What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Although I had started writing and planning a novel in much the way Kate outlines, she gave me ideas about how I could deepen and make it more thorough and systematic. The course gave concrete steps but stressed flexibility.

Do it. You won't regret it for a moment.

I liked the tutor's approach. I liked the way she was just straight with the feedback and if something wasn't working. I enjoyed having the writing prompt/assignment every week and having a deadline. I've really looked forward to doing the course each week and I'll miss it now.

I loved the reminder that novels don't just get written in the first draft and that it takes grit and subsequent drafts to get there.

This is my 3rd course with the AWC. My first (the copywriting one) led to me changing careers. I've loved reading and words since I can remember, so I'm thrilled I now get to write for a living. For that, the Australian Writers' Centre will always have a special place in my heart and I'll always recommend it to others.

The exercises and handouts have great content, and I like that we can go back to them at any time.

It reminded me how I love writing, after not doing it for so long. It makes me want to get back into and ideally start/finish my idea for a novel.

The course is super flexible. It allows you to listen to the audio classes any time during the week. The exercises and content are really insightful and reusable for you to use in the future. The assignments were super achievable and not too overwhelming.

I was on the fence about using Scrivener, but think it's going to be an excellent program to write with. I will now use it and hopefully it will save me time and streamline the writing process.

The AWC is an awesome resource for writers of all levels. Such a great support and champion for writers.

I always thought of dialogue as the easy part, but never felt it came out well. So I took this course to see what I've been doing wrong.

The great examples and light tone make the course easy to follow.

I now know the elements around dialogue (paralanguage especially) and how they affect the scene.

AWC tutors are published authors and it's welcoming and fun.

I was drawn to this course by the opportunity to get feedback on my writing and learn about the fundamentals of writing from professionals. The weekly assignments also drew me in as I know I need external accountability to work towards my goals.

Surprisingly, I found receiving feedback the most enjoyable since I wanted to know if my intentions came across in my writing. I also liked reading my classmates' writing as it inspired me.

I feel more confident sharing my writing with other people for feedback.

If you want to learn the fundamentals of writing and get some practice in without it being too overwhelming, this is a great course! It's also great for people who need external accountability to write consistently.

This course has given me the confidence to pursue writing picture books! I feel like I now have a really good understanding of structure, character and rhythm, and how to polish the story over time.

The real-world knowledge shared by the tutors is so beneficial and the wide variety of courses means there's something for everyone.

I am currently editing my manuscript and needed a reminder about 'showing' to make sure I'm doing it right.

Pamela's explanations are easy to understand plus we get handouts.

It highlighted some areas that may need some checking in my manuscript - summary scene vs full scene. Will summarising have an impact on the character? But it also reassured me that I have been showing and not telling for the most part. Now I also need to check for floating white rooms.

Whether it's the full workshops or the Focus On seminars, there's something at the AWC for new writers and experienced writers.

I came to the course wanting something that would keep me accountable to writing practice and I also wanted to gain some feedback on my writing/story. I learned a lot more than I thought I would.

I found Pamela's feedback really helpful - every suggestion or query she had improved not only the piece of writing I had but how I approached the next piece of writing. She was very engaging, thoughtful and kind.

I enjoyed the assignments because they were so relevant to the coursework. I really looked forward to Pamela's feedback each week because I was excited to hear her thoughts not only on my work but everyone's - I felt her advice really improved my writing skill and confidence.

I feel confident about my writing ability and story and feel driven to finally write my novel - which has been put aside for a few years now.

If you have a novel/story idea and you don't know where to start - start here!

I'm at a time in my life where I'm transitioning from corporate to creative, i.e. what inspires me, and thought this course would be an excellent overview of other options.

Thank you for an excellent overview. I especially enjoyed hearing about other writers' experiences and how they have made writing work for them.

I've realised I already know the area of writing I'm interested in and already have lots of experience from my corporate experiences. Now just have to get on with it while the time is right. Will also be looking at some other AWC courses to support my journey.

Do it! Tremendously helpful.

Feedback was both comprehensive and constructive. Thank you!

I gained a lot of technical knowledge that will be so useful! I really enjoyed the human aspect in the assignment where we interviewed a classmate.

This is a very worthwhile course to take if you're starting out in the industry, and it's packed with valuable resources!

