What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I was attracted to the challenge of writing for thirty days, motivating me to set a time to write with daily goals and having a substantial body of work at the end.

I enjoyed the daily tasks and challenges and the motivational messages.

It gave me the opportunity to write, to explore new topics and themes and I had the satisfaction of completing each day's task.

The 30-day Bootcamp would be an ideal way to start writing. It gives you a handy and manageable way to start writing, with hints and tips along the way. For more experienced writers, it provides set tasks and goals to help to realise your writing goals.

I feel less precious about having to carve out a special time for my writing. It has shown me that I CAN write anywhere at any time if I make up my mind to do so. And I feel far more relaxed when I am writing.

Yes, I can do this! It's "just" writing, not climbing Mt Everest!

It's a very professional organization - very good at what they do!

I needed to regain my writing mojo - and some discipline - after my dad passed away earlier this year. I figured a structured bootcamp would be just what I needed to help me get back on track.

Though I've successfully participated in NaNoWriMo a few times before, where the goal is 30K in 30 days, I wasn't sure I'd be able to reach the 10K target for this bootcamp. I thought I'd sabotage myself somehow, some way! I decided to post my daily word counts on Instagram stories - not to brag but to keep myself accountable.

Writing almost every day really helped me gain traction on a manuscript I'd been struggling with for some time. For the most part, no two bootcamp days were the same. The daily targets were achievable. I appreciated a day off here and there, and I'm happy that those days off didn't break my momentum in the long run.

The course showed me it *is* possible squeeze writing into my daily schedule. I had been stuck on my current MS for so long. The more I wrote during bootcamp, the clearer my plot became. Now I have an extra 13,000 words and, once I edit them, a viable story to show my agent and editor! Oh, and I'm now a convert to writing outdoors at my local park without getting distracted.

One of my best days was when I completed a 250-word goal within 15 minutes. And it wasn't stream-of-conscious stuff! If I can repeat that twice a day most days from now on, I'll be very happy.

It's a great investment. Well worth the time and money, and you'll achieve things you never thought possible!

It was better than I expected because I finished with an enthusiasm to continue. About the middle of the course, I found myself becoming a little anxious that I couldn't get my writing tasks done and that it would all get away from me. Then I remembered - how do you eat an elephant?

I managed to write 13,500 words of the novel that has been simmering in my head for a decade or so. It has halted my procrastination and I can't wait to get the first draft finished.

It's not necessary to spend all day everyday writing to produce some good stuff. 80% of the time working on your novel is spent in your head (thinking about what comes next) and 20% is putting it down on paper.

Don't think about it - just go ahead and do it. You won't be sorry.

I liked the variety of word count and the inspiration of watching/reading other AWC graduates, and also author's quotes.

I now have a 12,000-word story that I want to edit and publish. I now desire to be a writer even more than before.

AWC creates excellent courses for beginners like me, and I am now inspired to get more creative and complete other courses. They have real people who are successful graduates who are relatable and verify the courses. The courses are very well set out, affordable and inspirational.

I'd lost my writing mojo and needed encouragement to get back into a good habit. It was hard to begin with because I had such a block with the story. I forced myself to write anything that might push the plot forward, such as conversations with my characters, or short scenes that I knew would happen but not when or where in the story.

By the start of the fourth week I had my mojo back. My characters were talking to me and I was frantically looking for pen and paper to jot down the ideas (because the muse never came to me when I was on my computer).

I enjoyed checking in every day to find out how much I had to write. I particularly enjoyed the #500in30 exercises because I had to write fast and forget about planning. These were my most creative days.

There were days when I thought I didn't have time to do the task, and yet I managed to squeeze them in. I learnt that it doesn't matter if you write a big pile of rubbish, because buried in there somewhere is a gem of an idea.

You can't edit a blank page. And, if you don't turn up every day, how will the muse find you?

If you need accountability, do it!

This course helped me focus on what I was actually writing, not only the word count. It also helped me realise just how easy it is to write 10,000 + words in such a short time.

I enjoyed logging on and finding the next day's challenge and establishing what works best for myself, like what time of day to write.

I now realise I can do it, it's no longer just a dream, but a reality! It is possible to sit and write 500 words in less than 30 minutes, that the words just roll from my mind to the keyboard.

Do it, don't delay. I have used every excuse under the sun due to fear of failure, not being good enough but this course, and others I have completed, have shown me that it's the process, the joy, discovering one's individual style. Go for it! You never know what may be lurking in that creative pool of yours!

I'm goal driven, so this really played to that. I loved that I could access the daily information online and via email. The challenges it set made me try things I wouldn't have thought of before. Best of all, having a word count to focus on completely turned off my inner critic/editor. I just concentrated on getting words down. It was perfect.

I thought I had lost my writing mojo completely and would never write another book. Now I'm back in the flow and writing is once again a joy. I also know that no matter how hard it seems, if I show up the words will come. I'm so grateful to AWC. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

AWC courses are genuinely helpful and deliver what they promise, and they are worth every cent you pay.

It was brilliant. So brilliant in fact, I've just signed up to do it all again!

