What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I had pantsed the first part of my novel but felt I had lost control of it and didn't know how to progress the story in a way that made sense. Definitely word spew, to borrow another writer's words. I saw the Write Your Novel course as a way to provide structure to my work and give me deadlines to ensure I completed the first draft.

The course is so comprehensive and I feel Cathie has just the right amount of push and reward with new writers. I learnt so much and really enjoyed the process. Cathie's direction and feedback were excellent. I've come back for round 2, so that indicates the respect I have for Cathie and the course.

It has given me the confidence to continue writing. Also, this has been a time of transition in my life and the course and the contact with the other students has helped me keep my chin up.

If you are serious about wanting to advance your writing and give yourself a good chance of being published, the courses at AWC will give you the knowledge and confidence to persevere until you have that well written manuscript.

I'd like to thank Cathie Tasker and everybody at AWC, including the administration staff and course writers. I've sat in on some of your other podcasts and I always learn something new.

I was ready to keep going with my story idea but needed help with structure as well as a deadline to keep me focussed and writing. I had completed Novel Writing Essentials and this was the next step.

This course and tutor allowed me to write as the type of writer I am: a pantser. A chaotic one. I always looked forward to the new modules dropping and reading the feedback, although this last was also the most nerve racking.

It has shown me I can write something someone else would like to read; that it is okay to be a pantser and that not everyone is going to like what I write and that's okay too. It has also given me permission to be a writer.

I highly recommend these courses to anyone who is thinking they want to write. Even if you only have a tiny idea but want to see it grow these courses are what you need. Just do it.

Angela was a terrific tutor: she was honest with her feedback but also encouraging. She gave me some excellent ideas for problems in my story.

I enjoyed chatting with everyone about their books, helping them by giving good feedback, receiving the feedback from others.

Without it, I don't know if I would have finished my novel!

Write Your Novel really is what it says it is - if you do this course and complete the weekly tasks you'll end up writing your novel! It may just be a first draft but that's still an incredible achievement! The feedback given from the tutor and from classmates is absolute gold and although it is a lot of work reading other people's writing it adds immensely to your understanding of what makes for good writing.

Thanks. I really enjoyed it.

The outcomes for the course attracted me. You need to submit a draft at the end of the course. It makes you accountable. You know what you're signing up for.

I was concerned I wouldn't finish. I wasn't sure I would be able to meet the deadlines for submissions and feedback but I did it! I didn't let either myself or others down.

The tutor provided very good feedback - highlighting both areas that needed to be worked on, and areas that were working well. She had a good understanding of each of our novels - impressive!

I enjoyed the workshopping aspects - giving and receiving feedback. It's easier to pick up issues/errors in others' work and then notice you are having the same issues or making the same mistakes.

It has given me a lot more confidence and self-belief. A lot of positive reinforcement and encouragement. But also feedback on what's working and what's not.

If you're serious about your writing, then don't hesitate. Do a course. You learn to step up your game. There's no hiding. It's a supportive and encouraging learning environment. But you do learn what works and what doesn't. You will soon be able to see how you measure up, and areas you need to improve in. And you meet other great likeminded people.

I was able to improve my understanding and application of POV, character development and storytelling techniques. The workshopping was invaluable.

The tutor was very professional, encouraging while still picking up on areas to focus on. I enjoyed reading and workshopping the submissions by fellow students.

I feel so much more confident in my ability to achieve my lifelong ambition of completing a novel. I understand where and why I have given up before and felt it was beyond my ability. It is one thing to be able to write well, it is quite another to be able to tell a story well.

I've loved the interviews (and Facebook posts) with the various authors--hearing about their techniques, how they achieved their goals, and making me realise some of the things I feel are completely normal (for a writer!) I hope one day I am among them.

Thank you for keeping my dream alive!

Regardless of how well you think you can write or tell a story, the AWC will help you do both better.

Pam is ace. She is so calm and kind and she took my intro comments and gave me pointed feedback that was useful and easy to digest.

I enjoyed the deadlines to submit work. It helped me overcome my procrastination or letting life get in the way.

It helped me establish a new creative writing routine post-uni. Indeed, I considered Write Your Novel as a remedial course! Due to university commitments, I hadn’t been able to work creatively and focus on my novels for three years.

I established a good writing technique or routine by pushing myself to write toward a deadline. After working from home for three years, I understood I couldn't be creatively productive there.

