Choosing a course
I’m a beginner. Where should I start?
Welcome! The best place to start is with one of our foundation writing courses:
General fiction – Creative Writing Stage 1
Young fiction – Writing Picture Books. Writing Children's Novels or Writing Young Adult Fiction
Writing feature articles – Freelance Writing Stage 1
Copywriting – Copywriting Essentials
As well as these ones, many of our other courses are also great for newbies or emerging writers – no experience necessary!
What courses are designed for more experienced writers?
If you’re working on a novel, our Novel Writing Essentials course and Write Your Novel programs are ideal.
Graduates of Freelance Writing Stage 1 will benefit from our Freelance Masterclass Program.
Graduates of Writing Picture Books can hone their manuscripts in our Writing Picture Books Masterclass.
As well as those, we also regularly offer many specialist courses such as Writing Workout, Fantasy, Science Fiction and More, History, Mystery and Magic, Crime and Thriller Writing, Travel Writing and many more!
Do you have courses for kids and teens?
Yes we do! For young writers aged 9-14, we recommend our Creative Writing Quest for Kids, while high school aged students will benefit from our Teenage Creative Writers’ Program.
Do I get a certificate at the end of my course?
Absolutely. At the end of your online course, you’ll have the option to download or print a certificate of completion to proudly frame or wave around.
How do the online tutor-led courses work?
These are flexible online classrooms with a starting date and a small group of other classmates completing the course at the same time. New course materials unlock for you each Monday and you simply need to complete the lessons and submit any work by midnight Sunday to get personalised feedback from your online tutor. You can also connect and message with classmates and your tutor. The most common course length is five weeks, but some are longer.
How do the online LIVE courses work via Zoom?
Our online Zoom sessions are like attending a live class at a set time. You join via video (using the free app Zoom) from your computer and learn in real time with a tutor and classmates. Some courses may also require you to complete small exercises offline between sessions to put your skills into practice. Some sessions may be recorded and these are temporarily available to rewatch – but for best value, we always recommend attending live. These courses typically range from two to six sessions, either on consecutive days, weekly or fortnightly.
How do the online self-paced courses work?
These courses are available to purchase any time and allow you to learn a specific skill ‘on demand'. Binge the content all at once or spread it out – it’s completely up to you. With 12 months’ access to the course materials, you can keep referring back to them whenever you need. Some self-paced courses also include an opportunity to submit work for a personalised assessment from a tutor. We have around 30 different self-paced courses to choose from, across all areas of writing.
Bookings and payments
How do I book through the website?
It's nice and simple! Once you find the course/s that you like, click ‘BOOK NOW’ or ‘BUY NOW’. They’ll be added to your cart (top right corner of your screen) and you can follow the checkout process to enrol using a credit card, Afterpay or Zip Pay. When it’s all done, you’ll receive an email with your login details. Easy.
What payment methods are available?
We accept Amex, Mastercard, Visa – or Afterpay and Zip Pay if you’d like a payment plan.
If your organisation requires an invoice, you should complete our purchase order form and an invoice will be issued for credit card payment or direct deposit.
How do I redeem a gift voucher or credit note?
Simply follow the instructions provided with your gift voucher or credit note.
If you’re unsure, call (02) 9929 0088 or email [email protected] and we can help you out.
What if I can’t attend my course?
As per the enrolment conditions, if you can’t attend a date you’ve enrolled in, you must advise us in writing two weeks before the course starts. If this happens you’ll receive a credit note for the full value of the course or be enrolled in the next available date.
In exceptional circumstances, special consideration may be given for withdrawals or transfers within the two week period. If this occurs, you’ll be charged a $50 admin fee and a credit note will be issued for the remaining amount. (Exceptional circumstances are defined as serious personal considerations or illness. Documentation is required.)
Note that the Australian Writers’ Centre cannot accept responsibility for changes in work commitments. And once the course has commenced, there are no transfers or refunds in the event you are unable to attend.
