What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I have been looking at ways to transition to an occupation that allows me to work from home (or anywhere really). I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to complete the work with having two kids under the age of three (spoiler...you can!).

I found Sue to be knowledgeable, encouraging and supportive. I liked the positivity, knowledge and how this course answered all of my questions about freelance writing.

There was so much information that when I spoke with a journalist/editor friend about freelance writing she confirmed everything on this course.

I have always been someone who loves creative writing. I have undertaken studies recently that required me to submit essays for examination. They were not really creative and my writing in those was OK. I gained great marks for knowledge but not so much the writing. Since starting this course, I can see where I 'went wrong' and my writing has definitely been impacted to be better.

It was informative, encouraging and full of the right information. A big thank you!

This course does exactly what it promises. Absolutely worth every cent. It also provided a lockdown lifeline!

Alex is a natural teacher. Very supportive and inspirational. The Zoom session was great and I loved doing the profile piece.

I think you've clearly perfected this course over the years. It's really on the mark. It gives you the basics and the key to the door. You just need to open it when finished, if you want to.

I'm going to get off my rear end and get going.

It was fantastic to have Alex's feedback. Alex is attentive and thorough.

The course boosted my confidence to pitch my articles. There are not many freelance writers that are reliable. This provides an opportunity for conscientious writers. I have a chance to be published.

Thanks for another great course, AWC!

A wonderful introductory course. Very professionally packaged. Effortless navigation through the course handouts, lessons and assignments.

I enjoyed listening to Valerie's audio - she has a voice that (for me) made the subject matter easy to listen to and her industry knowledge is great.

The course really does give a person a very good understanding of the basics to start freelancing. I would definitely recommend the course.

I now look at both online and print media very differently and analyze who their target audience is along with their subject matter. How long ago some of the articles may have been written and the work that goes on behind the scenes.

I found Sue very professional with good feedback to make you think about your audience and/or publication, ensuring both your subject and writing style match both.

(AWC is) a great learning environment that is very supportive with professional and helpful tutors.

The AWC is highly professional and organised. Things ran very smoothly, modules were always available when promised, and feedback was prompt. It was great seeing other people’s work, and learning from their successes or failures as well as my own.

The Freelance Writing course is comprehensive without being overwhelming and gives you the confidence to give it a go!

The length of the course is a big win - being able to learn so much in a short period time is so helpful.

I've been a teacher for years and always thought that's all I could ever be. This course opened up my eyes to other possible careers that I could pursue using my writing skills.

Cat was a kind tutor who gave open and honest feedback about our work. She was prompt to answer any questions posted in the chat.

Thank you...I have a notebook full of notes and a head full of ideas!

Seeing the success that past students had accomplished gave me the confidence that this was the right organisation to give me the foundation and building blocks I needed to get started.

Sue was great and her feedback was extremely valuable. It helped in guiding me in the right direction and gave me the confidence I need to move forward.

Valerie's audio lessons and her knowledge were fantastic. I loved that I could pause and take down the important stuff and also go back and listen to them when I needed to. It made me feel like I was in an actual class. I liked that we got to see each other’s work as I think we learn something from each other in that way.

It made me realise I can do this if I put my mind to it.

I learnt so much about the industry as a whole and have a huge respect for the established freelance writers out there. Now I am suddenly drawn to the magazine aisle in the supermarket and find myself buying print publications, which is something I have not done in years. Now I look at magazines in a different light, assessing their content and calculating freelance v in-house writers before I buy.

It has made me realise what my niche is. What I really want to tell the world about. I found my passion (apart from writing that is) so it's on to the next course to learn as much as I can to be the best I can be.

If you want to be a writer then the AWC is where you need to go to get started. They will provide you with the foundation, knowledge, skills, and confidence you need so you can catch that dream and start living it instead of just dreaming about it.

Looking forward to doing the next course with the AWC. This was a great experience.