I took the train to the library on the weekend, aiming to get there by the 10am opening time. I could sometimes use my phone to write on the train if I felt up to it. At the library, I could put in 1.5 hours of writing. For a lunch break, I would walk to a cafe, and while waiting for food, I could sometimes put down some more words. Afterwards, if I felt up to it, I would return to a library to write or do a creative nourishment activity (such as a movie). Had I seen a movie, the train ride home was another space and time to get some more writing done.

This seems indulgent, expensive and fattening! But making time for myself to work on my novels and do creative things was wonderful for my writing progress *and* mental health. This course helped me to develop and understand my writing needs.

Overall impression of Pamela Cook: she was amazing. Her feedback has been invaluable; she is so knowledgeable and organised. I felt so comfortable with her as she guided us through the course and I could not think of a better mentor to have.

I loved the interaction with my peers, the modules were easy to follow and the time frame between submissions, and also to be able to gain the knowledge of how to give feedback as well as receive it.

It has given me the tools to follow my dreams and aspirations of one day becoming a published author.

I can actually do this! I felt this halfway through the course after a couple of submissions. I let down my guard and allowed the feedback from my peers to help me dig deeper into my novel and think about the storyline in a different way. To take a step back and look at my novel through different eyes!

I just want to say thank you! Thank you for having a course like this available and being able to step outside my comfort zone and chase my dreams!

Pamela Cook was a fantastic tutor. She was insightful, helpful and encouraging. She has helped so much and I cannot thank her enough.

The feedback from an experienced writer just helped me to understand how to make my work more engaging. I have the confidence to continue with my writing journey.

I had completed Novel Writing Essentials with Pamela Freeman and got so much out of doing that course. After that I had continued to write my story and had nearly completed a first draft. Was keen to get some feedback and continue to improve.

Was so lucky to be put in such a great group, with people who really wanted to help each other.

Pamela was lovely and encouraging the whole way through but also gave genuine, constructive feedback with direct and specific tips on what to improve and how to go about it.

My favourite part of the course was reading everyone's feedback from Pamela, and also my course mates' feedback to each other.

It has given me confidence to keep going and motivation to keep improving.

Would have no hesitation in recommending any of the courses. I have done several and loved them all.

Thanks to Pamela and all of my classmates of September 2021 WYN. Have loved the experience and feel motivated to keep writing.

I've done many courses with AWC and I needed this course to focus on completing my novel. I thought the 6 months would be just the right amount of time without getting distracted.

The class was great, the feedback was fantastic and Bernadette was a great teacher. She was very thoughtful with her feedback and was very encouraging.

The class feedback was great. I really appreciated the interaction with the group and everyone was encouraging and offered suggestions if you were stuck with something.

It was done really well; I highly recommend how the course was set out and run.

Pamela was amazing. She was kind, responsive, motivating; it felt like she went above and beyond.

I enjoyed providing / getting feedback and engaging with fellow classmates.

The course made me realise that a novel is a poem in long form. You write, you rewrite, and each part must be perfectly connected to all other parts. Overall, it has motivated me to keep on writing, helping me to stay accountable to the writing process and to my goal. It's aided my understanding that the writing process is challenging and ongoing, and that a novel is achievable.

The quality and detail of the course work was wonderful. It felt so targeted and relevant to what I was trying to achieve.

Bernadette was a generous and experienced tutor. I appreciated all the feedback and support I received from her.

I enjoyed sharing the journey with others. The ongoing links to people and knowledge. The recorded course work and handouts.

It's got me writing and believing that I can actually finish my novel and it might be half good!

If you're serious, or even if you just want to have some fun, I highly recommend AWC. The tutors are industry professionals who know what they are talking about and the course work is relevant and detailed. It's also a wonderful way to make connections that will outlast the course.

What a pleasure this course has been!! So thankful for such a wonderfully talented, diverse and supportive group of writers, and of course, Pamela's invaluable mentorship.

Pamela was brilliant. So generous with her time and feedback, she was always insightful and considered. I found her feedback invaluable. She gave me the encouragement I needed to keep pushing through to meet my goals. She helped me to learn a lot about my writing, both strengths and weaknesses. Could not have been happier with a tutor.

I really lucked out with a great diverse group of people in this course. On the whole, really helpful and supportive. The deadlines were good for me - made me go the extra mile and produce what I probably wouldn't have done in the timeframe.