The course I want to do says it’s booked out. What now?
Many of our courses are very popular and often book out early, so it’s best to enrol as soon as possible once a date you can attend is advertised. If a course DOES book out, you may be able to join the waitlist (there will be a link on the course page). In those cases, we’ll get in touch if a place becomes available. You might also find there’s a new date to book into. The moral of this story? Grab a spot while you can!
Do you offer concession rates for your courses?
While we don’t offer concession rates for our courses, you can choose Zip Pay at the checkout, which allows you to set up a flexible payment plan.
Accessing your course
Where do I access my online course?
To access your courses, login at writerscentre.com.au/my-account/
Please note that Creative Writing Quest for Kids has its own secure learning platform: discover.writerscentre.com.au
Why haven't I received my confirmation email or login details yet? (Or any kind of email, for that matter!)
Oh no! Our email may have been caught up by your “inbox bouncer”.
Here are some tips on whitelisting us in your inbox.
Once you've done that (and if you haven't found us in your spam or junkmail folder) just drop us a line and we'll organise for the emails to be resent.
How long do I have access to my course?
Most courses include 12 months’ access – giving you plenty of time to revisit the lessons and refresh your skills throughout the year. Note that if your course has a specific start date, you’ll need to be mindful of any assignment deadlines or Zoom session times.
What do I need to participate in an online LIVE Zoom course?
You need the free program Zoom and ideally a pair of headphones with a microphone.
Zoom is a free app that's easy to use on your computer or laptop. If you don’t already have it, simply go to https://zoom.us/download and click the blue “Download” button.
Follow your computer’s instructions to install the application.
After you book into an Online Live course, you’ll be provided with a unique link to join the Zoom sessions. Before each session starts, find a quiet place to sit with your computer, connect your headphones, and click the link. You'll be taken to your web browser. When prompted, click the “Open Zoom” button and then click “Join with computer audio” to join the call. You’re in!
What internet connection is required to do a course?
To participate in any of our online courses, you will need high-speed internet. Any computer or modem/router purchased in the past 10 years should be fine – preferably connecting to the internet via broadband (e.g. NBN) or ADSL. Wireless broadband or satellite connections are generally fine, but will depend on the connection. Dial-up connections are not recommended.
Typically, if you can play a YouTube video from start to finish without issues, your internet should be fast enough. Also check if your connection/plan allows you to download approx 40-50MB of lesson materials each week without limits or excess charges. Most modern plans should have no problem with this.
Of course, if you’re still unsure, please get in touch with us – we want you to have peace of mind while you learn!
What device can I use to complete my online course?
We recommend using a desktop computer or laptop for the best experience. Courses can also be completed using your iPad or tablet, but a smartphone will not be suitable in most cases. That said, many of our courses include downloadable audio lessons to allow you to save them to your device and listen to on the go.
Other AWC resources
How do I sign up to the weekly newsletter?
What great taste you have! It’s easy to sign up to our free weekly newsletter for your dose of writing information and inspiration. Simply go to our newsletter page and complete the form to subscribe.
How do I listen to the weekly podcast?
Our weekly So you want to be a writer podcast has been available to our writing community since 2014. You’ll find it wherever you get your podcasts – via Apple podcasts, Spotify, or directly through our website.
We’ve also created two free podcast and ebook series: Murder & Mayhem (for all things crime and thriller related) or Magic & Mayhem (to learn directly from children’s authors and publishers).
Finally, if you’re on Facebook, join the So you want to be a writer Podcast Community. It’s a supportive group full of people just like you who love writing!
I’ve actually never listened to a podcast before. Where do I start?
You’re not alone! This blog post will tell you everything you need to know…
What’s Furious Fiction and how do I participate?
Furious Fiction is AWC’s regular flash fiction writing challenge. Each month, we’ll supply you with a set of criteria and you write a 500-word story in one weekend. Find out more by visiting the official Furious Fiction page.