What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Cathie is a great tutor and cares very much for her students. She gives 110% if not more so and makes sure we understand. Her feedback and extra help is first class.

I gradually learnt to relax and enjoy each module and not feel as if I had two heads, being so much older than the other students. It was good to see faces and get to know each student on Zoom and to learn a little more about their lives. I enjoyed reading their submissions and enjoyed receiving their feedback on my own novel. It has been a great learning curve and I am so glad I did this course.

I think doing this course has given me confidence to explore deeper levels in my next novel and maybe not shirk doing another draft to this YA novel if it is needed. The novel would have stayed in the drawer forever without persevering with this EYN course. Oddly, I feel as if I have grown up!

I recommend many people to AWC and know of at least five who enrolled because I said it is the way to go and to learn the craft.

Thank you to Cathie, to Filia and Nic and to the students for being part of my journey for the past six months. It is sad to be reaching the end of the course, but I think some of us will stay good friends. I appreciate all the courses I have done with AWC. Each one adds another step in the right direction for a writer to learn aspects of the craft.

It was very enjoyable, even paced and incisive. I enjoyed finding out new things. The course blew away self-doubt that I'm not good enough to write.

Do it as there will be something in it for you.

I have always wanted to write children's books but felt stuck, so thought a course might help. This short course seemed good quality and covered the things I wanted to learn.

Jude is very knowledgeable on all aspects of what we covered - illustrating, writing and publishing. She was very down to earth and engaging. I really enjoyed seeing Jude's works in progress and comparing them to the final product. It made it feel more doable and not just a distant, unachievable dream.

I think I used to procrastinate writing because it seemed so unrealistic that I could actually create a book. But I feel motivated now and I feel like it's possible.

I already knew it in theory, but I really 'got' the idea that you have to draft and then refine, and keep going through that process, rather than starting and editing it before you have even finished a draft. I would end up being so put off by the thought of a publisher seeing my crappy draft that I would never finish anything!

People do this course for all kinds of reasons, but for me it helped me get unstuck. If you feel like you want to write a picture book but for whatever reason you just don't do it, then it's definitely worth doing this course.

My career advisor had suggested I look for a career that was 'creative and literary' so I started researching courses and careers online. When I discovered the Australian Writers' Centre I was absolutely delighted. I wish I'd discovered this course years ago! The structure and content looked brilliant - extremely professional and well thought out. I also was inspired by watching the videos on your website by people who had never written professionally before but could do so after completing this course.

I was worried what I would do if I wasn't any good at it but decided to be brave and give it a go!

Vivienne's feedback was invaluable. She was constructive in her detailed feedback but was always encouraging and positive.

I loved the podcast aspect to the course. I downloaded the relevant documents on a Monday, read them and then was able to go out for a walk, listening to the modules. This helped me to really absorb the information. My favourite assignment was interviewing one of my classmates - it really helped to get to know another person on the course. I also enjoyed the feedback in video clip format. It was great to learn from other people's assignments too.

It has given me the confidence to believe that I can embark on a writing career. It has unlocked a door into the creative part of my brain - I find I'm always thinking of ideas and wondering how I could write about them. I discovered that I love writing descriptive hooks and I'm contemplating doing the creative writing course as well.

Absolutely go for it. The courses are so well thought out and carefully structured. You won't believe how much you can learn in 5 weeks - it's intense!

I enjoyed the intimacy of the course. Writing is often a space void of other people's voices and just listening to Valerie's voice felt very personal; like a character in a self-help script with Valerie as the POV narrator (writing doctor) helped with the diagnosis, cure and healing. I came away from the course with a sense of calm for what is a huge operation to dissect a manuscript.

No matter where you are with your writing, the AWC will meet you with the knowledge to take you to the next level.

I enjoyed Pamela's teaching style. I find her very easy to listen to and laugh out loud sometimes at the humour in her delivery. I would watch Pamela do a seminar on how grass grows.

I have definitely submitted cliched openings before and am guilty of info dumping. These are just two crucial pieces of information I have learned.

The Focus On seminars are a fantastic idea. They give people on a limited budget the opportunity to access crucial knowledge.

AWC courses and seminars provide crucial information about writing and submitting from facilitators that have firsthand experience.

The course has taken me from knowing nothing about freelance writing and how to go about it to knowing so much more and feeling ready to pitch to editors. I am writing pitches this week to send off and start my journey - very excited!

Vivienne provided detailed feedback on each assignment in a very timely manner.

I wasn't sure exactly what freelance writing involved and if I'd like it. It wasn't what I thought it was, but it turned out to be something much better!

The tutor was very honest and thorough, and I knew I could trust that she would actually go through what I'd written line by line and let me know if it could be better.

I've found something new that I think I can do and might be more suited to than what I was previously trying to do.

This course is so practical and highlighted elements that I could implement immediately to improve my writing.

Nat was fabulous! I have never had so much feedback from a tutor in the past. I loved the video feedback and watched all of the videos as you learn so much listening to Nat critique each piece. You can see she loves her work. Her feedback is insightful and helpful. I now have Nat's voice in my head when I am writing and have almost declared war on adverbs :) I can see the improvement in my work and am surprised that this happened over what is a relatively short period of time.

I enjoyed the practical modules that I could implement immediately. Having work reviewed, not only by Nat but also by others in the class was helpful and it is great to hear how others perceive your work. The exercises are all relevant and the handouts are so useful.

