What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I found Angela's feedback very helpful. I also contacted her privately with my doubts, given I was the only student writing memoir. She reassured me and supported me to continue with my writing. Her positive feedback has encouraged me to continue writing as I've gained a great deal of confidence.

I enjoyed listening to the online tutorials and then trying to put the advice into practice. I also enjoyed receiving Angela's and the other students’ feedback which I will now process.

I'm very motivated to continue my memoir, given Angela's positive feedback about my writing style. Whether I have it published is another issue as I have no idea how to go about this. It's now my focus to go down that path, as Abby, who has also been very supportive to me during the course, has also encouraged me to pursue the publishing aspect.

Angela was great. Learned so much from her feedback given - not just to me but everyone else as well. Plus the extra info she gave us on various subjects was really useful.

The tutor and the workshopping were fantastic. I found the process so valuable for keeping my writing on track and learning lots at the same time.

The idea of writing a novel has felt so overwhelming. After this course, I feel much more confident about not only writing but finishing.

I've taken a few courses here and the standard of tutoring has always been so high. The weekly lessons and resources are practical, easy to understand and apply. Definitely builds confidence.

I had just completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and wanted to bridge the gaps in my knowledge with Novel Writing Essentials before applying for Write Your Novel.

I worried that perhaps it would just recap what CWS1 covered, but it really didn't. It took everything I learned in CWS1 and built upon it, enhanced that knowledge, and developed it further.

I loved working with Bronwyn. She was so encouraging and her feedback on everyone's work was insightful and right on-point. She always pinpointed the places I'd struggled with in a scene and gave me some wonderful suggestions for fixes!

I really enjoyed getting to know my classmates and seeing their work evolve. I've found quite a few folks I'm hoping to workshop with more in the future!

I'd recommend (and do!) the AWC to my writing friends. The courses are rich with information, and even after having spent ten years "teaching myself" how to write, these course have filled in a lot of gaps in my understanding of how fiction works. I am, without a doubt, a better writer today than I was a year ago, and I wish I'd come to these classes earlier!

Bronwyn gave detailed, encouraging but realistic feedback that was timely and helpful.

I enjoyed having a structured approach to keeping writing, learning how to shape character and story etc in the weekly lessons. Seeing what other people are up to! Realising that there are many approaches, time frames and approaches to novel writing.

I'm looking forward to a brief break before beginning the twelve-month novel writing programme. I'll continue to write in the meantime, with the momentum I've gathered, though!

Bernadette offered very insightful and crucial feedback, especially on my first submission. She was very encouraging and clear, which was very helpful

The course was very accessible and flexible. The podcasts and written materials were great. I think the subject and content of each module was spot on. Not too heavy, not too light.

The course has given me the courage to keep going with my novel. It has made me realise the magnitude of the task and given me some key clues on how to achieve that all-important first draft. The course has also made me feel I am not alone in this pursuit and there is plenty of help and guidance around, which is great.

I had completed a couple of self-paced AWC courses and felt they'd really improved my writing and knowledge of how to write a novel. They also got me started on writing my first chapter. I thought this course would be great to get me started more seriously on my manuscript.

I really enjoyed having Bron as our tutor. She was an astute commentator on our work and tailored her feedback to each of our pieces and styles. She also combined positive and encouraging feedback with more critical feedback to enable revisions. She was very generous with her time and I had a separate conversation with her about a dilemma I was having in writing true crime/memoir where she gave me some very useful tips and, most of all, encouragement to continue writing this story.

I enjoyed the workshopping component- both by the students and tutor. It really opened my eyes to some of the flaws in my writing and gave me concrete ideas on how to revise it. Workshopping others' stories and reading others' comments gave me the skills to critically appraise a piece of writing. It also made me aware that some feedback is subjective or inappropriate and needs to be evaluated by the writer with respect to overall intention and instinct. Judgement on what to change and what to keep is a skill I will need to keep honing!

I now have over 10,000 words written and I have a draft structure with an idea of my POV characters that feels right for me at the moment. Starting to write seriously has also thrown up a whole lot of ethical and legal questions on writing true crime/memoir about people that are still alive. It has shown me how important it is to read widely in this genre to understand where the boundaries lie between fiction and non-fiction. My goal over the next few months is to saturate myself in creative non-fiction writers and techniques, while continuing to write my first draft. I have also enrolled in the creative non-fiction self-paced AWC course.