The way the prompts were written was so effective. Every day, I felt like there was someone who understood what it's like to try and develop a writing habit encouraging me to keep going. It worked too - it turns out that I can write just over a thousand words in 30 minutes.

To put it simply, I'm developing a writing habit. That is amazing, and wonderful, and miraculous!

The Australian Writers' Centre provides everything you need to start your career as writer. It provides the support you need while you're learning the basic concepts. It helps you develop an effective writing habit once you have an idea of what you need to do, and when you're ready to fly, the AWC's there to provide you with amazing advanced courses to send your writing to the next level.

This course made me realise that it is possible to get some writing done every day. I have found myself thinking about my plot ideas all the time. Some days I couldn't wait to get back on the computer to write more.

It's possible to find time to add to the word count each day. Who would have thought? :)

AWC courses are detailed, easy to follow and understand, and set out in such a way that you can complete them at your own convenience. The tutors are encouraging and make you believe you can achieve your goals.

I appreciated the encouragement to try different techniques and times and places for writing. It was a great way to figure out what works best for me.

I learnt that I can hit my daily goal wordcount (750 words) in half an hour and seeing how much impact that can have over a month has been really powerful.

I needed motivation to just "do it." I am an ill-disciplined procrastinator. I need structure in order to get to the next step. The Creative Writing 30-day Bootcamp looked like it would break me out of my wishing and hoping.

Although I didn't stick faithfully to the guidelines, I found it easy enough to catch up. The easy days interspersed with the busy days was designed for people like me, I'm certain! But in the end, I got my 10,000 words ... plus some.

The AWC is a place where anyone can begin at their own level, or window-shop the courses and select the one they feel most ready for, or drawn to. Chances are, that's exactly the place to start, because in simply starting, you will soon understand that writing is not about what you know as much as it is about what you need to know.

I speak from personal experience, because I began with Reinvent Yourself, and moved on to Fiction Essentials: Structure and Fiction Essentials: Characters. Writing is more than a hobby - it's a school of learning. I have a lot of faith in AWC helping me, educating me and motivating me to get my novel written.

I completed a previous course with AWC and enjoyed it. This one seemed like the next natural step to beginning my novel writing journey.

I enjoyed the automated emails every morning letting me know what the day's task was. I now am 13,000 words and a whole lot of planning ahead in my story!

I would encourage anyone interested in improving their writing skills to sign up.

I was delighted with my progress. Despite having to have 5 days off due to life, I still wrote over 10,000 words. I really needed the accountability that came with purchasing the course and fulfilling the requirements. I couldn't be happier.

It has spurred me on to get the job done rather than sit in the doldrums thinking 'I must get to writing.... oh I must get to writing...'

Every course I've ever done with AWC has been outstanding value for money and exceptional material. I recommend AWC all the time.

I've been struggling to find time to write for soooo long; work and life always gets in the way. Although if I'm honest, I was just procrastinating but also putting MY needs last (as usual). This course forced me to schedule in time to write every day. I did miss a few days here and there, but I managed to write 10,000 words, two blog articles, and also worked on a couple of other writing projects! Now I'm motivated to keep going. I just had to get over that initial inertia - the first hump - to get the flow going.

It's made me realise that if I'm ever going to get any of my writing finished, I have to SCHEDULE in time to write.

Great way to get started and educate yourself on what it REALLY takes to be a writer.

I have wanted to write for a long time and have kept putting it off. After completing the Reinvent Yourself and Make Time to Write courses, I felt I needed the discipline of having a goal to work towards and the Bootcamp was the way to do this. I was not disappointed!

This was exactly what I needed to prove to myself that I could actually write and write something that resembles the beginnings of a story.

I found that I was really looking forward both with anticipation and a slight fear about how many words each day would ask for. Despite always having the fear in the back of my head, I found that the encouragement in the bootcamp tasks, especially from published authors, spurred me on. By about a quarter of the way through I realised that I had a story and that felt good!

Just do it - it will be something to look back on as a pivotal marker in your writing journey. You won't regret it.

It took away the apprehension I often have to start writing on a given day and made me write. It was gradual--something that built over the 30 days.

Just try it. It builds confidence that you can write. It’s just about doing it every day in some way.

It was great and well worth doing. I enjoyed the daily exercises.

It challenged me to write different daily lengths and at different times which helped me understand my writing process a lot better. It's possible to keep the momentum up and it doesn't have to take that long. You can still edit other novels and do other bits and pieces while still writing.

It's worth the effort. The courses are structured well and very informative covering many different subjects within a writer's journey.

I was surprised that I was able to (mostly) stick to the program.

I know I can sit down and do the work, whether it is good or not, and that if I want to do it I can. It is possible to get the words down, particularly if you are on a roll.

What attracted me to the course was that I needed to be motivated in some way to make headway with my novel — but more than that, to be able to create a habit of writing & getting it done, as something to prioritise & tick off on the to-do list.

I wrote over 12,000 words, so it was way more than I thought I’d be able to achieve in 30 days!

I enjoyed getting the emails posted into my inbox every day with a dose of inspiration for my writing session. Also, meeting those word counts!

If you want to write but don’t know where to start, the Australian Writers’ Centre will have a course for you, no matter what kind of writing is your thing. Enrol now & you won’t regret it!