do a lot of anyway. However, I've never got beyond thinking 'oh I might look at counselling'. One thing that is very clear is that there is a shortage of stories that deal with some of the more unpleasant social issues faced by young children today and through this course I've realised that this is the 'different way' I can support them.

Since starting the course I have been filled with ideas and concepts for stories and my little writing book is getting fuller and fuller. I find myself thinking of an idea or a phrase and have to keep scribbling it down so I don't forget.

I need to think smart! I know I have some great ideas but I need to write my anger and frustrations out first and then take the best bits and work with them in a calmer, less confronting way. How I might do that is the next exciting challenge :)

Give it a go! You'll learn so much about how picture books are written. It’s an amazing 5 week journey and you'll surprise yourself with how creative you can actually be.

Thank you so much for this course it has genuinely been a fantastic 5 weeks :)

I had heard that it offered practical and applicable tips to improve writing skills. I am new to the writing profession and was looking for this experience.

I was concerned it may not be appropriate as I do not have the time capacity to freelance write yet. This wasn't an issue in the end though as the tips were valuable for my current role and have given me good ideas for the future too.

Feedback was helpful particularly on drawing my attention to structure. I also found listening to her feedback on other class members helpful too.

I enjoyed listening to the deconstruction of good and bad feature articles. It was helpful to have my attention drawn to what works well and what doesn't and has already made me more conscious about looking out for things that I do when I'm writing.

It has shown me that freelance writing is a career option and that there are many different ways it can be done. It's helped me to shake off some of the cobwebs about writing techniques and reminded me of some key stylistic and structural points to consider when writing effectively.

The Australian Writers' Centre provides practical and applicable education. If you are serious about pursuing writing, then pick a course.

The tutor was professional and encouraging, with excellent advice and knowledge.

I enjoyed learning together as a group, submitting work, and receiving feedback.

I now have a greater insight into the writing scene, particularly publishing, and the confidence to keep trying, practising, and improving.

Invaluable information given, excellent and professional advice specific to your writing, great to learn in a group.

Thank you!

I always had a dream to write picture books. I decided to jump right in.

The audio lessons were great as it meant I could come and go as needed. Very happy with how much information was given. I feel there was a lot more involved than I imagined.

I am very happy with the feedback given.

It has made me more determined to get a book published.

I was attracted to the practical side of things and the tangible skills of pitching and making freelance writing a genuine job prospect. Having already completed a Master of Journalism I was slightly concerned I may already know a lot of the content, but it was very different to the technical writing skills I honed in that course.

The tutor was fantastic. Thorough and fair. I enjoyed the online course chat section.

It is a practical and hands on way to hone skills.

Annabel's feedback was clear and helpful. It made sense and was not too harsh!

I learnt a lot and it has given me the confidence to move onto the next stage: researching for my novel.

It is really well presented and accessible. Pitched at a good level.

Already having a blog about our sailing life, and ready to create a webpage/blog for my author pseudonym, the need to learn more about promoting a blog to grow its readership was a must.

I enjoyed the fact that I actually learnt some new information. I have a greater understanding of the various methods of promotion that are out there.

I wanted to learn about writing books for children and was recommended this course by a friend. The outline seemed relevant and achievable. I was nervous and apprehensive about sharing my writing.

The information was comprehensive and relevant. Zanni was honest and encouraging in her feedback. I don't think she said nice things just for the sake of saying them; she was keeping it real.

There was a lot of information provided and I found the handouts a great summary to print out and keep. The audio files were good sized chunks of information and clearly delivered.

I learnt there was so much more to writing picture books than I thought. I enjoyed being creative and sharing my stories but also found it to be quite nerve-wracking waiting for feedback after each assignment. It was good to stretch myself and do something quite different.

I felt proud of myself, despite knowing I will never become a picture book writer, apart from stories for my grandchildren, that is.

I would definitely recommend AWC to others! The amount of relevant, up to date and useful information was more than I expected and will stand me in good stead for any future writing I do. As a successful blogger I felt inadequate when it came to writing and this was good for me; it made me grow! Thanks to everyone involved.

Bernadette was great and very helpful with her comments and assistance. She provided constructive feedback tailored to my writing and how to develop it further. I also listened to the feedback she gave the other writers and felt that it highlighted the key issues with their writing.