It's an amazing course, especially if writing fiction, that will set you up with the skills, discipline and community to begin your manuscript.

I guess the most important thing for me, which surprised me, was that the course didn't attempt to give me a formula for how to write. Rather, it gave common sense general parameters and the encouragement to write in my own style and then relevant feedback.

The tutor was first class; very direct at times, but encouraging, which is the best style for this sort of endeavour.

It’s a funny thing to say but I found I just loved writing and the course forced me to write and not to be afraid.

I have had a story in my head for twenty years and now I'm confident it will be written. I have enrolled in the Write Your Novel course.

I thought that the feedback that Bronwyn gave was excellent. She was very thorough and constructive and went into great detail too with lots of good suggestions.

It was great to see the way that other people write. Our "stories" were all so varied. There was never one that was the same, so it was interesting to read genres that I would not normally read.

Bronwyn is an accomplished author and editor. I've downloaded her feedback for everyone in the course because there's a lot to learn from her in-depth observations. She gave comprehensive, insightful and incredibly useful feedback that will inform the rest of my novel. Thanks, Bronwyn.

I enjoyed Bronwyn's feedback and the online chat where some interesting topics were raised. Also, everyone's different points of view/opinions and some good reading recommendations.

It gave me the kick up the bum I needed to get started, yet again, on this story that has been knocking around in my head for a long time. I also received encouraging feedback from most of the group members, which is motivating as I have very little confidence in my writing. It's nice to know fellow writers liked my work (or at least I think they did!)

I would say, go for it. The course content is good, and I like the balance between the notes and the audio. It is also a bonus to have access to the course for 12 months after completion - I had to rush through it and I still haven't listened to module 8 and some bits of the other modules. Also, our tutor Bronwyn Parry was incredibly professional.

Overall the course was enjoyable. The participants were from all over the place and from all walks of life, which kept the chats lively. Their work was accomplished too. There's a lot of talent out there!

Bernadette is very knowledgeable and provides helpful and specific feedback. I enjoyed getting feedback from someone within the profession and also being in a group with other passionate and driven writers. I have really enjoyed being a part of their writing journey and I am excited to keep working together with some of them and seeing their stories flourish.

I think it has provided me with a good understanding of where my writing is at (and areas to improve), the process of writing, encouragement to keep going, and a group of people I hope to stay in contact with to support each other on the journey.

I would like to thank Bernadette for being a part of my writing journey. Thank you!

What especially attracted me to this course was its structure and writing schedule. Without this, I know I would still be dreaming about my story instead of actually writing it.

I was initially hesitant about people being able to read my (unpolished) work, but these fears were unfounded, and everyone in the course (both tutor and students) were really supportive and gave really insightful feedback.

Bernadette was amazing! She gave both professional and objective feedback, whilst also getting behind your story and becoming one of its biggest supporters. I cannot thank her enough for her insight and enthusiasm regarding my story.

I definitely enjoyed reading the feedback from other students. It was very exciting and rewarding to see people genuinely enjoying your work.

This was truly a magnificent course that I will be recommending to anyone who wants to kick-start their novel writing. I have actually found the motivation and inspiration to write! And having completed this course, I actually feel as though I have taken massive strides in becoming a writer.

Australian Writers' Centre provides the most comprehensive yet straight forward courses regarding writing. It is the best place to go for all your writing needs. Completing their courses will bring you closer and closer towards becoming a successful writer. I cannot recommend them enough!

Just thank you for this amazing course!

Having been so impressed with the Creative Writing Stage 1 course, it was a natural step for me to enrol in this one. I was initially hesitant to share my story as I didn't want anyone to steal the idea! However the peer feedback has been invaluable just like Pamela said it would be!

Pamela was fabulous! Kind, encouraging and insightful.

The actual content of the lessons was so helpful and I also enjoyed receiving and giving feedback. Getting really positive feedback for my work (and in particular the humour in my work) has given me the confidence to keep writing.

I couldn't recommend AWC more highly. My 10-year-old daughter is now asking to do the kids course as she's seen how much I have gotten out of this one (we workshop our writing together). Thank you! I'm already enrolled in another AWC course and can't wait to begin!

I thought I had learned loads on other courses. This one is head and shoulders above anything else I have done.

I had wanted to write a book and had done several introductory writing courses. As a terrible procrastinator, this one appealed because of deadlines and feedback. I also liked that it was focussed on novel writing and not prohibitively expensive!