I think I finally get it! I mean - I have a much clearer vision on what I need to do to complete my first draft and then what next steps to take. I have more confidence to keep writing and to be brutal with my editing process (which I actually enjoy). Finally, and probably most importantly, I know that I will now complete the work.

There is no right or wrong way to approach your novel. You find the method that works best for you and keep writing. Don't keep going back over what you've written again and again as the novel will never be finished. Make some notes and leave these changes alone until the first draft is finished.

Fabulous program that gives insight into the process of writing. Personal feedback and guidance from authors who really do know their stuff. All done in a collaborative and supportive environment that gives you the confidence to keep writing.

Just thank you!

Kate is an expert so it's a privilege to be able to learn from her. But to be honest, what I loved most was Kate's love of storytelling and art, and how she permeated every aspect of this course with that love. It was beautiful and inspiring.

I've already learned so much from Kate but I really appreciate having all of this plotting and planning information laid out so neatly and in order.

The course showed me how important it is to dream and imagine. Writing isn't just words on a page; it's bringing an idea to life.

This is literally a how-to plot and plan a novel!

I wanted to explore the world of freelance writing without committing to a uni course.

I thoroughly enjoyed having Vivienne as a tutor; she was fair, encouraging and knowledgeable. Her feedback was constructive and helpful. I enjoyed the self-paced learning and receiving feedback.

A major 'Aha' moment has been realising just how many freelance writers contribute to publications! I feel confident to pitch to editors and read articles through a different lens now!

Thank you! As a novice writer I was sure I would feel out of my depth (especially given the fact some people in the course are very established writers!) but Vivienne made me feel welcomed and her feedback was constructive and useful. The course itself was easy to understand and gave me great insight into the world of freelance writing.

I am a procrastinator, so was hoping for strategies to be motivated. I enjoyed hearing what successful writers do.

I think for me, the course helped me recognise that the time spent thinking or dreaming about the project is part of the work and can be important to moving forward. Also, making the most of the time you have. I have a 20-minute commute to and from work. I now have ideas of how better to use that time rather than playing a game on my phone.

There is lots to gain in hearing from successful writers. The app and book recommendations are very useful.

I loved the course, and learned so much. It is a massive program that will take time and patience to master.

Natasha led the course in an easy-to-understand manner. I liked that she, as a skilled and successful author, showed us in a practical manner how she uses it. She illustrated probably most of the basic 'getting started' tools that are most often used and useful, and I'm almost at the stage of making the decision to plunge into being a Scrivener user. (Wish it could also help me write as well as Natasha!)

I got more than I expected from this course, and am confident it will complement the Content Writing course that I've also enrolled in. Contributions from the other students were also interesting and helpful.

The tutor was outstanding. 2 x 2 hour straight sessions in lecture or tutorial is, in my experience, not something to look forward to. But David made the time fly. I enjoyed his knowledge, experience, honest feedback and bedside manner.

Highly recommended.

Everything was covered in the course. Learnt the art of copywriting in just five weeks!

Take this course if you are looking to gain new skills or have an additional source of income. It's worth the time and money!

Very professionally and well-thought-out course materials. I love listening to Valerie's tutorials. What a wonderful speaker she is!

I was very impressed with Petronella and her attention to detail and her lovely energy. The feedback was valuable and I think will help a lot moving forward.

I enjoyed the writing exercises. I loved the interaction and reading the others work as well. A highlight, sitting in my office listening to the tutorials.

I am more intent on writing a novel than I was. My passion and confidence have been ignited.

Fantastic opportunity to learn the foundations of picture book writing from an expert. The Convent in Abbotsford was perfect.

Judith Rossell is a natural teacher. The group worked well together under her guidance. We shared out writing exercises and the feedback was incredibly constructive. It made me think about my stories in different ways. I learnt how to develop the story from different POVs and how to analyse and cut/tighten up my work. I would highly recommend enrolling in this course with Judith.

I now feel confident that I have the skills to put my work out there.

Don't hesitate to sign up. If you want to take your writing further, in a supportive learning environment, these courses are invaluable.

This course was exceptional! I had a couple of questions I was having trouble finding answers to in other plotting and planning texts and Kate answered them all. Whilst I love being creative and thinking up stories as I walk and daydream, I also like to know I am on the right track in terms of narrative tension and narrative thread. This was by far the best course on plotting, planning and structure that I've done.

I enjoyed the presentation style, the humour (the author's diagram - hilarious!) the explanation of the different planning styles and journeys. The easy breakdown of different sections of your plan in a step-by-step way is really thoughtful and shows Kate's years of experience and knowledge. The ART, oh my goodness! It's an entire framework that you can choose to hang your words on or take snippets of what you need. I am very grateful that I stumbled upon it in my inbox. Completed it in two sittings and will watch it all again without doubt. Such exceptional value!

Please do yourself a favour and do an AWC course - actually do several. They are really fun, exceptional value for money and you learn something new from each one!

David Leser was great. Very generous with his information and his experiences.

If you're thinking of starting your writing journey, AWC is a great place to start given the breadth and depth of courses and the sense of community it tries to create. And if you're serious about your writing, having Valerie as a coach is a fantastic investment.

Pamela's brilliant!

I've been inspired and so encouraged by the feedback I've received. Especially when the feedback pointed out flaws or weak spots.

You just can't go wrong with an AWC course. They want you to succeed, and go out of their way to ensure you do.

Thank you!