What’s it like to learn with AWC?

The course material and tutor feedback were brilliant.

Pamela is knowledgeable, insightful and an excellent teacher who is able to identify key learnings for each student and explain them effectively. And she is a nice person!

I thought the course was fabulous. Understanding the mechanics of writing a novel, and having the tutor answer my questions, which kept me moving forward over the speed humps.

Petronella was a wonderful tutor and incredibly approachable. She was open to hearing and discussing all story ideas and never once made you feel that your story was irrelevant or too outlandish. In fact, she only strengthened my faith in myself and my manuscript.

It was wonderful having such an experienced author like Petronella give feedback, and also meeting similar aspiring authors who were in the same boat as me and going through self doubt but wanting to better themselves.

To be honest the course was everything I imagined it to be and more. It covered writing techniques that I hadn't even considered such as POV, plotting and the techniques used to create relatable characters.

AWC courses are simple and easy to follow and they're not bogged down in academic jargon like one might find while doing a writing course at a university. Actually, I would say don't bother doing creative writing at uni. Just enrol at AWC. Their courses are current and relevant.

I loved the feedback from Margaret. It's great to have a real editor as that has strengthened my writing and I am now aware of any defects.

I'm a better writer and I know I can finish this novel.

A good course to do if you are serious about writing a novel.

Petronella was bubbly and welcoming, no question was off limits and she was a great cheerleader for the students and their characters. It's clear she loves writing and supporting budding writers. I was so happy to have her as my tutor.

Giving and receiving feedback was great. I enjoyed both processes.

Definitely do it! The courses are well run and the feedback from professional authors is invaluable.

I wanted the opportunity to surround myself with other writers and get instruction and be accountable. Weekly check-ins and assignments.

Fantastic feedback provided by Margaret as well as my fellow students, it was fabulous!

I went from having written just over 3,000 words towards my novel to the end where I have now written over 46k words - it kept me motivated and wanting to write more!

It's a fabulous course to keep you motivated and accountable and the feedback from the tutor and fellow students is invaluable!

Nat was good fun. I gained an extra appreciation of deep POV and of the physics/logistics/believability of scenes from her and I think she had a genuine appreciation for my novel concept.

Highlights were authenticity/inclusion videos, setting an inclusive culture in AWC courses (Nat did a good job of that too), and feeling invested in the projects of other students (we are keeping in touch).

Spending 10 weeks focused on writing my first novel was invaluable to me in figuring out a process that works (for me). I've also had to remind myself that the key (for me) is keeping the process fun and playful rather than pushing for word count, because a novel, like other goals in life, is 99.9% the process of getting there - so savour it, because I'll only get one first novel.

The course definitely launched and steered me in a good direction which was stimulating. Applying what was I learning to my writing was enjoyable. Commenting on others' work and then seeing how my comments compared to what Nat would say in her videos was the most interesting for me.

I really enjoyed Nat's feedback - her humour, encouragement, very useful practical observations and suggestions.

I feel like I have a plan to write a novel and it is achievable.

If you have an idea that you'd like to write a novel but have barely started the journey, this course will show you the path and what you need to pack.

I have never been a part of workshopping others writing before, so that was an unexpected joy. There was so much comfort in knowing we are all at the same stage of writing and feeling the same way about receiving and providing feedback to each other. The space did not feel in anyway competitive, just very nurturing and enjoyable!

Nat was a very engaging tutor, her feedback was always very generous and supportive. Even when she made suggestions that she knew the writer might not agree with, she followed it with "it's just a suggestion," or "it's your novel". Nat's experience and knowledge was evident, but not in an arrogant way. She always made the writer she was critiquing the hero and always found nuggets in every piece she read. Shout Nat a beer - I can't believe that she fits all she does into her life! Thanks Nat for being so supportive of our group.

Reading genres I would not normally read was a coup. I also developed a newfound respect for writing and writers no matter what they have written. My idea of 'reviewing' the novels I read privately on social media has also changed now that I realise how much time and energy writers put into their work.

I never knew how much writing craft was involved in writing a novel. I am in awe of writers finishing a book and then getting it published. I realise the work that needs to be done is far greater than I ever imagined but feel like the course had laid some great foundations to work towards that.

I struggled (and continue to struggle) with POV. Almost nailing my last submission was very rewarding after grappling with it for the bulk of the course.

AWC courses are accessible and the community of tutors and writers are very supportive and experienced.

I loved reading my classmates' work - so many diverse stories - and having the opportunity to meet other people in a similar stage of writing to me.

Nat was excellent. Thorough with her feedback, honest, supportive and very amusing. Her feedback videos were a highlight each week.

The workshopping, handouts, and Nat's feedback were the highlights of the course and they felt worth the cost of the course on their own.

Through the practice of reading and commenting on my peers' work, and watching all of Nat's videos (across this course and Creative Writing 1), I've learnt how to give useful feedback on other's work and also how to better critique my own. When I review my work now, I look for things that might be unclear or where I've let too much of myself come through instead of my character.

I also feel much more confident in my ability to finish my draft. The workshopping sessions and the push to meet the wordcount gave me momentum, which is what I was hoping for. If...I mean...WHEN I finish my draft, I'll definitely be crediting the two AWC courses I've taken as being an instrumental push in the right direction.

