What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I loved the course and the flexibility. The expansion of creativity it allowed, learning and growth each week in a supporting environment.

I'm publishing my first book, out next year!!!! So HAPPY! Based on an idea that emerged within the course.

Honestly it was all great and allowed my creative flow to flourish and remain curious.

I thought the amount of information given was very generous. Cathie gave great additional information each week, depending on what she was seeing in our work, and was very direct but encouraging.

I love the fact that I now have great printed notes but I can also go back and listen to the audio. I think that there is so much to take in, that you don't get it all after listening just once. It's great that it is available for us to return to.

I feel like I have a structure to work within and I have boundaries about where I can and can't go. It makes my story writing harder and easier somehow. I also feel very inspired to write more and to keep records of what I write. Until now, I've never formally kept records.

I love the fact that you offer such a variety of courses.

Having been a primary school teacher for many years, I have developed story ideas and hoped I could explore turning them into books!

Cathie was brilliant. She gave great feedback. She was able to point out the strengths and weak areas in my writing.

I enjoyed being given the chance to take a risk and write! It has given me a new dream!

I am an artist with writing ideas and I enjoyed being tasked to create new ideas and write 4 stories with a clear guide. I was pleasantly surprised there were extra lessons for illustrators. Communication very personable and you feel supported by staff and other students.

Responses from tutor were quick. Critiques were gentle but poignant. Also commented on good points which help to keep me motivated.

Enjoyable, well structured, challenging, supportive great. Just a big thank you.

I wanted to acquire more structured understanding and writing skills of this deceptively 'simple' category of children's books.

The course as a whole is very well structured, all modules instructive and enjoyable, offering a wealth of specific information on picture book writing. Being a librarian, I thought I knew something about picture books, but this course proved me wrong. Definitely an eye-opener!

A BIG thanks to Cathie! And I also appreciate the ability to access the course for a full year!

I will keep trying to improve my writing.

Writing my own stories was the best part of the course for me. Once l got going, the feeling of terror at the thought of producing something of my own was replaced with a beautiful sense of excitement and anticipation. I also liked reading stories others in the course wrote as well as learning from the feedback Cathie gave to all of us. Her feedback was very thoughtful and provided in a friendly, respectful fashion.

My feelings about the writing process and producing my own stories really affected me. It felt comfortable and uncomfortable, exciting and infuriating, nerve wracking and rewarding. Most of all, it felt really right. I was also surprised that l could produce something that Cathie said, 'Might have legs'. Lastly, when l now read stories to my classes, l seem to be reading them differently, more analytically and more in tune as to why authors make certain choices in their writing, how their story is structured and so on.

I love writing poetry and have written many poems for celebratory milestones for family and friends. Recently becoming a grandparent has kindled an interest for me in writing picture book stories and I explored courses available to progress this interest.

The tutor was very engaging. The learning was interesting and helpful. Suzanne provided constructive criticism in such a kind manner.

It was busy fitting the course around full time work and outside work responsibilities. I found the time because it was important and now it's over, I miss it.

It has given me confidence to further develop my writing approach and how to navigate the publishing world.

Such a professional, thorough and informative course and Valerie is a fabulous and engaging presenter. I am actually blown away by the granular detail AWC has provided. Suzanne was great as well. Very gentle and encouraging.

The course provided me with so much detailed information. I now have a blueprint.

The course is fantastic. Having access to a professional in the industry was invaluable, and I'm very excited to use the skills I've gained from this course to hopefully one day be published!

Suzanne was fantastic, and clearly has a deep knowledge and love of picture book writing and the industry as a whole. Her feedback on everyone's submissions was clear and actionable, and has personally helped me a great deal in improving my writing abilities.

Weekly feedback from an experienced professional is invaluable - and it was so great to be able to listen to Suzanne's feedback on everyone's submissions. I also really enjoyed reading the other students' submissions - it's so interesting to see what stories and themes others are passionate about. Getting and giving supportive feedback was also a thrill.

I now understand picture book structure much better, as well as using an active voice and showing vs telling. I'm excited to continue writing and pursuing this career.

If you think that you know all of the ins and outs of picture book writing from the internet, you'll probably find that you haven't got the full picture until you take the AWC's Writing Picture Books course. It is so great to be able to connect with likeminded people, read what they've been working on, and get invaluable, actionable feedback from a professional in the industry. Highly recommended!

I'm grateful to have been able to take this course and will be referring back to the course content for many years to come.

I learnt a lot about preparing a manuscript and editing the story. I have grown as a writer during this course. Spare, sparkling and tight writing is now my mantra.

I would definitely recommend the AWC to others. The teaching is explicit and helps build knowledge and skills.

A big thank you to the AWC and Zanni for an informative course that has opened my eyes to lots of techniques and tips for stronger, more purposeful writing.

Zanni is an excellent tutor. I appreciated her feedback and suggestions. I also loved how she read each story aloud. She welcomed new writers and did not make any of us feel inadequate or embarrassed about being a novice to the industry.

I enjoyed listening to the feedback and interacting with the other students in the course.

Highly recommend all AWC courses. The tutors are patient and knowledgeable in the industry.

