What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Cathie is clearly very knowledgeable about the industry and I really valued her insight and feedback on my assignments.

It gave me the confidence to write not one, but two picture books that I can now work on polishing. I'm definitely going to pursue writing picture books and am really looking forward to the next steps!

I highly recommend the Australian Writers' Centre as the tutors really know what they're talking about and give great insights into the industry. The workload for this course was very manageable (even with two small children!) while still keeping me accountable and pushing me to finish drafts.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course, thank you :)

I just learnt so much. Every aspect of picture book writing was covered in great detail. I loved the opportunity to submit assignments and receive feedback each week. I was able to write three complete picture book texts simply by doing the assignments.

The course and my tutor have given me the confidence that publishing a picture book is a real possibility and not just a dream. It is worth putting in the work.

If you are serious about publishing a book, do not approach any publisher until you have invested the time and money in a course like this with AWC. You don't know what you don't know.

I hope you will see my book on shelves and grab a copy!

I have always loved children's books. I have a 3-year-old who has been through some challenges and I found it hard to find the right book to help her to understand her situation. I thought, if I can't find one, maybe I could write one just for her!

Judith was fantastic! She is a great teacher and I felt heard and I learnt so much. There are so many ingredients that make a good picture book… I had no idea!

I loved the words of encouragement, and I also loved Judith reading to us. I also loved hearing other people's fantastic ideas. The group was warm and supportive.

I am now inspired to write something and try to get it published. This had only been a very vague idea in my mind, but it has now become a reality!!

Thank you so much Judith. I loved the course. You are so knowledgeable, kind, and encouraging. Your passion for children's books is inspiring. Your kindness to our group of aspiring writers won't be forgotten. Thank you!!

You must do it! It is wonderful, and creative, and inspiring.

I wanted to learn how to write picture books using ideas from my own experiences raising three boys. Stories that send positive messages to other kids. I also wanted to give them to my kids as a sentimental gesture and then they could pass them on to their children. AWC was recommended by my cousin.

I enjoyed learning the structure and details needed to write an effective picture book. Also, improving my writing each week after each module and Cathie's feedback to see my story evolve!

The course has increased my confidence and inspired me to complete the Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds course as well. It helps knowing I can get advice and feedback from AWC and also connect with other writers.

Thank you very much for all the content and feedback! I look forward to learning more and more and more!

The course exceeded expectations largely due to the practical experience and professional skill that Jude Rossell as the presenter brought to the course. She made everyone feel at ease and provided positive and helpful feedback. The group of attendees were delightful and a pleasure to meet. The venue was great with enough amenity to support the classroom experience. The many children's picture books that Jude brought along and read to us to demonstrate various aspects of the process, structure and style of writing a children's picture book were not only helpful in developing understanding but absolutely delightful to hear and be the 'child' in the moment. I thoroughly enjoyed the two days and can't wait to refine my story and see where it takes me. Big thanks to Jude.

The course has given me a sense of confidence that I do have something to say that might be of interest to small children. This makes me feel more encouraged about trying to write a story for small children. Having spent the two days learning about structure and style and the various approaches to these has given me useful frameworks that will support my writing practice.

I am still smiling and can't wait to get back to the pages...

Give it a go, you will be surprised.

The discussions with participants, who came from every age level and lifestyle, was extremely helpful and interesting.

The tutor was exceptional. Jude not only shared her immense knowledge and information, she managed, so well, all of the varied personalities present.

The course has given me knowledge that I needed to be able to proceed in a positive way.

This is an excellent way to go; you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.

Perfect location, good pace to the course and everything made sense.

Judith (Jude) was exceptional. She engaged with all participants and made everyone feel part of the learning. Her experience, guidance and attitude all sparked the group members. Sincere gratitude to Jude.

Clarified my thinking, gave me confidence and impetus to get a PB published. See, I even know the slang now! (Thanks Jude)

Register now. Don't wait.

I'm an illustrator and have always had a love for learning and picture books. I think they're a brilliant vehicle to address complex and difficult subjects while providing tools for learning how to cope, inspire curious thinking and encourage a deeper understanding of our emotions. To understand the manuscript on the writer's side will ultimately help me to make better decisions when illustrating for others. I also would like to tackle both roles for stories I'd love to tell.