It's a great opportunity to workshop your writing, get feedback from an experienced tutor, and potentially become part of a writing community.

Pamela is so very knowledgeable and experienced. Being able to gain feedback and direction for someone so immersed in the industry is invaluable.

It made me get excited about my novel again.

If you really want to give your writing or novel a chance, do some courses and make it the best it can be.

Really enjoyed the course. The feedback from the tutor and the other students was so helpful.

I liked writing the synopsis and getting feedback

I now have a regular writing routine, a clear story structure and a plan of how to write my whole book. For the first time ever I think I can really do this!

The tutor was fantastic. Pamela provided encouragement, support and constructive feedback. I really appreciated all of the time she put into this course. It was so motivating to continue my story.

The peer group were very welcoming and friendly. It was nice to have a group of like-minded people to chat about writing with.

I feel like someone else might actually want to read my story! This has been incredibly motivating.

I'd say it's very professional, lots of great information and knowledgeable tutors. Give it a go if you need some motivation or structure for your writing goals.

Pamela is excellent - good communication and feedback.

It helped me get on and develop my synopsis - I found this invaluable. It also reinforced the same things I learned in the first course and bedded them down a bit more. I definitely feel better equipped to move forward now.

Everyone doing the course is on a similar journey to you.

It's a great way of saving some time that you'll otherwise waste trying to work out a process on your own.

I got some great feedback from the tutor and other students on my writing - particularly on my synopsis. This was helpful as all I had when I started the course was a random collection of ideas and scenes.

Great place to learn the craft of writing.

Loved the peer group process and agree with AWC that the process of giving and receiving peer feedback is an integral part of improving as a writer. I highly recommend the course for anyone thinking of writing that first novel. As for me, I'm 66 and just beginning the process.

Margaret was great and provided very good feedback in a very supportive way. I really liked the video format that she used to provide it as it made the feedback far more personal.

I was able to review my academic style of writing and try a radically different way of writing, then pull it back a little based on very gentle feedback.

If you have the desire to write a novel, this is an absolutely fantastic place to start the process. It is a really safe and nurturing environment to take those first steps.

Finally I have got down to writing a novel that has been in my mind for a decade or so.

Margaret was wonderful. She was very encouraging and approached the constructive feedback professionally and kindly. Her enthusiasm and positivity never wavered. Feedback was highly valuable and will shape the remainder of my novel writing efforts.

I loved the audio lessons, so rich in content and easy to digest. I appreciate that we have these resources to refer back to after the course. The dynamics of our groups was exceptional. The feedback from all students and Margaret was so valuable. I found providing feedback got easier as the course went on.

I have a greater confidence to share my work and the student group has already planned to do this through a Whats App group. The feedback has given me better direction and I have learned a great deal from Margaret and the course material.

A big thank you to Margaret. I will recommend her as a top tutor to writing friends.

My tutor Margaret was very supportive, and the feedback was great and very helpful. She made effort to go into detail about things that could be improved while also taking the time to be positive about what I had done well.

I enjoyed the chance to be able to work alongside a group of people with similar passions and interests. I enjoyed reading and giving feedback on genres of writing that I typically would not have read. This challenged me and I feel that it helped me in my own writing.

I learned a lot from giving and receiving feedback during this course. My tutor and fellow students pointed out things that I had not seen or realised and it helped me to look at things in my work that I hadn't realised needed work.

The course is very beneficial for people wanting to learn more about writing and enhance their skills.

The audio lessons are very well prepared and delivered, always informative and useful. I found Modules 1-4 very enlightening. Not just 'this is how you do it', but WHY you do it this way. In particular, the analyses of personality types (the OCEAN), the functions of characters, and applying this to my story was invaluable.

My tutor was brilliant. The feedback from Margaret, and her clear interest in what I am trying to do, has made me believe that I can finish this.

I now understand the setting up of key questions to be addressed, and how answering them fits into the structure. This forced me to clarify the issues/questions that I want to explore from the period of history I am writing about, and to develop them through various scenes.

If you want to write something, do a course first.

I really liked the way Louisa provided feedback. I am - in fact - a professional criticiser (teacher!), so there is definitely a right way of providing feedback. Louisa was never patronising, she never made unfair statements. More importantly, she never sounded like she was laughing when she provided feedback (unless she showed that she enjoyed your deliberate humour). Her feedback was always helpful and to the point.

I enjoyed the workshopping. It was intense and difficult, but really worth doing.

If you're serious about writing a book and then getting it to the point of publication, this will help you, every step of the way.

Louisa's feedback was to the point and extremely valuable. Very practical and very much appreciated.

Even though it was time consuming, and took time away from my writing, the requirement to provide feedback to other students was extremely worthwhile, and the suggestions I received from them was invaluable.

I realise if I want to complete my novel I really need to dedicate my time and commit to a writing schedule. It also helped me to believe in myself and the stories I have to tell.

I thought I told a story well, but realised when pointed out that I was telling more than showing. It was easy to redirect my writing style with the resources and advice I'd been given.

This course provides an amazing amount of advice and resources for writing your novel. Most importantly it provides inspiration and confidence to believe in yourself as a writer.