What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I was looking for professional guidance in the creative writing process. I was a little reluctant to commit to the course, especially since I hadn't written anything creative since high school (over 50 years ago). I was apprehensive about sharing my work with fellow students. It was my husband who finally convinced me to give it a go.

It has been very helpful to learn about the craft of writing. Although there was a lot to cover in such a short time, students were provided with basic tools which can be used over and over again to assist in their writing.

The tutor was very grounded, offering practical advice. She always had something positive to say about everyone's efforts, but also managed to draw attention to ways to improve work.

I enjoyed the process of learning and being inspired to create stories. I also liked reading fellow students’ writing. It has given me the confidence to continue writing.

I realised that writing is a craft and by utilising the "tools of the trade" you are on the road to creating a good story that people would want to read. I now look at anything I read with these points in mind and note how authors have structured their stories.

I'd say it is well worth the money! It's great that students will have access to these materials for another 12 months.

I would say this is a great base plate for branching out into an area of writing you want to focus on.

I have a good amount of reference material to revisit and ensure I fully understand the basics of writing. Feedback was thorough, the tutor was professional and displayed a good level of knowledge.

I enjoyed being creative... and letting my mind wonder... I believe with the right tools you can write...

I had no idea creative writing would help me to better write about my art practice - for eight years now I have had a story about a character and I have done a couple of paintings but didn't know how to extend the story and hence be able to do more paintings - but now I think this character is going to travel to a few places to do what she does best...

Annabel is very thorough and knows her stuff. Helpful attention to detail that I had totally missed or wasn't aware of.

I enjoyed the writing exercises and the feedback.

To be honest, for me, it was hearing Annabel's positive feedback and realising that I was a decent enough writer to give it a go, that I didn't just think I was good and actually be rubbish.

Thank you. What a great organisation AWC is. There's everything a beginning writer could want.

I wanted the chance to have my writing assessed by professionals and to challenge myself. Also I needed to commit myself to writing to a deadline even though the deadlines set were very liberal.

The tutor was encouraging and constructive. I enjoyed the opportunity to read other writers develop plots and storylines. The realistic but supportive reviews provided by Nicole in addition to being given a platform to write creatively.

Give it a shot!

Annabel's feedback was clear and helpful. It made sense and was not too harsh!

I learnt a lot and it has given me the confidence to move onto the next stage: researching for my novel.

It is really well presented and accessible. Pitched at a good level.

Exactly what I was looking for. Now moving onto other courses: Short Story Essentials, then Freelance Writing. Then maybe -- hopefully! -- your novel-writing courses.

The tutor was wonderful: knowledgeable, fair, responsive, prompt. Nicole is 10/10! :)

I enjoyed generally learning. Interacting with others. Reading others' writing. That community aspect of likeminded learners.

I have some structure now, some professional advice. I know the writing world a little better, instead of banging away on a keyboard in my own fruitless, hobbyist bubble.

Go for it! It's a valuable service.

Thank you very much. Keep it up.

I needed some structure and focus through lockdown and this looked like a good opportunity to explore something new. I’m confined to reading business and management stuff for work, so this was a refreshing break.

The tutorials were terrific, and I feel I learnt lots - and I've started reading fiction again - thanks!

Loved the structure, the tutorials and the information provided. Really gave me something to look forward to each week.

The feedback was terrific, and I learnt lots in a very short period. Thanks for keeping it positive and not laughing.

It has given me a gentle intro into writing and, more importantly, allowed me to grow in confidence in a reasonably anonymous way. I realised after some feedback - I need to read MUCH more.

Give it a crack, challenge yourself, and enrol. It’s safe, really informative and fun!

Thanks heaps - I LOVED it!

I have always wanted to complete a creative writing course and this one stood out.

Nicole was great - good detailed feedback and quick turnaround.

I enjoyed the writing! It has reignited my passion and now I know that I want to pursue a new career.

It's a great community, a really engaging and non-threatening way to learn. Being online meant it was flexible and so much easier to manage.

I enjoyed the material. So much to use!

I'm smitten with writing. Can't get enough. Have signed up for a short story course that starts tomorrow.

I needed to get a better understanding of how to write so I may complete my second book. The tutor was very nice and helpful. I enjoyed being able to write freely and to be challenged. Thankyou.

I've been writing since I was young but wanted a bit of structure and to actually learn all the concepts of writing a story. My first draft was a pantser attempt and with the second draft I wanted to be able to pick up on more of the technical details so I wasn't wasting too much of my time this time.

I find it hard to share my work - I don't have other writer friends. The last writing group I joined was awkward, so joining an online group wasn't as daunting. Pamela was lovely in the way that she suggested how all the participants could better their work instead of just ripping it apart. She was very positive which I loved.

I liked it being online as I sometimes get flustered when asked to write something in 5 mins in a regular physical class. Also it was lovely to be able to sit back and read the other work by the participants.

For me, it was just having someone say that it was good work and little things I can tweak here and there. I only have my family to tell me if I can write. It was lovely to have someone in the industry to actually say - I like this. I'm a typical writer and doubt everything I write.