The tutor was fantastic! Bronwyn gave detailed and very helpful feedback. I hit lucky that my tutor is a writer in a very similar genre to my planned book and therefore could help with that too. Her comments were encouraging and kind as well as pointing out issues I needed to address.

The camaraderie and learning potential of the submission and feedback schedule was immensely helpful. 9 of us from our group have gone on to create our own critique group to continue this.

But it wasn’t just the critique. I found the lessons and resources extremely helpful in developing my characters and story and know I will go back to them again and again.

My confidence has grown immensely and I’m convinced I’ll still be putting words on a page for a long time to come. The fear has gone (mostly!)

It’s motivational, helpful and really makes you think through your work at a deeper level that leads to improvement.

I loved this course and all that it contained. My online tutor is brilliant and addressed every aspect of writing.

The design of the course is amazing. To the point. The tutor is brilliant, and the peer interaction invaluable. It was faultless.

The course revealed much about myself and my life and writing to me. I am humbled. Upon reflection, it's hard to say what one specific 'aha!' moment was for me. There were many.

This course is invaluable, no matter what you write. Thank you.

I knew about AWC from Furious Fiction, and have entered a few over the past 18 months or so. But I've had a novel in mind, stopped/started over the past 7-8 years. I knew I had to do something like this though, or it would just remain a dream.

I had the usual self-doubt, with imposter syndrome kicking in early. But I managed to get over that. It's been brilliant.

Bron was great. My second submission consisted of a pretty intense couple of scenes. She gave me nothing but positive feedback and encouragement. And interestingly, everyone else's feedback was remarkably similar to hers.

I enjoyed the chance to read other people's work, see the issues and challenges they are wrestling with, and hopefully give them the positive feedback that helps them with their writing.

I think it's given me the confidence to think yes, I can do this thing. And produce something I think I'll be happy with.

I've written (non fiction) for a living for decades. I've learnt so much from this course. If you want to be a better writer, do it!

I was worried that other's might criticize my work too harshly, but I was wrong. Everybody was so nice and supportive. And it was actually better to have honest feedback. It improved my story a lot more!

Pamela was good. Gave honest feedback and helpful advice.

I enjoyed working on my story, and reading other people's stories. Hearing positive feedback. Also recognizing errors in other work that would help my own mistakes.

It helped me with the extra boost I needed to keep writing. When I noticed other similar writing styles to mine, it boosted my confidence a bit more!

I wanted to develop my writing skills while I've been writing my first manuscript. I didn't have any hesitations. I had just completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and knew that I would enjoy this as well.

Pamela's feedback was great. I found her approach of using the video messages as a great way to take on the critiques.

I enjoyed the editing process for assessing my classmates’ work. I found it valuable in reassessing my own writing. It was great to see other creative ideas and the different approaches.

I had been mulling over a story arc for my manuscript. I was unsure where to take it. By having the class take a look I was able to decide where I wanted to take the story and plotted out an outline. I don't think I'd be at that point without the class.

It has helped to keep me motivated in my writing. I now have the constant voice in my head to continue writing.

It's a good starting point to see if you'd like to give writing it a try. The foundation classes don't require too much of a commitment and there are other classes to continue onto. It was great. Thank you!

Pamela identified the potential and is eager for an emerging writer to keep going and improve and learn as much as possible while developing writing skills. She was always positive - firm and positive.

I enjoyed reading other emerging writers' work and the workshopping.

During the Novel Writing Essentials course I had a writing epiphany: writing will become the easy part when you learn as much as possible (and I mean everything!) about the characters you have created, then the shape of your synopsis will develop. If you don't focus on these ingredients the 'stuck' feeling or frustration will keep occurring. Return to the characters and be directed by their mannerisms, beliefs, confidence, ability and more. They will direct you.

It has been a great 'reality check' - talking with other budding writers, listening to Pamela's experiences in the industry, and workshopping. You were right, workshopping is very useful...

Pamela was very approachable, very responsive and interactive, and very knowledgeable. It was really great to have such an experienced tutor.

(I enjoyed) making connections with my classmates and talking outside of school! It is great to be connected with a peer group and sharing our struggles.

Hoorah! and Thank You!

Pamela has such a strong grasp of the skill of writing. She is so adept at seeing why something works or doesn't and how to make it better.

Once again it was the incidental pieces of information from Pamela that made it so worthwhile.

I want to keep going. I've never had that before.