What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I honestly didn't expect to learn as much as I did, especially regarding novel structure.

I was rather nervous having Pamela as our tutor, given how accomplished she is as a published author. But she was warm and bubbly during the Zoom meetings and happy to answer any questions we might have. Her feedback was always direct and clear, and each time it made me take a huge step back from my writing to see it as it truly was, and what I then needed to do to improve it. Most of the time I felt like it was one step forward and ten steps back, but I've finished the course with something a thousand times better than what it was by following Pamela's advice.

I had no idea how technical the structure of a novel had to be in order to keep the tension rising, and the reader wanting to keep turning those pages. Of course when it was explained it all made perfect sense, but then adapting my own novel to suit was a whole new challenge!

Enrolling in the AWC courses has been such an invaluable learning experience. The weekly handouts and lessons guide you step by step through the writing process while you workshop with your fellow classmates, providing encouragement and feedback on their submissions, as well as receiving it on your own. Together with the feedback and guidance from the online tutor, you'll finish the course much more confident in your own writing ability, and with a wealth of knowledge to carry you on through the redrafting process.

Just a huge thank you to Pamela for all her support and guidance throughout this course.

Thank you for this course - you have no idea how comforting it is to know that my job is not the be all and end all - it's all up to ME. To learn, to upskill, and most of all, to WRITE (with discipline). But, after hearing your students' success stories, I am happy to also consider part-time writing with my part-time job (for now) - this takes the pressure off.

I'm still working on my paradigms around 'I am a writer', however I am confident that after working through the workbook, sampling the writing I enjoy, and the action of writing to my favourite authors, the hesitations or doubts I feel about my competence will be replaced by enthusiasm and the warm and fuzzy feelings I get when I write.

There is a HUGE amount of support here for so many different genres of writing.

The tutor gave great feedback which really helped deepen my writing and has helped me improve in many ways.

I'd say that this course helps improve your writing and you're able to do it at your own pace. It's really good.

Love the course. A terrific tutor - content and process both wonderful. So much knowledge and experience, taught so well. Thanks so much for your wisdom.

I wanted to do this course to further develop my writing skills. I found the course to be good, not too overwhelming.

The tutor was nice and gave kind, constructive feedback that I think I benefitted from. I feel more encouraged and self-motivated to write.

It's a fun, not too overwhelming course that helps and encourages you to write in any and every way you want to.

It's given me some courage and ideas on how to take some steps in the areas I want to go.

Practical, accessible, relatable. You have everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

I can tell that Bernadette believes in what she is teaching and I feel she truly wants to help people to succeed. I've learnt things that I wouldn't have known that I needed to learn, including how my website will/should be worded.

I was finding that I had all these ideas but had no idea where to start in putting them together. I wanted a step-by-step guide to organising my thoughts in the hope it would make writing attainable.

I found Kate delightful to listen to and she has so much experience on different ways to plot, plan and write a book. I also enjoyed the art history lessons! I found it incredibly insightful, especially in regards to the step-by-step module at the end.

I now feel like I have a sense of direction to start a novel that has been percolating for a while. I feel confident that I will be able to keep it on track and feel less anxious about the experience.

There is or can be a lot more to the plotting and planning side of it than I realised! I would have considered myself a pantser, but I think by following the steps Kate has put together, I will be able to actually finish something that is well put together. I also liked though that the systems still allow for creativity and for changes to be made - they are guidelines not rules!

Courses through the AWC are always well presented, informative and supportive. When you finish one, you feel such a spark of creativity and inspiration and they make you believe that you can attain your writing goals.

Cathie was very constructive and helpful. She pointed out things that I had never thought of or considered which was really valuable.

It inspired me to go to the CYA Conference in Brisbane. I had never heard of this conference before, and it was only after I read the success stories of the authors who had completed this course.

I would say that the AWC is extremely helpful and is an essential part of the writing process.

I liked how the 2 days were broken up i.e. more high level on day 1 and more nitty gritty on day 2. I enjoyed Grant's offering of advice and opinions based on his experience as it made the learning richer and spurred on the idea that you still have agency to make decisions/judgement calls within/around the rules.

Given my confidence a boost, and I really enjoyed learning this stuff with a group of people who were also interested in and cared about it.