I did research other courses on the market, but found this to be a better fit for what I was looking for. The bonus content for illustrators was a big draw for me, in addition to the background and experience of the tutors for the Australian market.

Cathie has been wonderful. She has been direct in her feedback and comments to my assignments to help guide and support my learning and I've found this to be invaluable. Cathie's insights have been incredibly helpful and I feel more equipped to pursue submissions to publishers.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the writing the most. I know that's odd to say given this is a writers' course, but I thought I'd struggle much more than I felt I have. I think that's due to the delivery of the course and feedback from Cathie and my peers.

I'm focusing on developing one of the stories visually in a focused picture book drawing class next term. I wasn't sure I'd have a manuscript polished enough to be able to jump right in, but I've been able to pull a story together that's been buzzing away for some time, so I'm very grateful and optimistic for the future.

The Australian Writers' Centre has been invaluable to my learning as an aspiring children's book author and illustrator. The content in the Writing Picture Books course was informative, easy to understand and flexible so I can learn around my other commitments. I have a new appreciation for the format and, as an illustrator, the bonus content has clarified the working process in the event I'm working with other authors. I have found the content and tutor engagement so invaluable. I'm looking at enrolling in other courses to continue my learning with AWC in future.

Great feedback, very constructive criticism - I believe the feedback given by the online tutor is what makes this course stand out from all others. Learning is so much more intense when we can see our stories grow and blossom, and I have definitely experienced that with this course!

I enjoyed the possibility to revisit the video classes at any time. Handouts were also very helpful. The community within the course is very supportive, and makes a world of difference to be in a supportive learning environment :)

Definitely the place to start for someone new to picture book writing!

I had several story ideas that had been building in my head and somewhat on paper for years, and to have the tuition and feedback to be able to craft layers into those stories is so exciting. Cathie has such a wealth of experience and background of knowledge of the industry and her feedback was always clear and so productive.

I enjoyed the opportunity to read each other's stories and see their ideas build and evolve throughout the course. And of course applying myself to the course content and listening to valuable feedback in order to build on my own writing skills. So excited for myself and the other participants for what may lie ahead.

I've been reading picture books to young children since I was a child myself, and selecting books for Play School for over 20 years, so I felt pretty confident in understanding what makes a really good picture book from a reader's perspective. Thinking through the complexity of the layers and probing deeper into the rhythm of the language has been such a bonus. And of course, learning more about the role of the illustrator and how the publishing industry works, plus the involvement of all the other stakeholders, has been so informative.

The time flexibility is great and allows you to fit the modules in around your other work. I've learnt so much - beyond my expectations!

Always had an interest in writing children's books and finally found the motivation to take a leap and work towards this goal. I was concerned I wouldn't have enough time to complete the weekly course expectations but the course was very user friendly and very manageable.

The feedback was very useful. I enjoyed learning the techniques to writing a successful children's book.

The course has got me motivated to build on my skills and write and complete my books.

I have always wanted to learn how to write children's picture books. Over recent years I have taught in early years classrooms and this has fuelled my desire to pursue my interest. I liked that the course was only 5 weeks long, so provided a perfect 'entry level' opportunity to see if this is something I would like to pursue further. I was worried I may not be able to find the time to complete the assignments, however, this was never an issue.

Having the opportunity to have weekly feedback was definitely a draw card. I appreciated that Cathie was very honest and professional when giving feedback. I loved how she recorded herself giving feedback as she read through the work samples.

The assignments were very achievable and I loved how the modules had short audio lessons to listen to so I didn't feel I had to complete the weekly modules in one sitting. The PDF notes were also very helpful. The course was very flexible and I found it easy to complete whilst juggling work and family commitments.

I read picture books through a different lens now that I know and can appreciate the time, effort and drafting that goes into creating the final story. I'm now constantly writing notes anytime a story idea pops into my head!

The course was very practical and easy to follow. I really enjoyed how the course was structured and would not hesitate in recommending it to others. I'm so glad I signed up and can't wait to explore this interest further.

I've been wanting to get into writing for years but didn't really have a clear direction. This course has given me more confidence in my ability.

The tutor was really positive and professional with her responses and advice.

