What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I love travel and lived overseas for 26 years! I want to write about travel and share experiences so this course seemed perfect.

Valerie explained everything so well and the course detail is comprehensive with the handouts and videos. You have more than enough to get started.

The interviews with Katrina Lobb were really useful. It was really helpful to see so many examples of the different types of travel articles.

It got me started! I got the confidence to send my first pitches, and the tools to plan some possible article ideas for an upcoming trip to Malaysia.

Do it! It's a practical course with something for everyone.

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.

I have been reading travel articles all my life and writing sporadically for the past few years. I've now learnt the actual terms of certain things like write-offs and breakout boxes. I am also now able to identify areas for improvement in my pieces.

AWC gives you all the tools you need to become a successful writer - the rest is up to you.

I have always loved writing and traveling. Having raised three children who are now all on their own path, I thought it was time to combine two of my passions. I found this course online and watched the preview/promotional video which made learning about the specifics involved in travel writing look very interesting, relatable and easy to follow. I liked the idea of self-guided learning at my pace.

The detailed, relevant and hands on information made the learning process very easy. The review check lists, sample pitch and email templates for editors are excellent and the variety of sample reading material and extra links are invaluable.

I really enjoyed reading through the travel articles and the interviews with Katrina Lobley. I also thought Valerie spoke very clearly, concisely and personably. She provided and presented excellent information in a very comfortable setting.

I have had many story/articles ideas swirling around in my head for years - interesting places I have been to, things I have seen, unique experiences, travel emergencies I have had to navigate. Now that I have completed this course, I have a fire in my belly. I cannot wait to get started.

Sign up today! Don't wait. If you're interested in learning to write emotive, informative, captivating travel articles professionally (or simply for your own satisfaction) and you want to know the correct way to contact the right people in order to get published, then this course is perfect.

I loved Katrina's snippets and the way she and Valerie complimented each other as presenters. Both very clever and inspiring women who are very generous with their knowledge.

It's inspired me to get writing - not travel yet but I have been entering short story competitions.

Useful information and resources, and engaging content.

Not only did the course meet my expectations, it far exceeded them. The segments were thoroughly thought out, extremely well organised with great breadth as well as depth.

An excellent, thorough guide to travel writing. You will be so impatient to get started after completing this journey.

I'm always interested in learning something new. I enjoy seeing the world and have travelled quite a bit and wanted to see if travel writing could appeal to me as a freelancer.

I enjoyed dissecting actual published articles to learn the best way to structure an article. I enjoy reading about destinations, both local and overseas.

I believe I could write travel articles in the future.

I think AWC courses are a good way to learn different types of writing and find out what suits you.

I've always loved experiencing new places, and I've always loved writing. We've started to travel again recently (now the kids are grown), and we have plans to do lots of caravanning and possibly overseas travel very soon. I have also had a few profile pieces published, and received great feedback on those, so I want to have a go at writing travel articles and getting paid for them.

I liked the real practical information given, e.g. on photos, contacting editors, who to approach for interviews etc.

It was great to hear Katrina tell her stories about the different articles she's written, and to hear her tips, tricks and practical aspects of the job.

I now have a plan to follow to get started; ideas for articles and hooks are blossoming in my head, and I believe more fully that I can do this!

If you are serious about becoming a travel writer, do this course! If you are kind-of interested in becoming a travel writer, do the course anyway because it will turn your spark into a fire.

I enjoyed the pace and the flexibility - being able to do the modules at my own pace and at times and periods that worked with my somewhat unusual life. Having Valerie as a constant with writers like Katrina Lobley contributing their experience. The tools and the example documents like how to pitch etc. Over the months I have worked with the course I have learned a lot about the industry and how it works and feel I now have the tools to restart writing. Now it is up to me!

I am going to put aside my hesitation and start to work with actually pitching. I am going independently to Albania for the first time in May and having started researching what's out there and doing lots of background reading, I feel there is a real opportunity to start my travel writing with this - an unusual destination, some Australian connections and lots of fascinating hooks in its recent and ancient history.

Valuable and professionally-run course which you can do at your own pace, providing industry insight and great tools and examples.

The content is comprehensive, easy to follow and great bite-size to do at your own pace. It's an excellent introduction to travel writing.

Top class information and delivery through video lessons with Valerie and interviewing a professional travel writer with great tips!

All the practical information and behind the scenes lifestyle of a professional writer. It's like going on a virtual world tour, enjoying the ride, and ready to take flight to amazing destinations!

The course content and delivery are beyond expectation. Great tips and pitfalls of travel articles through many practical examples, including the last module 18 of Valerie's insights and personal experiences.

Highly recommended for anyone who's considering a career as a travel writer. Valerie is a great presenter and all the modules are well structured.

I loved the video chats between Valerie and the travel writer and her quick video tips while on travel writing trips. I felt the mixture of video and handouts kept the course entertaining and engaging.

I'm a content copy writer for a tourism and events organisation and often write listicles. However, it was great to be reminded of the fundamentals, given practical advice and to revisit certain aspects, like coming up with fresh hooks and intriguing angles and the art of pitching to magazines and newspapers, and to people who don't know me. The course also got my creative juices flowing again. I needed inspiration and this happened to me during the course.

