What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I had heard wonderful things about AWC courses and was wondering if my writing needed more structure (turns out it did!) so I invested in the course.

It's made me see how my own writing lacked proper structure and allowed me to be able to build it in.

I've studied plenty of structure things before, so I was concerned I would be treading on the same ground. But I found it really helpful, breaking things down in a much more practical way than other resources.

It's absolutely worth doing, and it helps break down a sometimes mystifying process into something that feels like it can actually be achieved.

I received feedback from a publisher that I needed to work on my structure. Having done many AWC courses before, this was the first place I looked.

The handouts and practical exercises really help with applying what I learned from the course to my own work.

I finally 'get' structure! Everything was explained so clearly with real practical information that I can use to build a solid structure for my new novel.

I always write my plot first but my aha! moment came in discovering that the major plot events can naturally come from well-developed characters. That character should come first!

AWC has courses to support writers at all stages of their writing journey. There is always something to learn.

As a freelance editor working with many beginner writers, I thought this course might help to explain what story structure is in a more succinct way.

I enjoyed being able to work at my own pace and the down-to-earth tone of the narrator.

An AHA moment was understanding how to explain the difference between structure and plot in a way that clients will understand.

This course is comprehensive and easy to follow. A worthwhile investment.

I enjoyed understanding more about structures, particularly over a multi-book story arc. The worksheets will come in very handy too!

AWC courses are packed full of information that can be digested in nice, bite sized chunks.

I have previously completed a course with Pamela and found it incredibly informative and inspiring. She is a wealth of information and I have so much to learn from her. I am partway through writing my first novel and am absorbing as much as I can learn about the art of writing :)

The course has clarified so much about my novel in my own mind and helped me move forward with writing in a more structured way. I now understand how narrative tension really works and what techniques can be applied to increase narrative tension.

There is such a wealth of knowledge to be gained from undertaking these courses and I have not yet undertaken one course that hasn't vastly improved my writing.

I wanted a detailed explanation of the three-act structure and was happy to also get information about other types of structures. The handouts were really useful for me. It enabled me to plan the novel I am trying to write in a more considered way.

If you have never been taught about story structure, or need a more in depth explanation than you have had previously, then this is a fantastic course.

I enjoyed most learning more about the different types of structure, and plotting and subplots, and how to apply these to build stronger and well-paced stories.

I feel that I have a deeper understanding of story structure and better idea of how to write and restructure my book so that it will have more impact and interest and draw a prospective reader in.

I have been struggling with the concept of turning points, rising action and climax, and their relationship to each other in building narrative tension. I think I have finally got a handle on what these are all about.

Do yourself a favour, if you are struggling with any aspect of writing, do one of AWC's writing courses. It will definitely help with putting you on the 'write' track. :-)

I understand much more about pitfalls and things to avoid when writing scenes. In addition, I have a better appreciation of how to use conflict in a story to increase narrative tension.

It is definitely worthwhile investing time and money to do some of the basic "Fiction Essentials" courses.

I enjoyed looking at the different types of structure and how they work for different stories. I particularly appreciated the Bonus Module on series.

I now feel like I actually understand how to structure a novel and this course has given me the tools to be able to troubleshoot if I find myself going off track.

If you want to write a novel and aren't sure where to start, this is the place to go!

As an accomplished musician but beginning writer, I needed to explore the structural elements of creative writing.

I found the common links between musical structure and writing structure fascinating. It has given me the skills to identify structural patterns in my writing.

This course is well presented, informative and provides masterful insights into structuring your writing.

Something was wrong with previous stories I have written and ultimately I decided it was the structure (and after completing this course, I realised it definitely was my structure!).

The course was very well set out. Handouts were helpful. The audio was well paced and informative. Realised I previously had veeeeery little structure.

I encourage anyone who is struggling with their story and wondering why 'it isn't quite right' to go ahead and do a course.

Clearly presented, good narration and structure. Enjoyed the charts to analyse scenes, plot, sub-plots and themes, story questions, risks.

I certainly understand more and can see more about structure in books read and why stories can be more satisfying to the reader. Good tools I am planning to use for editing.

I could see in some of my short pieces - they had strong / various themes when I analysed them. I used different stories for different exercises, which was also valuable.

Someone recently told me they were writing a novel and were a bit stuck on how to achieve something with their main character. I said they were very brave attempting a novel without the advantage of writing tools of trade. I encouraged them to check out the AWC courses!

I did not really understand at first how plot and structure differed and wanted to learn more; as well as get a handle on how to write in a way that kept readers engaged.

Well set-out and the bonus content on how to structure series was so helpful too. I have a greater understanding of how to create, maintain and escalate narrative tension to make my writing engaging and enjoyable to read.

The AWC has a course for any genre, style, issue or topic of interest in writing, and every one of them is interesting and engaging, well-presented and thorough.

The course really helped me. It clarified several ideas and how to develop them. I am planning a series - it helped me define which path to take and how to develop it.

The self-pacing is great as it makes completing the modules so easy. There is a lot of really good information. I felt involved rather than just a listener.

All the courses I have done with AWC have helped my writing enormously. Can't recommend them highly enough and they are worth the money.

This course challenged me to go deeper into my writing, and gave me excellent support in working out a possible structure for my story. The handouts in particular were tremendously helpful.

Understanding structure - without getting bogged down - is so important to building confidence and just getting on with writing your first draft. I think it will probably save me months of work and heartache, and reinforces the idea of 'just get on with it'. Any problems can be ironed out later.

AWC courses are practical, sensible and full of great content.

The course looked like a great way to learn how to structure my stories to get the best out of them. As soon as I read the outline, I wanted to do it. And I'm glad I did.

So much information in five (ish) short hours - well ten actually as I have already listened to it twice, and plan several more listenings. Each time I listen I get more out of it. I get more daunted too of course as there is so much to do - but then I change my mind set to "You can do this. Not only that but you need to do it as, if you can see how your story is structured now, it will save you so much time in the end as there will be fewer rewrites. And you'll get the pace right!! You can do this."

I enjoyed the challenges it sets. The huge learning journey that I have just travelled, and continue to travel. The information in the handouts that I can see will be used over and over. The reinforcement of the structure of a novel that I am working on - I seem to be on the right path.

I'm 70. I have been writing all my life, yet I continue to learn, and want to learn.

As I said, it reinforces what I am doing at the moment, but also completes my skill set - which I think is extremely important - and gives me permission to know the rules, and break them if I need to. Which I also think is important.

I was surprised and delighted with how much I learnt. It helped me get "structure" straight in my head and I had been having trouble with that after my first draft. I was floundering and it set me back on track by giving steps to follow to "sort things out" and put them in order.

You can read books, but the Australian Writers' Centre courses help you with organising and motivation.

I felt I needed some guidance on how to continue writing the novel I currently have underway. I was getting caught up in worrying about structure instead of getting on with it. The course gave me the confidence to continue writing in a linear progression with the intent to go back and look at how to tweak the narrative tension once I have a full draft.

I found it a very practical guide, which was encouraging. It was great to hear that the main focus should be on keeping the reader's attention and that I don't need to be a literary genius to have a go at writing.

The Australian Writers' Centre has well-structured resources and experienced teachers who understand the world of writing and publishing. Anyone who wants to be a writer will benefit from completing some of the courses.

It has illuminated so much about how to structure my novel and given me the confidence to go forward. I think the course was pretty perfect for what I was after.

You can clearly see how all the modules follow on from each other and work together to give a clear understanding of the structure of a novel as a whole.