It's great to either confirm what you already know or to teach you new things, but in both instances it helps you understand and provides reasoning behind this knowledge.

Grant is a very engaging tutor, with enormous experience and skills. A great presenter.

The course provided a structure that I can build on. There are actually rules for things, rather than some secret code that is passed down!

Pamela was 100%! Her feedback was astute and didn't beat about the bush. I learnt a great deal from listening to her feedback on other writers as well.

I enjoyed struggling through the same issues as everybody else and sharing in the learning process. Writing can be a lonely journey and I enjoyed being part of a cohort. I had to force myself to actually finish the manuscript instead of drifting on for longer and longer. I also realised how important writing was to me, and it has caused a major rethink in my life priorities.

Just do it! The investment will be worth it in overcoming procrastination and actually getting that book written, and along the way you'll learn the right way to go about it and avoid so many of the traps and pitfalls.

I love AWC! Thank you!

Grant was amazing. The small group was perfect because we all got to speak, contribute and learn from each other.

The course got into the nitty-gritty of editing. The things you 'know are wrong' but can't put a name to. Or the things that constantly trip you up and make you feel silly. I look forward to wielding my new Big Red Pen and using fancy words to explain why I'm right. The power of the pen compels me!

I like being able to use the correct words to prove I'm right. Slightly evil but *shrugs*

I really enjoyed the course and the mix of tasks, the learning with others and resources.

Clearly the tutor is experienced and gave constructive feedback. I benefited greatly from seeing/listening to the feedback about other people's work as well; really useful!

Really well-honed course and delivers what is says it will. It got me writing! It helped me see that I can do it and that there are real avenues for income generation.

This was a fantastic, practical and insightful course that was perfectly pitched to people considering making a start in freelance writing for publications. Such great insights, real examples and practical tools so that the leap to putting forward a pitch to a publication feels possible! A great skill and confidence builder.

Pamela broke down this tricky and sometimes intimidating subject into logical parts, explaining it in a practical, relatable and inspiring way. She has a real talent for making the different elements of writing fiction seem accessible/achievable and this seminar was no exception. Good examples provided and thoughtful answers to questions from attendees.

It's got my mind ticking about the subplots of the novel I'm toiling away on, and given me great ideas to improve them.

For practical, inspiring guidance on how to improve your writing, you can't go wrong with the AWC!

I had completed Novel Writing Essentials and enjoyed the motivation provided from that course through tutor feedback and workshopping. I had made a decent start on my novel during that course and wanted to keep the momentum going so signed up for the Write Your Novel - 6 month program. As an inexperienced writer I wanted expert tuition and guidance to set me on the right path.

The expert tuition and guidance from Pamela meant the world to me. She provided moments of affirmation and encouragement sprinkled with the tough love only a respected mentor can provide. I know without a doubt that Pamela has had a lasting impression on me as a writer. The best teachers/mentors journey with you and help you be the best you can be.

I have always dreamt about being a writer. Now, I am a writer!

Don't overthink it. Don't procrastinate. If you want to be a writer, throw your heart and soul into a course with AWC. You won't regret it.

I enjoyed all of it! More, more, more please! I loved the weekly story task - they pushed us to keep growing and feedback was excellent. It was really important that it wasn't the same story. I loved the transparency of learning from everyone else and reading their feedback.

It was an excellent course - enlightening, humbling, inspiring and practical!

I have now done this course twice. The first time I completed the exercises, then I went away and basically rewrote my book. The second time, I used my actual scenes to complete the exercises, and was happy to find what a massive difference this course made to those scenes.

I found my settings almost becoming another character in the book, as each of my point of view characters reacted to the setting and the action occurring there. My white rooms are gone, and I have settings that are alive, full of emotion and atmosphere, a place my characters really can be.

If you want to improve your writing, or just brush up on the basics and get those invaluable tips you may never have thought of, go for the Fiction Essential series by the Australian Writers' Centre. They will be worth your time.

I enjoyed the straightforward, practical advice. It has triggered some new ideas for a (hopefully) compelling opening to my WIP.

Going through the entire process, from pre-meditation to prison life, gave me ideas for future stories. I enjoyed the resources, having access to so much information, and examples.