I would say to definitely do it. I have taken a few courses now and have loved them. It helps and you don't feel so alone. Also it's great getting help from people in the industry - people who are selling their work.

I have always wanted to write a novel but didn't know how to go about it. I knew that I needed help to get started. Just going on Google was not helping me, I needed structured help.

I want to start writing my novel now whereas before I was too scared to start.

Annabel was extremely helpful. I loved getting her input about what I had written. It really helped me improve.

... I am sad it's finished. It went so fast.

I liked that it's foundational and teaches the basics of good story writing

The online tutor was great; she gave good feedback. I enjoyed the lessons and the feedback on my assessments - so I could see where I went right or wrong.

I now want to explore other courses to expand my creative muscles.

I would say it's a great course where you can learn from quality teachers, get quality lessons/materials and feedback on your work.

It got the creative juices flowing and took me out of my comfort zone. This is the first time I have ever done anything like this, although I have fantasised about writing many times. I surprised myself by how I was actually able to come up with anything. It was not easy and automatic but I certainly enjoyed the journey.

The tutor was always positive and helpful.

I am taking on board writing every day, or at least as often as possible, for 10 minutes or maybe more if the inspiration takes me. I'll write about anything just to get the practice of writing. Anything that piques my interest on the day.

The AWC has heaps of great courses facilitated by writers. There is a course for everyone, all types of writers and even non-writers.

The tutor gave detailed and constructive comments without making us feel hopeless. I enjoyed the challenge, the fact that something had to be done each week, and the constructive criticism.

It made me feel more confident in pursuing writing as a hobby. I think that the way I write dialogue has improved greatly.

I certainly would recommend the AWC. In fact, I gave my 11 year old grandson one of your courses for his birthday. Keep up the good work.

The course started me off and provided great handouts that I can use over and over again.

I wanted to dip my toes into a short writing course that would give me a basic overview of some of the key elements of writing. I also wanted to get feedback on my work without having to do the scary face-to-face part. I was unsure how engaged I would be in audio material without being present in person, but I found the content engaging. It's also difficult to put down hundreds of dollars for an online course without being sure how much you would get out of it, but I don't regret that now.

I really liked Pamela; I thought her feedback was always constructive and encouraging. It feels amazing to get positive feedback from such an accomplished author.

I really liked the assignments each week. Although the course content is engaging, it really does help to have to put it into practice. I also like how the course is layered so each week you focus on one thing, and then bring it all together in the last week. I think this is such a clever way to structure (and I know how important that is now), the course so that inexperienced writers aren't overwhelmed and having to think about dialogue and character and description etc all at the same time from the get go.

I haven't actually sat down and applied what I've learnt to any of my writing projects yet, but now I'm SO excited to! I was wondering if I really had any motivation or skill to actually finish a piece of work, but now that's all I want to do!

I think the main thing is just knowing what to name aspects of writing now. Previously, I may have looked at my work and just been like, there's too much talking, without being able to know that I needed to add description or action and ground the characters in a setting. I also never realised how hard it is to not use filter words!

I would say that the course is:
- Engaging.
- That the course content is interesting and helpful. It gives you a great overview, but grounds them in examples so that you really understand them.
- That the feedback is constructive and the assignments are interesting. It's really helpful to give you options to share your own work, or use the scenario given.
- Cliche, but that you only get out of it what you put in. On weeks where I was time pressed and wasn't 100% happy with my piece, my feedback reflected it.

I have been procrastinating for many years about writing a novel and thought during COVID-19 would be a good time do it and this course would give me the skills and the push I need.

I thought Pamela was very professional and knew what she was talking about. Her feedback was very helpful. I liked having to do assignments each week and interacting with classmates. It has motivated me to write every day and made me want to strive to become a fulltime writer.

Highly recommend it.

I thoroughly enjoyed these 5 weeks. It has given me a lot. I'm going to carry on with my writing and may do a follow up course in the future.

I gained a lot of practical knowledge from this course. Very helpful positive critique. Writing the assessments and listening to the audio lessons, and feeling that I had found a familiar tribe.

It's given me a much better idea on how to go about the writing of a novel. Also, it was a liberating moment to be told to "give yourself permission to write." To keep writing and not remain stuck going over and over one piece.

I would say the AWC is an excellent source of knowledge and experience. It is very helpful to anyone wanting to begin writing a novel.

I needed to start somewhere, and had had a good experience with an AWC weekend course, previously.

Louisa was very supportive and helpful. I should have "used" her more :-) She was very positive and helpful.

The most enjoyable part was getting over the fear factor, putting words on "paper" and sending them out. The realization that what you put down will not stay that way. The first write is just that, the first of several re-writes, just get it down! The obvious nature of writing: it's a genuine skill. It needs practice and sweat.

I'm gearing up for the next course, Novel Writing Essentials. The AWC pathway is very helpful for a novice, and suspect it's helpful for fleshing out subsequent ideas, too.

If you genuinely want to write, if you want to prioritize writing, this course is a great start.