I am changing my working life next year to free up more writing time. I want to get this current novel in print and commence, if not complete, my next manuscript in 2023.

Just do it! There are courses for all kinds of writers and you can do them at your own pace. Great tutors and a fabulous way to connect with other writers. I have already recommended AWC to a number of people.

Just a sincere thank you for helping me get to where I want to be.

Bernadette was always kind, encouraging and her feedback always helpful. In Zoom meetings and messages, she helped bring the group together to a point where we could continue our work together beyond the course.

I enjoyed workshopping each other's manuscripts and connecting with people who I can talk shop with!

The guidance, feedback, deadlines and connections with other writers helped me complete the first draft of a brand new novel. As I had some disappointments with another manuscript preceding the course, I feel this would have taken much longer to complete otherwise. I have also come away with a brand new group of friends who are at the same stage in their writing pursuits.

If you are serious about completing your novel, don't doubt the investment in yourself and trust that, no matter what you've already learnt, you will come away with much more.

I wish I had done it sooner.

Bernadette was fantastic. Her feedback was always constructive and provided insight into things I hadn't thought about or been aware of. She was very gentle with her criticism; it was actually guidance on how to do something better. The encouragement from the other participants and of course Bernadette was very reassuring.

I found the site easy to navigate and the structure of the course was great. I didn't have any technical issues which was great for me as I can be pretty backwards on the technical side.

I was amazed with myself that I completed the course and had the homework sections in on time. I am listed in the world's greatest procrastinators, but I knew that this was just what I needed at this point in my life. The class members were great; we've actually formed an outside group to continue with our writing journeys. I'm blown away by the encouragement the group gave me on tackling such a tough topic, domestic violence, and the encouraging feedback I received.

Everyone I have dealt with at the Australian Writers' Centre has been courteous and well informed. The courses are run in a very professional way and the content of the courses is top-notch.

Why did I put off doing this course for so long?

Such fun! Zoom meetings, interacting via email, and especially getting confirmation that us writers regularly have the same doubts about our ability. But as Bernadette says, 'Just keep writing and it will all come together.'

Bernadette was so encouraging, and gave great advice, e.g., keep writing, don't go back and fix what anyone in the group has said, you can do that later. And so I steamrolled along and completed my novel in the time allocated. Bernadette's encouraging words kept me working hard - 'could my writing be as good as she says?' I believed in her.

I enjoyed the interaction with like-minded people who gave terrific 'readerly' and 'editorial' advice. Also, meeting the challenge of timelines.

Happy with all that was offered. Especially the admin team at AWC who treated me so respectfully when I asked dumb questions. Nothing was too much trouble. And their speed at responding was terrific.

A huge thanks for getting me back on track. I haven't written fiction since my book was published - 15 years ago! Too busy as a funeral celebrant writing other peoples' stories. I am now entrenched in a regular writing routine.

If you have the passion, commitment, and can dream, the AWC is a wonderful backup to you achieving your dream.

I enjoyed developing a writing community with co-students and the quality, knowledge, professionalism and communication style of the tutor. Learning directly through my tutor how to make my writing a better fit for my audience was an important moment.

It brought me closer to completing a first draft and reinforced my drive to make writing a part of my career.

If you're serious about writing fiction, enrol in an AWC course.

Cathie was clear with her tailored feedback and offered structured advice on how to improve my writing. She posted information on technical aspects of writing along with recommended texts covering all manner of topics. She encouraged me to dig deeper.

I found the workshopping very enjoyable. Reading others' work and providing feedback is an important part of the course.

That I have managed to complete a first draft of my novel is amazing and I know I couldn't have done it without the support I received from Cathie or the other students in the group.

Go for it! If you have ever thought you wanted to write, this is the place to be.

Angela Slatter was fantastic. She provided very thorough individual feedback, which was so helpful.

I enjoyed working with the other writers - you certainly do learn a lot about your own writing when you see things in other's writing that you do and don't enjoy. Having such a large number of people see my work at this early stage certainly gets rid of the fear of what others will think.

If you have something you've written and not sure where to go from there, this is a great way to take it to the next level.

The tutor was superb. Angela gives great advice and leads the writer to their epiphanies. Imposter syndrome now has a name and when she rears her head, I feed her chocolate (thank you Angela Slatter).

I enjoyed the interaction with other writers, their insights and comments. It has inspired me to a better writing practice.

If you want to write well, try a course. If you want to enter a supportive writing community then this is the best way to do it.