I enjoyed getting the feedback from a supportive group. It was also a great way to progress my story during lockdown. A constructive way to spend my time.

It has given me confidence to commit to and progress my story. I realised I was trying to do too much initially, and I had to stick to one POV for a while, at least for the first draft.

Thanks for the course!

I wanted the chance to have my writing assessed by professionals and to challenge myself. Also I needed to commit myself to writing to a deadline even though the deadlines set were very liberal.

The tutor was encouraging and constructive. I enjoyed the opportunity to read other writers develop plots and storylines. The realistic but supportive reviews provided by Nicole in addition to being given a platform to write creatively.

Give it a shot!

Exactly what I was looking for. Now moving onto other courses: Short Story Essentials, then Freelance Writing. Then maybe -- hopefully! -- your novel-writing courses.

The tutor was wonderful: knowledgeable, fair, responsive, prompt. Nicole is 10/10! :)

I enjoyed generally learning. Interacting with others. Reading others' writing. That community aspect of likeminded learners.

I have some structure now, some professional advice. I know the writing world a little better, instead of banging away on a keyboard in my own fruitless, hobbyist bubble.

Go for it! It's a valuable service.

Thank you very much. Keep it up.

This course is professionally presented and wonderfully supportive and encouraging. You just know you are getting the industry gold. Each week it was fabulous fun to write, edit and rewrite, nail-biting to submit (was it ready?) and exciting to wait for professional feedback.

Hearing everyone's wonderful stories read aloud and the precise but always gentle, inspiring, encouraging and helpful feedback from our wonderful tutor Zanni Louise was a revelation. So many imaginative stories, so many styles, so much joy in hearing the stories read aloud, so much to learn from Zanni's feedback. It was like opening a beautiful box of sparkling gifts on Christmas Day.

It has been a joy to participate in this course. I have learnt so much and now feel confident to keep writing, knowing I am heading in the right direction. Thank you Zanni Louise. Fabulous. So supportive, always helpful and encouraging. You just know Zanni knows how to teach writing. I learnt an incredible amount. The feeling of being creative is incredible.

I have wanted to write for children for nearly a decade now. I did this course face to face many years ago and became very discouraged when my writing didn't seem to be hitting the mark. I put the pen down and didn't write anymore for years. Recently I picked up the pen and thought I will try again. I loved the online version of the course. I wasn't rushing to write like during a face to face class as I knew the lessons were there for me to go back to anytime. I just listened and absorbed the lessons, and then wrote.

I cannot thank Zanni enough for her encouraging and helpful comments to everyone. I now feel like I can write and enjoy it, and that I am heading in the right direction. I can't wait to enrol in your Writing Picture Books Masterclass and I hope one day to be published.

Thank you to everyone involved in this course. I think it might have changed my life and it has certainly made me feel confident to write again.

If you want to write, pick up a pen or grab a keyboard and enrol in a course at the Australian Writers' Centre. Thank you to everyone at the Australian Writers' Centre. I would love to do more courses and hope to be a published author one day. Fingers crossed.

I had been using Scrivener for a couple of years for very basic organisation of my scenes, chapters and character POV. I knew there was more to it - but the manual is unwieldy and complicated.

I enjoyed being able to see the video and work on my document at the same time.

A very informative and user-friendly course. I learnt a lot!

The course is easy to follow, encouraging and empowering. It shatters the notion that a university degree is required to find success in writing and emboldens the amateur writer to step bravely into the world of career writing with confidence!

After feedback on one of my stories, I felt like perhaps I could ACTUALLY do this! I was energised and ready to make it real. Since finishing the course I need to find that level of energy again, but to feel it for even one week was a big boost.

After completing Creative Writing 1, I wanted to go further. (My tutor) suggested Novel Writing Essentials as the next logical step, and she was right.

Bernadette's feedback was empathic and constructive, and I particularly liked her Loom audio feedback. Hearing a voice via Loom made the tutoring personal and immediate.

I became convinced that critiquing other writers' work was a very powerful way of looking at my own writing more objectively.

It's a well-constructed course that offers a unique approach to learning to be a creative writer.