I enjoyed this course. It's inspiring and informative. Great topics covered and clear explanations. The lecturer has interesting stories and clear explanations for each topic in the course.

Enrol and start as soon as you can; you won't regret it.

Kate took me on a journey I never imagined possible. I am now inspired to write more because it is what I love to do, for me, rather than anyone else. Who knows where that may take me in the future.

As a marketing professional heading towards the end of my full-time career life I still have the passion and desire to work post retirement. Copywriting is something I have dabbled with over the years but wanted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the skills required to successfully freelance in the future.

The course challenged me to write conversationally and from the perspective of the audience rather than as a marketer. Yes ... I know this point and have provided feedback to creative teams along this line. But actually doing it myself I found enjoyable and enlightening.

The AWC provides accessible learning content that focuses on developing real-life skills for copywriters.

I was just in need of a little help in getting into a better writing rhythm, and some structure and tools to help with the planning.

Sometimes - often - I hit creative blocks, and I can go for weeks without any progress. I am finding that having a better toolkit is a great help in filling in that down time with other steps that will help me reach my target. Getting some plans in place, some characters better defined, some plots better organised, doesn't necessarily require the creative juices to be percolating at the time - but these all help to move the story along.

Some obvious and basic tools had been evading me - so, not so obvious after all!!

Unless you studied this at school or university, you will invariably pick up some very useful tools to supplement your creative writing journey.

Easy to understand content and a lot of useful information, which I can implement. Many helpful tips how to start and continue freelancing as a writer.

Highly recommend doing courses at AWC. The courses at AWC provide you with industry knowledge, useful information and tools, which can be applied as soon as you finish the course you are studying.

Kate Forsyth is such a breath of fresh air! She is so genuine, really keen and interested in training up budding writers without threat to herself. She is generous and plainspoken but with an obvious rich background in the development of writing and its present application. She got me writing again! I kept having to pause her as ideas were streaming through my mind. I thank her tremendously. AWC...you have a gem in your midst!!

Have not bothered to write for a while, but during this course I found myself grabbing a pencil and paper and streaming my mind out.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes!!

I wanted to learn the basics about plotting and planning out my novel idea so that I could have more success with finishing it.

I liked the way Kate used examples to explain different aspects of the plotting and planning process.

I liked that the handouts were print friendly; that is most helpful as I can refer to them frequently especially if I am only scribbling in a notebook (I don't have to turn on my computer to refer to them).

As a person who likes to plan and create checklists, I now have a clearer understanding of where to start. I can now set progress goals for my novel and stay on track.

This course is perfect for absolute beginners especially if you like to plan things out first. Now I have the necessary tools to properly plan my background stories and scenes, set progress goals and stay on track. Finally, I can start my first novel with clarity and confidence, thanks to Kate Forsyth.

The course established the notion that freelance writing is doable. There was no abstract idea of what life will be like after completion, like there is at university. It was almost as if the assumption was there that students would go on to enter the world of freelance writing.

I feel empowered to enter a new phase of life - to pursue a dream, I suppose.

Alexandra was fantastic. Her feedback was frank and helpful.

I liked the style of introducing a small aspect of someone's life as a metaphor for the crux of the article. It was interesting to see the techniques and structure used in articles that I found pleasant. I'm excited to play with these ideas.

If you have ideas about what you want to write, it could be the gentle nudge you need to get going.

After looking at all the available courses, I thought this was a good starting point to getting serious with my creative writing and receiving some professional feedback.

Jennifer is a generous tutor, who sees the positive in your writing and boosts your confidence and opens your eyes to the potential in your story that you didn't think was there. She always offers constructive criticism with reasons for why something isn't working and examples of how it can be improved. I learned a lot from listening to her feedback, not just for my work, but also for my classmates' work.

The writing exercises and assignments were a lot of fun.

Before this course, I'd sit in front of a blank word doc trying to formulate the perfect opening sentence before starting to type. Now, I keep referring to the advice to get the words on the page, no matter how rough; you can polish it during editing. It's a very good way to overcome self doubt.

The course material is easy to understand and informative. The exercises and assignments are fun and challenging in the best way possible. The tutor is knowledgeable, engaging and offers solid feedback. You'll be exposed to other writers' work and can learn from their writing styles and the feedback they get on their work too.

It's given me confidence in my ability to tell a story that people may actually want to read! I'm going to pursue my writing journey and see where it leads.