What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Pamela is brilliant! She is well versed in all areas of writing and her expertise was really helpful. I enjoyed the online zoom sessions. I now have the basis for a novel.

Jump in and do it!

Bernadette is an absolutely amazing tutor. It was a privilege to be taught by someone who has such a wealth of knowledge and experience from working in the publishing industry, and who gives students such helpful feedback and wonderful encouragement. My motivation (and 'feeling inspired-ness'!) to press on with my writing, and to make a start on a kids' chapter book, has greatly increased since doing the course. Thank you, Bernadette!

I've developed a basic plot for a kids' chapter book that I want to write, so am feeling pretty over the moon about that! And am just feeling very encouraged and motivated in general (about starting on the book and about my writing ability, thanks to Bernadette's amazing feedback, and her believing in us and encouraging us).

I really appreciated Bernadette's genuine enthusiasm and interest in our writing exercises; it was just very authentic and encouraging.

I would say AWC have a whole lot of fantastic courses (and awesome one-off workshops too). The courses are very affordable, the tutors are amazing and even if your life is busy, there are courses that aren't too demanding and are very do-able, time-wise.

Thanks again, AWC and Bernadette!

I'm hungry to learn everything I can about writing my book, but lack time. This style of course delivery is great! I get so much out of it. Pamela's concise, informative presentation and notes, her explanations and interaction with others on the webinar. I come away with some new material to digest and plenty of support in grasping it. Perfect combination.

Helped me to understand how to organise and present my story information. Gives me more confidence.

I always tell friends and acquaintances that these courses are well structured, written and presented. For adults who want to learn the foundations, it is a time-effective (and therefore cost-effective) way to do it.

I was very impressed with Nat's tutoring, both for myself and the other students in my class. Her feedback was always insightful, helpful and easy to understand.

I enjoyed reading the submissions of the other students in the course. It was interesting to see the variety and styles of the stories that were being written. I also enjoyed Valerie's audio lessons.

I would say that the course will help a lot because you will have your own work evaluated through "fresh eyes" that will see things you might not have been aware of, but that you will also have the chance to examine and give feedback on the work of others which can be extremely helpful. The information included in the audio lessons and handouts is also of great benefit.

The seminar was like you are sitting having a one-to-one conversation with Pamela even though there are several other people tuned in.

It has added to the knowledge I have already gained from the other courses I have completed.

The Australian Writers' Centre has such a wide variety of courses on offer that there is something to suit everyone.

This course was well set out and had lots of great information. Once I completed the course, I realised I want to pursue my dream and am now eager to take the next step.

The content was more than I was expecting. There were various topics and ideas covered. I enjoyed the interviews with various authors. I found the course was very informative and left me wanting more.

I was very impressed with the way the information in this course was organised. It waded through a morass with insight and clarity.

I enjoyed learning about something I knew very little about.

I have been toying with the idea of having several of my fictions produced as audiobooks. This course has made that possibility more of a probability.

Louisa is a brilliant and enthusiastic tutor who is an expert in crime and thriller writing. She really brought the genre alive and her enthusiasm is catching! She is really warm and encouraging, and I will seek out 'Novel Writing Essentials' with her as a tutor in a future course.

I really enjoyed learning 'in real time' with a group of other writers on zoom. I also enjoyed chatting to other writers in the breakout rooms. It was fabulous to get instant feedback from Louisa and other classmates too.

I now have a framework for writing a mystery/crime novel which I hope to utilise at a future date.

You can't possibly go wrong with AWC! The courses are all so well thought through and structured. You will always be amazed at how much you will learn.

This course is fun for novice writers but really valuable for more experienced writers who are already writing in this genre.

I found the course inspiring and practical. I enjoyed the real-life stories of writers; they resonated with me and inspired me. I also enjoyed Val's no-nonsense advice throughout the course. She gives practical advice that is easy to follow while understanding that people have lives to live and may not know where to start.

I have wanted to write my novel for a while now. I had the idea but didn't know how to start it.

Nat was fantastic. She was incredibly knowledgeable. Watching her give feedback for myself and other writers was a highlight. I learnt a lot through them. It made me aware of the problems in my work, and how to fix them.

The most enjoyable but also terrifying part was the workshopping. I loved reading the other writers' work and their feedback for me.

I am quite a socially anxious person so the layout was perfect. I only wished it was longer. I truly didn't want it to end.

It has motivated me to keep writing, and has given me the confidence that I can write a story.

You must do it if you want to write a novel! The knowledge and the experience that you gain will change the way you look at writing!

Although I thought I knew a fair bit about chapters, Pamela raised many more issues such as having a rest scene or chapter but these must still raise narrative tension. Oops, mine hadn't. I will be more mindful of several issues that I hadn't been aware of before.

I'm completely satisfied with the seminar.

From a 'know it all' novice, AWC courses have changed me into a writer. A writer who is still on a fascinating learning journey of discovery.

I enjoyed all the helpful tips and practical information and following the live website examples with other authors. Each module was very informative and very easy to listen to. I didn't notice the time passing, nothing felt lagging or unnecessary.