The Australian Writers' Centre is great for beginner writers and for experienced ones, too. You can never learn too much. People who want a career in copy writing and freelance journalism will also benefit. The courses provide a mixture of practical and creative advice in easy-to-digest modules, including handouts and videos. Nothing beats actually writing or coming up with ideas but these courses get you thinking, provide lots of inspiration and point you in the right direction.

I'm planning a 'silver gap year' in 2024 and was looking for a way to share my experiences with others. I needed some knowledge about how to write successfully.

The course is very well-paced. I appreciated the modular approach and the detailed information and handouts. Knowing how experienced Valerie is meant her presentation was a warts-and-all approach which I appreciated. Hearing from other successful writers was also useful.

I have a much greater understanding of what's involved in travel writing, how to go about it and will definitely pitch my ideas to editors now. Without the course, I would never have done that.

I write about travel on social media and on my blog, and wanted to learn more about travel writing techniques and industry requirements, and whether some of my articles might be suitable for submitting to print or online media. Enrolling in the AWC Travel Writing course seemed the perfect way to find out!

Valerie's insider knowledge and tips were invaluable, as were the handouts for reference.

I loved being able to pick up the course whenever it suited me and I really enjoyed working on it at my own pace.

I am writing more regularly and feeling confident about how I write. Although I haven't as yet submitted any of my work to media outlets, I am producing a lot of content for my blog, and happily sharing it on social media.

The AWC offers a wide range of writing courses in a variety of formats. If you are serious about improving your writing skills and gaining industry knowledge, this is the place to do it.

I spent 15+ years in the tourism industry, but since having a child 7 years ago I have moved away from it. I wanted to find a way to get back in the industry that would work for my family life. This course seemed to cover all the basics and have a great overview of travel writing for newbies like me!

I don't know what I expected, but I can tell you I didn't expect to finish the course feeling like I'd just had all the nuts and bolts of the industry revealed! The course was superb: easy bite-sized modules with clear action points and takeaways.

I feel like a whole other world has been revealed to me! I am a freelance event manager who is feeling rather burnt out. A client said to me last week, "I don't have any more events coming up right now but if you ever start copywriting let me know, I could really use a hand." Because I was doing this course, I felt confident enough to say to her that actually I am doing a travel writing course and I would be interested in writing copy for her. We immediately had a Zoom call and decided I would write some blog posts and newsletter copy for her. They are not travel-related posts but I get to practice my writing with a client that fully understands I am a novice! I would never have put my hand up for this type of work if I wasn't doing this course.

I just loved how positive Valerie was in that if you keep trying it will happen!

The course was SO comprehensive and easy to digest - and also very good value!

I enjoyed this course as I learnt more about travel writing. The fact that it was self-paced gave me flexibility to structure my learning and allowed me to rewatch videos. I also liked the handouts - it was easy to follow.

I'm more motivated to write articles as I can see a pathway to becoming a travel writer as outlined in the course.

Enrol! You'll learn a lot.

Really helpful to have practical and hands on insights from Katrina and Valerie - a great way to learn.

There was a lot of information, but broken down into manageable bites made it less daunting and practical when working full time.

I believe I can be a travel writer and look forward to an upcoming trip to Scotland to practice my new skills.

Just do it! They are great courses, really informative and delivered in a practical real world style.

I'm keen to develop my writing skills and I am travelling to some interesting places over the next few years, so I thought this could be a way to keep motivated to write, learn to write for a different market and have some fun.

The course is well organised, the learning outcomes are clear and it was easy to negotiate online.

I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone. It's a little daunting to have your assignment seen by other members of the course, but it's a good way to learn and is consistent with up-to-date teaching and learning theories which advocate peer learning.

If you want a 'no nonsense', concise, but comprehensive introduction to travel writing then this is the course for you!

I hope to continue my writing with AWC in some way. Thank for another excellent course.

Valerie is honest, caring and extremely supportive of her students. She really encourages us in every way. You know you are being guided by an expert, and this is so inspiring.

I loved the assignments; they made you think and challenged you in a great way. Also, I loved going through all the example articles with Valerie; her knowledge as she broke them down really helped me see how they should be written.

I feel as though being a travel writer may not be out of my reach. Valerie helps you believe it is possible.

Do not hesitate. You will be so rewarded and addicted to their courses. They make learning fun, easy and accessible. They are the best in the business in my view! I can't wait to do another course!

The feedback was clear and constructive and much appreciated as it helped me to see where I was going wrong. I enjoyed the clear instructions on how to approach an editor and make a pitch, plus reading other students' pitches and intended destinations.

I've gone back over the itineraries for the out-of-the-way/less usual places I have travelled to, re-accessed the posts I made at the time and started working on the sorts of angles for each that might appeal to an editor, with a view to pitching some of the destinations as possible travel stories.

The course covers the basics of travel writing concisely and clearly, with relevant and timely feedback. A five-week course is do-able for someone combining work with study and will get them quickly to a point where they can start pitching ideas and writing.