What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I found the course content to be comprehensive and satisfying.

I really enjoyed L.A. Larkin's comments, delivery and sense of humour. I also enjoyed gaining more confidence that I could complete my crime writing project.

Don't postpone your writing project. Do a course now, and you will find answers to anything that is holding you back.

The tutor had a great knowledge of the genre and was very generous in sharing her expertise and feedback and encouraging us with our own individual stories.

I liked being able to ask and get helpful, well-thought-out answers to any questions I and other participants had.

It made me think about the best way to introduce my characters, gave me more confidence in writing action scenes and helped me with tips to develop my setting.

Louisa was very genial, knowledgeable about the subject and had a good balanced lesson plan

I really appreciated the comprehensive notes that accompanied the class so that I have an easy reference/blueprint going forward.

I feel very encouraged that this is a new-to-me genre I can write and find very enjoyable.

I wasn't fully cognisant of the blueprint for crime novels but now feel like I'm armed with the 'cheat sheet'.

Louisa actually made me write (in a very nice and gentle way). Loved all the tips and techniques she showed us. Great course, great tutor.

Louisa was a fun knowledgeable instructive tutor. It is the best course I have completed and I learnt so much about everything in the crime and thriller field. I actually participated in the practical workshop activities which I hadn't really done in any previous courses and Louisa was extremely constructive and positive in her feedback showing me how I could improve.

I actually am going to try and write a book.

Thoroughly recommend that if you have an idea for a story tickling the back of your brain do a course at the AWC and let them help you bring it out. The courses are well laid out and taught brilliantly. Love it.

The tutor was very experienced. Able to answer all questions and provide valuable insight.

I enjoyed the interaction with both the tutor and other course members.

I found the "What if..." paradigm very helpful, and the idea that we use the "What if..." as a starting point before commencing the writing.

I have been reading crime thrillers for years and for the last 2 have had ideas to write my own. I was struggling to structure it and get it down on paper so googled courses to help.

I was a bit nervous that some people would have more advanced skills than me and I would struggle to keep up, but my hesitations were unfounded and everyone was very supportive.

Louisa was fantastic. I loved every minute and looked forward to the weekly sessions.

The course:
Gave me structure
Gave me confidence
Gave me ideas on how to build characters.

Do it! You won't look back!!

I have always loved crime thrillers and after having a novel published in the biography genre earlier this year, I had the confidence to investigate this new genre. I had ideas in my head and waned some direction before I started writing

I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I would definitely recommend it. Everyone was very supportive.

Louisa was really good. Highly enthusiastic and encouraging.

It has encouraged me to start preparing to write my novel and given me structure on where to start.

You will learn so much and in a supported environment.

I liked the fact that it specifically focussed on the writing I am currently doing. I have already included several elements from the course into my writing.

The tutor was very knowledgeable, very focussed, and very supportive.

I'm now looking at how to further build suspense and to establish settings for the action, without detracting from the action.

Thanks for providing such a high-quality course.

Louisa was terrific - fun, full of energy and thoughtful in her responses.

As a pantser, I hate plotting ... but Louisa provided 8 questions that help keep the 'pantsing' on track, which in turn saves taking a lot of wrong turns.

I've always found AWC courses deliver what they say they will - not every provider can say that!

Absolutely amazing, insightful and great to learn from a successful author about how to be successful in the genre.

I enjoyed the other students' questions and feedback and the tutor's exercises and content.

I now have confidence to not hear the negative voices and to just write.

If you want a fun course to do to learn crime and thriller writing this is the one.

I will miss having the class on Monday's now haha.

Louisa is obviously an expert in her field and knew her topic back to front and inside out. She was incredibly diplomatic, patient and provided useful and positive feedback to course participants. She listened to everybody's questions and was incredibly thoughtful and encouraging with her responses.

Louisa is great. The people in the course were lovely too.

This course helped to re-start my love of writing.

I've started writing my 2nd psychological thriller and I wanted to learn the specific genre elements to make sure that my book has the best possible chance of getting published.

The writing exercises were hugely helpful, especially the ones on elevator pitches and openings. I now have an awesome new opening for my book!