I am an unpublished author who really hopes to be published one day. This course has helped me to take myself more seriously as an author. If I make my own author website, then other people will see I am a real author and so I can take myself more seriously and not feel the imposter syndrome so much. It has also given me a drive to finish my books and self-publish and then sell on my website.

Great courses, very practical and informative.

I didn't realise how much I didn't know about the craft of writing until I did this course. I gained a lot of basic skills and knowledge on what I needed to look out for and how to structure my story and develop 'authentic' characters.

Very useful for people who are serious about writing a book. The workshopping element of the course was pretty useful. Nat was also a great tutor and her insights and feedback helped immensely. Her feedback is on point.

A very useful course to do if you are serious about becoming a published author one day.

I finished the first draft of a manuscript last year, and although I believe the storyline is quite sound, I struggled with depth in the characters and my dialogue needed work. I wanted to learn more about the writing craft to edit the draft effectively.

Nat was very clear when she addressed both of my submissions, and those of my fellow students. Her style in critique was constructive and delivered with humour and sensitivity. She clearly outlined the problems I had with character interiority, transitions and dialogue. Her advice was light bulb stuff, and I'm very grateful for her input. I recommend her for a pay raise.

Although I struggled with the synopsis, it was very helpful. Receiving feedback was good for both my confidence and hesitancy moving forward. It has given me confidence in completing my first draft for my new story and editing my first manuscript later on.

Thanks to Nat and the team at the Writers' Centre for all your help in my writing journey. Also, I loved listening to Valerie delivering the modules. They were clear and very valuable.

I've cut, shaped, and polished my story through to the manuscript stage. It's been a satisfying journey on its own. My 'aha' moment is that I now believe that I have the skills required to become a published writer.

I really love writing, not just travel writing but all sorts of writing. I loved your easy-to-follow course. Everything was laid out so professionally and I learnt so much. I liked that the course was Australian and not an American course and I could relate to the content so much easier.

I found the whole course enjoyable. I loved the handouts and the videos. Really interesting and kept you engaged.

Got my creative juices flowing. Lots of different ideas on how to write etc.

The course is well structured and covers the major areas for murder and thriller writers. I looked forward to meeting with the group each week. The breakout groups enabled us to interact with different classmates each week and receive feedback from our peers.

I am so very glad that I have had the opportunity to undertake two courses with Louisa. She is the most positive, supportive and encouraging teacher I have ever met. Having been a lecturer for over 40 years, you can imagine I have met many. I feel she has set me up with all the skills I need and now I need to do the work. Louisa provides constructive feedback in a very nonthreatening manner.

The group was talented and extremely supportive of each other. The interaction with Louisa was both challenging and entertaining. The two hours each flew by.

I have a better understanding of structure and suspense and have the opportunity to practice these skills. Being a published author in this genre, Louisa was able to draw on many of her own and other writers' examples to illustrate the topics under discussion.

The Australian Writers' Centre has many pertinent courses for prospective writers and the instructors are all published authors, which is very encouraging and believable. I only wish I had discovered this centre before I had proceeded so far with my novel.

I thought Margaret was incredible! The feedback that I received from Margaret has been invaluable to me as an aspiring author and has given me incredible insight into my writing. I look forward to using the skills I have learned so far to develop my writing further.

I enjoyed everything! It has given me the courage to keep going with my writing and to use the skills I have developed to really give it a go.

Having someone tell you what is working and not working in your manuscript helps immensely. I can now see what I am doing well and what mistakes I am making. Taking out all the words that are unnecessary was a big one and also how to structure the story properly.

Stop whatever it is you are doing and just enrol! I would highly recommend this course and I would explain to people how much knowledge and skills I gained from doing it.

I would like to say a big THANK YOU! I am actually sad that the course has finished, I looked forward to it every single Monday and I am incredibly grateful to Margaret and everyone behind the scenes who makes it an amazing course. I am looking forward to enrolling in the Picture Books Masterclass asap! Many thanks!

I have written a novel and I'm nearly to the end of my second, but I've always loved picture books and wanted to learn more about writing them.

I was happy with the flexibility of the course, especially concerning assignments. Also, it's great that I can go back over the modules as often as I need for the next twelve months.

Margaret was very positive in her comments and always gave you a takeaway, something constructive that you could then work on.

I enjoyed the insights into the tricks to writing sparkling prose. Also, the parameters involved in picture books was interesting.

Five weeks is a good time frame, and the content is excellent. I now have a draft of a story that I have been thinking about for years.

I have completed three courses at the AWC and I have been happy with all of them. I think the AWC courses target a range of writing genres. Their courses are easily accessible and affordable. I especially appreciated the constructive feedback from my tutor in this course.

So much amazing content in the course. I'll be referring back to it so much!

I enjoyed all of it! Can't narrow it down - each week built on the skills of the previous one. I'm sad the course is over

Feedback was really valid and prompt.

It's given me the confidence to put myself out there and reevaluate my work with a much more critical eye. It provided a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to build our skills and confidence, plus the insider knowledge to take our work to publishers and hopefully into little hands one day!