I will not hesitate to recommend the Writing Picture Books course to anyone interested in writing for children. Or, in fact, writing in any format or genre. For any writers enrolling in the course in future, I would recommend listening to the bonus material for illustrators, even if they are not author-illustrators. Given that picture books are greater than the sum of their parts - a "third art form" when assembled - I found learning about the illustration process extremely valuable (even though I can barely draw a smiley-face). Thank you AWC. You are amazing.

Zanni was very positive and constructive. Loved the way she read the work aloud. Feedback was extremely valuable. Helped me refine every aspect of my writing. Her enthusiasm and passion was very infectious.

I read all literature differently now. I analyse story and themes at a deeper level. I write more succinctly. I think more about my young audience. I consider how an illustrator and editor might interpret or approach my writing. Moreover, I feel a little more confident. It has challenged me emotionally and intellectually. It has opened up a world of endless possibilities. Thank you, AWC!

The Australian Writers' Centre courses are astonishing. Don't delay. START TODAY!

I certainly learnt a lot about how to write a picture book and now have 3 basic stories to work on. I know I still have a lot to learn but this has been a great introduction to writing for me.

Suzanne was always very positive with her feedback and I really appreciated the constructive comments. I think she helped us to develop our writing a little more each week.

Give it a go! If you are keen to write a picture book, this is a great starting point.

This was the best professional development course of any kind I have ever done, and the best, most explicit, useful creative writing course too - just packed with useful content.

The tutor was professional, prompt, tactful but direct. Excellent.

I enjoyed the huge amount of practical guidance in the audio content.

I know so much no now about how to write a publishable book and get it in front of a publisher and everything that comes after. I am very hopeful I can get one or more published now.

Do it! If you're serious about learning to write a picture book, this is the course.

I have been interested in learning more about writing picture books for children for many years. I liked the content of the course and the way I was able to do the course online in my own time.

The way it is presented is good. The handouts are interesting and informative. Suzanne presented the modules clearly and gave useful feedback for each of my assignments and always had something positive to say. I will go over her comments when I continue working on my stories.

I just love writing really. It makes me happy and I can't wait to write some more over the holidays.

I would recommend this course to others and I will be enrolling in further AWC courses in 2022.

The information is detailed and comprehensive and the activities extremely helpful. The tutor's feedback was positive and always gave something to work on.

I enjoyed seeing the shift in my writing because I was really practising and focussing. I now know how to go about writing a picture book from go to whoa.

The course is great. You can't go past it. It is intense because it is crammed with information and activity. Thanks for the opportunity.

A friend of my daughter suggested it to me when she heard I was thinking about trying to write a picture book. She recommended AWC. I wasn't confident that I could do it. I'm 69 years old and I haven't done any study for many years. I've never really done any writing.

Our tutor was very encouraging and her feedback was very helpful. I think we were given an amazing amount of information. And it's good to know we still have access after the course has finished.

I enjoyed reading the stories that my colleagues had written. Such amazing imaginations.

AWC is very organised, professional, helpful and full of information. The feedback is so beneficial and having contact with other online colleagues is very supportive and encouraging.

Thank you so much! I enjoyed the course very much.

A friend recommended this course to me. I wanted to learn the craft of writing only 500 words within 32 pages to tell a story suitable for picture books and young children. It was a challenge at first for me, but now I feel more confident in my writing.

My overall impression of my online tutor was that she was very helpful and the advice helped me see my mistakes. Therefore I rewrote, redrafted, and corrected my manuscript, which has made the manuscript more presentable for publishing. Excellent tutor.

For me the most enjoyable part is being able to log on at odd hours of the day, working around my family demands. I do also enjoy being able to download the notes to read over, and over.

I feel confident that I have three manuscripts ready to submit to publishers. I am also looking forward to finishing the other courses I am enrolled in at the AWC.

In learning about writing picture books, my 'aha!' moment was learning about the structure of the story, then everything just fell into place in my mind and on the page.

It is a great learning experience, generous with information and helping new writers achieve their goals.

I am determined to become a children's picture book author. This has started me in the direction to get started. The information was exactly what I needed at just the right time. It is a fantastic way to learn, with a high level of professionalism and great value for money.

The feedback was explicit giving great positives but really concise ways to improve. As a teacher myself I am really impressed with how effective Zanni's feedback was. It really motivated me.

The progression that it is taught in, being accountable to hand something in each week, Zanni's feedback, the course handouts, all made for an informative and rewarding course.

I am a published illustrator and author, but writing is not my strength. I have been wanting to learn the fundamentals to aid and improve my stories for submission.

I enjoyed the recordings that accompanied the text and modules. I found it preferable to reading alone and the additional videos and extra tasks have been also beneficial.

Zanni was very generous with her feedback and having her read everyone's stories with the feedback online was very useful and honest.

The content was thorough. I found having the class chat a useful and helpful platform for us to share and keep each other accountable. I enjoyed Zanni's recording her feedback for our projects and the exercises to complete.

This is an important place to start if you've ever wanted to write a picture book in an easy and informative way. Not only does it give you an overview of structuring, use of wording and pacing your story, you'll also learn about publishing and the importance of the illustrator's role when writing picture books.