Louisa is incredibly knowledgeable in her field and I loved how engaging she was throughout the whole course. She's very personable and I felt comfortable asking questions and sharing my own writing, which doesn't happen often.

I enjoyed the level of engagement with Louisa and the rest of the group, and the ideas that came from this.

I'm back in creative flow and my mind is oozing with ideas and scenes for my second book. Since completing the course, I now have the confidence and inspiration to write my first draft.

AWC is the best place to learn about creative writing and gain the skills to become a professional writer.

Louisa is very well versed in the genre and enthusiastically delivers the course. She provided knowledegeable and implementable feedback to all participants.

Louisa's delivery of the course was passionate and that made things fun. Being able to do exercises as a group was a lot of fun too.

I'm now clearer on specific areas of crime/thriller writing and that everyone has to 'get their words out' - it won't be perfect the first time, and even seasoned writers have 'first drafts'.

Great to interact with Louisa and the other course participants.

Thank you for a well run course, materials and zoom details always worked, Louisa always knew what we were going to cover and kept things moving. Learned a lot, I have a lot to do, and know my steps forward from here.

I felt Louisa was very knowledgeable of the genre, and keen to share that with the students.

I enjoyed the exercises and homework assignments.

I found most of it very useful. It made me confident that when I do eventually try to write a crime/thriller novel, I will be strong in some areas of it.

Prior to starting, I had written 60K words in my first draft, so I wanted to learn from Louisa by starting a fresh story and then retrofitting it back to my first. This course has been helpful in confirming my first story is on track and providing me with the confidence and tools to finish it. I now have a pitch, structure, character profiles and scene starters all set to go on with my next story.

Louisa Larkin is an amazing tutor with a true passion for the craft. She encouraged all of us along the way, followed up to ensure we were able to complete the set tasks and provided useful thought-provoking feedback.

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and miss the weekly Zoom sessions with Louisa. My fellow classmates were friendly, supportive, and inspiring, with amazing ideas that prove the magnitude of diversity in creativity.

Since starting my writing journey, I've been seeking a writing group with like-minded people. Louisa encouraged our lovely group to make contact and continue supporting each other. We now have a fabulous Writers' Circle, meeting regularly online. And I suspect will be lifelong friendships :)

The classic thriller structure Louise guided us through using segments from one of her own books was generous and invaluable. I found this particularly beneficial as I'd read her books and could clearly relate to the points within the three-act structure.

Go for it - you have nothing to lose and so much to gain!

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.

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.

L. A. Larkin was great. Very personable and natural. While she was teaching us, it didn't feel like we were being dictated it.

I enjoyed the interaction with the tutor, the Zoom meetings and the breakout rooms to discuss with fellow writers. It was a very supportive environment.

It's a really interesting and useful tool to have course information at your disposal before you get too far into your book. It has put me in a better direction to specifically write a crime/thriller novel, not just a novel.

I had seen the presenter at a previous writers festival and knew she was good. I needed skills and motivation to write my second novel which will be in that genre.

A well-structured course and great handouts. Seemed a friendly group and lots of opportunity to interact. The info about plot was particularly helpful, but all learning will be beneficial to improve my writing. I was absent for one session so it was great to have the recordings so I didn't miss out. The five weeks went quickly. I'm thinking about doing another course with Louisa now.

Louisa was very engaging, and generous with her feedback. Her presentation style was friendly and non-threatening and she was very knowledgeable about all things writing. I also found her very inspiring, this time as well as the first time I saw her present a few years ago.

I enjoyed the step-by-step nature of the handouts which I can also refer to in the future. Getting to know Louisa and meet fellow writers. I liked the homework - not too onerous and it kept me interested and on task.

Thank you Louisa. I am honoured to have met you and to have benefited from your experience, talent and wisdom. The course was lots of fun too. Thank you AWC.

My life has been impacted profoundly by all the courses I've done with AWC. This one in particular has motivated me to write that crime novel and given me skills and the direction that I needed.

I'd say - go for it. It will change your life.

The learning was fun and varied. Louisa was professional in her approach and knowledgeable. Great handouts for future reference. Valuable skills for my toolbox. The course has helped me with structure and building suspense.

Give it a go. Lots of courses presented in a variety of ways. Great newsletter keeps me in touch with the industry.