The Writing Picture Books course will give you a professional advantage to help you stand out to publishers.

Thank you. I'm looking forward to taking this further.

Cathie is a great teacher. Her feedback was direct and helpful. She was tactful and kind. I'm so sad that the course has ended.

I enjoyed learning about the industry. This course has lit an excitement within about being able to communicate to my daughter how she was made. This course has also opened my mind to the possibility of getting a publishing deal if I use all the wonderful information I have learnt here.

There have been so many 'aha!' moments. Each module builds on creating the desire for more knowledge and more learning. I loved it. I found the practical information about publishers using 32 pages or 16 double page spreads wonderful. The 3-act structure combined with a story page plan and possible page ranges I found so helpful being a complete beginner.

I would definitely recommend and have already recommended the Australian Writers' Centre to both friends and family. To my brother, a passionate Dad of 2 children under 2, I said, 'Just do it! It's fabulous!'

I would need to write an essay to convey how much admiration and gratitude I feel for the team of creatives at the Australian Writers' Centre who have put this course together. My direct message to all of you is, 'You Rock!, hats off!' Thank you so much for your professionalism and dedication to our craft :)

Having access to Cathie's experience and knowledge was highly valuable. The feedback from Cathie was concise, honing in on what could make the story better. She was also very encouraging.

I enjoyed playing around with story ideas for the assignments. I initially planned to work solely on my original idea but I ended up with two other story ideas that I'd like to explore further.

It's given me the know-how and confidence that perhaps I could make this a career, at least part time. I realised that being a children's author is actually my dream job!

I loved learning with Cathie and learning from her feedback with other students also. It provided a clearer insight into industry standard. I love how commercial all the AWC courses are - the insight provided is invaluable and a large part of what keeps bringing me back time and again.

I loved understanding where I was (or was not) getting properly into a child's mind or imagination - this has helped me see further within my daughters imaginary play and provided more story ideas for the future.

I always tell people every course is amazing. The insight, the depth AWC tutors go into, the industry relevant experience - all adds up to enjoyable and fascinating learning - even if it's just for fun / interest sake.

Cathie is great! She is knowledgeable and quite helpful on all fronts. I appreciated her feedback. She also responded quickly to questions and comments.

The course gave me structure and tools to actually write.

Thanks for all you are doing for all of us aspiring writers in the world.

Cathie is a great tutor. Her background and present experiences provide students with well-informed reflections and feedback. I found Cathie supportive, encouraging and incredibly well-informed.

I enjoyed seeing the diversity of stories that people wrote. Then reading the stories and letting each know how as a reader I experienced/responded to their work.

If you want to develop the craft of picture book writing, this course is a great initial stepping stone to start you on your way.

Once I completed all research into the range of online writing courses, I did not take long to decide that AWC was the perfect platform for me to enrol. It addressed the learning goals I have been looking for for a long time.

I found the written feedback valuable, and it helped me to improve in many ways. I thought my online tutor, Cathie Tasker, was direct and did not hold back on stating the truth about the quality of my work. This allowed me to make realistic goals for my future as a writer.

The handouts and the course videos were enjoyable and helpful in executing the weekly assignments. I also enjoyed reading other students' work as a benchmark. Finally, I also appreciated when other students gave me feedback. It showed openness and provided an exciting perspective.

It provided the highest motivation to write stories that were merely sitting in my head and notebooks for over ten years. The course provided a framework that allowed me to see that anything is possible.

Thank you for forming a very professional organisation to inspire and support writers.

Due to my career in education, I have always had an interest in children's literature and children's literacy development. Writing a picture book and being successful in working with a publisher is a bucket list item of mine and I'd like to pursue it seriously.

I enjoyed the fact that I could fit this around my busy schedule - 3-4 hours is doable even while I'm working fulltime.

Cathie's feedback throughout the course was invaluable. She was very approachable and always responded to queries posted in the course chat. I felt like due to what I received from Cathie, my writing improved each week I completed a module.

Before I completed this course, I didn't realise how many elements go in to writing a picture book. I felt like I kept improving with my writing, which gave me confidence to keep going!

It's worth completing a course with AWC if you are serious about writing. They give all the information/resources needed to keep refining and honing your craft.