What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I liked that the course is self-paced and the content is succinct. This meant I could complete it quickly and note taking was easy. Lesley gave terrific summaries and specific guidance.

I was surprised by how short the 'word count sweet spot' is in terms of publishing for this age group. When I started writing, I thought I was writing a middle grade book, so it was substantially longer than I now realise is desirable for junior fiction. I'm trying hard to reduce my word count, along with the complexity at story and sentence level.

Now having completed ten courses (ten!) with AWC, I can say wholeheartedly that they've been the best writing investment I could have possibly made. All courses are led by people with genuine industry experience and success who know what they're talking about. The content has been interesting and super helpful, and the connections I've made (particularly in a Writers Group established post the EYN course in 2022) have continued to sustain and elevate my writing habits.

Thank you, Lesley, for the relevant and insightful content you presented.

The presentation by Lesley was great. I enjoyed all her examples, the technical knowledge she shared, the general tips about how to find a publisher and pitch, and the passion with which she presented the material.

I was already passionate about writing for children, but this course gave me more confidence to give it a go. I actually find writing for the early reader harder than writing for older children, so this course was terrific in giving me lots of insight into writing for 6-9 year olds.

I have undertaken a number of courses at the Australian Writers' Centre now. Having done a raft of other writing courses previously in Australia and overseas, the AWC courses really stand out for their specific, technical and practical advice. They are courses that really give you concrete skills. I've completed every course feeling like I have the knowledge and tools to write and to see a writing project through, rather than just engaging with the creative idea of writing (which can be fun but gets you nowhere!).

A huge thank you to Lesley for a wonderful course!

Lesley was a great presenter. Everything was clearly presented. Pace was good. Notes were useful. Great use of practical examples. Each module was clear and concise and a good length.

Can't wait to start writing my first chapter book!

I have a 7-year-old who loves to read. To encourage his love of reading even more, I will either read with him or read the same books as him. It's given me an interest in writing for his age group.

The video lessons were great. My past courses have been audio lessons, so video was new for me and I think it enhanced the content. It's always good to put a face to the voice!

I'm more keen than ever to write for this age group.

The self-paced courses are great. I don't have time at the moment to commit to regular live learning sessions, but I can fit in self-paced learning.

I had an idea for a chapter book and wanted to develop it further. Although I read them a lot to my kids, I didn't really understand the 'official' distinctions between picture books, chapter books, middle grade books etc.

Great presentation, very clear and easy to follow. The tips about what booksellers are looking for are very helpful, as are the tutor's comments about how a book deal might look, as well as the fact that a two-book deal is not the be all and end all and can have an impact on creativity.

As a course by someone in the industry talking about writing as a career it has everything you need to know. I like that it is very practical and tells you what not to do as well as what to do.

The Australian Writers' Centre is fantastic for writers of all levels, from aspiring to published. Because the tutors are authors themselves, they give solid industry advice as well as writing inspiration, which is essential for building a long-term career as an author.

I enjoyed the video presentations by Lesley. There is more to writing chapter books than I had expected and Lesley was able to break it all down and leave me with the notion that I could actually achieve this!!

I have a stronger belief in my own ability to write a chapter book now.

I have previously completed the Creative Writing Stage 1 course which I totally loved as well. Thank you Lesley Gibbes for inspiring me further!

I really like the idea of a self-paced course. I have been writing a chapter book, but needed to make sure I was following the right path.

I really enjoyed this course. I realised my language I was using for my chapter book was too old and my sentences too long. Lesley provides information in an easy-to-follow format which makes it easy to put things into place for my own writing.

I have amended my chapter book to suit my audience more. I am now able to finish this book and move onto my next idea.

The AWC has lots of great information available on a huge variety of courses. Some are self-paced and others facilitated by an online teacher. There's fantastic value to be gained from the Australian Writers' Centre. Just take a look!

Excellent content - went beyond what I expected and covered some very pertinent points.

The presentation was easy to follow. It was well signposted so I could always follow the topics.

The course has bolstered my desire to write and made it seem achievable.