I honestly felt the course was comprehensive, concrete and well set out. I would say that it was better than my Graduate Diploma in Journalism with regards to covering print journalism.

Sue was very supportive, encouraging and honest. She also has worked for noteworthy publications so has got credibility.

I enjoyed getting feedback from the assignments that we had. It was a bit daunting doing them but getting encouragement and direction was very helpful.

I think it's given me a new mindset on how to think like a writer. It was a refresher but also covered a lot of new ground.

Do it! You won't regret it.

I wanted to understand the steps to be able to pitch, find stories, and get them out there. This was only 5 weeks which was a perfect short course.

I enjoyed being able to access all the student's contributions and found this to be a good learning. I enjoyed the thorough comments from Sue and her constructive feedback was helpful in pointing me in the right direction. I enjoyed being able to choose my own story and apply all the skills I am learning to that story.

I know that I can write well and that I am on the right track. This reinforced to me that this is a good journey for me to be on and to be persistent in reaching my goals. That I do have the skills to be able to write well.

I would say that it is easy to achieve in the timeframe, the assignments don’t take up too much of your week, and the learning is flexible and valuable. I completed Blogging for Beginners and Reinventing Yourself while I was doing this course! Both of these complemented well.

I definitely enjoyed the practical content of the course. Explains the nuts and bolts of the craft and in an order that makes sense. Each week builds on the knowledge of the previous week in a seamless fashion. Liked the combination of audio lessons and handouts. I'd rewind the audio, listen again, and move on when ready. Liked the encouraging tone.

Sue provided thoughtful and constructive feedback.

It's given me confidence in my writing abilities and the belief that I could be a freelance writer if I apply all I've learned in this course. It's now up to me to get on with it.

'Wear out your shoes and luck will follow.' Like most creative endeavours, it's 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration!! in other words, don't sit around waiting for inspiration, just get started and the ideas will come.

It's a very supportive environment and it's very practical. The tutors are experienced professionals.... oh and it's a lot of fun! A bit challenging of course, as it should be.

Thank you to Valerie and Sue for your generosity in sharing your knowledge and experience with us. Thank you for taking the time to put together a really practical course. Thanks also to the team behind the scenes who responded quickly to my emails. By the way, the learning hub is very user-friendly.

I am in the process of discovering my 'next right thing' in life, while juggling two kids, and would love to be able to pursue my love of writing in a more professional/paid capacity. The course was very appealing as it was online with limited contact hours and this suited my mum-life at the moment. The reviews of the course were also really good and from like-minded people.

The assignments were actually really fun and creative, and pushed me in terms of how I usually write vs. how a freelancer would write.

Thank you, Val and Sue, for your input and support in creating and facilitating this!

It's an easy paced, informative way to learn something totally new or hone existing skills while learning from some of the best. It was a great 5 weeks - I wish it were longer!

I'm calling myself a writer and we're doing this.

I really enjoyed listening to Alex's clear and concise feedback. Great and meaningful feedback, always flagging good points. Thanks Alex! It's been a pleasure.

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.

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.

The format and structure works well with the mix of audio and reading material and class chat. Cat seems very professional whilst being honest and personable.

I realised I really looked forward to doing the class time and writing. I am beginning to think I could do this.

The course is well-structured, easy to digest and incorporate in normal life, and technically reliable.

I thought Cat was great and offered useful feedback and encouragement.

It was a really accessible and easy to navigate course. I feel much more confident to pitch an article to a magazine and how to do that.

A great way to get into the writing industry with fantastic insight and mentors.

I was attracted to this course by the desire to launch a part-time career in wine writing. I have been published in the past and am now keen to pursue this with greater focus.

The tutor is super inspiring, thorough and prompt with feedback. I enjoyed the actual learning and also hearing of real-life examples of course attendees who are now writers. It's given me skills to use and inspiration to pursue writing as a career.

I'd say the courses are super-practical, in chunks that allow me to fit it in around my daily life.