I found Lesley to be very clear, encouraging and practical in her delivery of the course.

I enjoyed researching chapter books from the library and being able to then relate Lesley's modules with those same chapter books.

It has inspired me again to go back and rewrite one of my series ideas.

For the first time I understood the importance of considering how difficult it can be for early readers who are working hard to read without assistance. I loved reading as a kid and can't remember the work involved. It has shifted my thinking back to a space of making the stories accessible to early readers.

These courses are a great way to discover or rediscover a love of writing. They provide a framework for growing your craft at a reasonable price.

Lesley's lessons are clear and she breaks the process down so that it all seems very possible.

I am excited to continue to write Chapter Books. The encouragement from the feedback is invaluable.

A great course that is self-paced with fantastic audio feedback.

I loved how this course was broken down into sections with many examples. Lots of information to think about.

I am an emerging writer and currently taking in all of the information. My "aha" moment is all of the topics to think about (i.e. language, format, characters etc ) when writing chapter books. It is rather tricky, and yet I am amazed by the creativity.

I absolutely love the Australian Writers' Centre. I shared with my friend something that I had written, and she replied, "OMG! Where did you learn that?" Of course, I told her about AWC.

The information was delivered in an easily accessible and understandable format.

It has inspired me to start writing again.

I'm interested in writing for this age group and think Lesley is a fabulous writer so wanted to learn from her. After completing this course, I feel as though I'm ready to start working on my chapter book.

I was attracted to this course as it was such a specialised area within the broad children's book writing world. Many writing courses focus on picture books or young adult books and skip over this age and it was for this reason that I wanted to learn more about it.

It has made me see how important it is to engage readers at this age and nurture their love of reading. I am now writing stories for my 6- and 7-year-old and the lessons I have learned from this course are influencing the stories I create.

The Australian Writers' Centre has a wealth of knowledge about the world of writing and the Centre is generous about sharing this knowledge with others.

Lesley was a wonderful tutor. She gave me so much information that was invaluable. I enjoyed soaking up all the knowledge that she has to offer. I will be referring back to these videos for as long as I can.

The course was really well structured so that it goes through many different aspects of writing for this age group one module at a time.

I feel like I can do this. I feel like I have a new enthusiasm for giving writing for this age group a go.

The self-paced courses are amazing. The fact that you can study at your own pace and continue to go over what you have learnt is invaluable. I also like that it was specific to a particular age group.

Lesley is a great presenter and really emphasised the important aspects of writing for this age group. I will be more aware of adding drama and maybe a catastrophe or two to my writing.

Lesley presents a great course that covers all aspects of writing chapter books. If you want to write for children, it's a must.

The self-paced learning and the assignment was fun.

I started writing a book series after completing this course. I had the first book assessed by Cathie Tasker and then enrolled in the Write Your Novel course. It has directed me to writing middle grade and I am really enjoying the process.

The courses offered at AWC are invaluable. The tutors are professional, highly experienced and very positive. I love the podcasts, writing community and Author Block Parties.

I really enjoyed Lesley's delivery of the course and her obvious passion for the subject. It is infectious!

Being shown lots of real-life examples in books that have actually been published was extremely helpful to me.

I now have a lot more confidence to start writing stories for this age group with the thought that they might get published one day.

It's totally worth it.

I have an idea for a story, but I wasn't sure whether or not it was a middle grade or a chapter book so I did this course to understand the difference & also pick up some new tips.

The modules were the right length, full of great information and easy to watch. Lesley was really engaging.

It left me feeling very comfortable that the idea I am considering is definitely a chapter book and that I'm more than capable of writing it.

I really love writing stories for this age group and thought it would be a great course to undertake. I thought it might be time consuming however I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. It was upbeat and positive. I really enjoyed Lesley's enthusiasm for writing.

It really clarified how to go about writing for this age group. It was quite thorough in that way so I feel confident to go ahead and write stories for submission to publishing houses.

I love the way you can fit these courses in with your daily life. I love the online learning experience.