What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I've read a lot of opinion pieces in newspapers and always thought it was for experts, so I was interested to see how this format could be utilised by other people, especially as a way of also building credibility in a field.

Vivienne had a wonderful 'teacherly' energy, which fit this format of training well. I thought she was very generous with her time and using her experience to help others.

I have completed many courses at AWC. While I haven't pursued one single writing format from those that I have learned at AWC as a career, all of the varied skills I've learned have helped me succeed in my current role as a curriculum and content writer and now curriculum manager who mentors other curriculum writers - plus it has helped me to become very clear about my future goals as a writer outside of the training industry. This has all come about because of the support of the AWC facilitators and the community who, through the sharing of their own experiences and skills, help every student realise that we have what it takes to own the title of 'writer'.

I enjoyed this course. The way Tim presented it was entertaining and humorous. It was so easy to watch his personality shining through the videos. The professional way he taught was really good.

Take that step and enrol in a Writers' Centre course. I have done quite a few to give me more knowledge with my writing. See where this journey takes you. Although you may find, like I did, that it takes you in a different direction. After doing Writing Chapter Books for 6-9 year olds and Laugh Out Loud, I have now found my writer's voice. To write funny stories for children. Thank you AWC.

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.

Pamela was great. Generous with her time, allowing us to ask questions that weren't necessarily on the current topic but that all budding writers are desperate to hear and learn about.

I enjoyed hearing so many great ideas from the other students. Everyone talking Fantasy and Sci Fi was great, really 'got you in the zone' for that specific genre and got your brain thinking. Helped me break through a couple of blockages I had with my own story, just by having my head firmly planted in the genre.

I was in a bit of a rut for my third book. I think I have an idea now to get me out of that rut ... which is essentially why I signed up for the course, to see if it could knock me back on track.

I think this is probably my 6th or 7th course with AWC. If I didn't like them then I wouldn't keep coming back. Go for it. Helps to get the inspiration firing and put your bum back in the chair.

I knew I wanted to write genre fiction and thought this would help to give me the lay of the land (and it very much did!)

I enjoyed all of it! But the standout is the connection - with the tutor, with the other writers, with my own ideas. I loved the presumption of being a writer that applied to us all - there was no sense of needing to earn my stripes or make disclaimers about being a tentative beginner. It was wonderful! Pamela is a goddess.

People liked my story idea. They bothered remembering things about it and being curious about it. I'd never told anyone anything tangible about a story idea before this class, never even committed vocally to wanting to be a writer. Now I know that I can write a book and however it turns out I'll have had an awesome time.

I completed How to Write for Children and Young Adults and was impressed with the quality of the course and tutor. Novel Writing Essentials seemed to be the next logical step for my further education in writing a novel.

The course content made so much sense and was invaluable for developing a mindset of persistence in what is, for many, a very abstract or romanticized endeavour: writing a novel. The technical advice and feedback provided by the tutor and audio modules was exceptional in quality and delivery of information/education.

Angela impressed me with her professional communications (to me and other students) and critiques. Like other tutors at AWC, to be encouraged, educated and critiqued by someone who's established in the industry like Angela, gave me confidence to keep going with my writing and feel great about the decision of having enrolled in the course.

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.

I thoroughly enjoyed and learnt a lot about how to refine and control my writing. Angela is generous with her comments and positive with her critique. Her comments were detailed and invaluable.

I am motivated and will keep going and am looking forward to writing my first story.

If you want to write you must go through at least the creative writing course - it is brilliant for putting you on your track to write.

I enjoyed the course. I loved getting the feedback and seeing the progressive stories of other students. The exercises were a very good motivation for me and something I will use in the future.

I realised that I was not alone in the way that I think about writing. It is different for each person but to know that other people struggle and that it is not always a walk in the park was very enlightening for me.

I am no longer as hard on myself and no longer (well most of the time) strive to write perfectly. I have a clearer and better understanding of the process of writing.

It is a safe and friendly environment to get your toes wet.

Thank you for the course. I am happy I made the decision to enrol and I am hoping to enrol in more courses moving forward.

I now feel more confident about embarking on writing a historical novel. I particularly enjoyed learning more about world building and how important this is to creating an authentic historical story.

I wanted to push myself to write more and to hit the 20,000-word mark. I also wanted constructive feedback from other writers. I was nervous about not being good enough but it ended up being a very supportive environment.

The feedback from Angela was extremely helpful. She opened my eyes to things I hadn't noticed and gave me some things to focus on. I felt she was very thorough. Her feedback is invaluable.

It pushed me to write! I am writing more than I ever have. It's motivated me to get a first draft done.

It's a very supportive, non-judgemental course.

As always, Bernadette's wisdom has been a great source of education. This course has pushed me in the right direction to truly become a freelance copywriter straight out of the gate.

The course content was great. I liked that it had substance, a real 'how-to' of opinion writing.

Vivienne was fantastic. She was generous with sharing her experience, and very engaging. The fact that Vivienne is a published opinion writer provided great credibility and gave weight to the course content.

The atmosphere in the group was really good. The discussion was engaging. I enjoyed it.

It has made me feel that it would be possible for me to write an opinion piece and be published.

I enjoyed the flexibility and the bite-sized learning modules. I feel empowered that I can actually do this...I know I am still learning but I am confident to call myself a freelance writer now.

David is at heart a conversationalist. I learnt so much from his examples from life. David is clearly outstanding in his abilities and his way of conveying information was entrancing and engrossing. I loved every minute. Feedback was awesome. I learnt so much from his laser questions and then explanations of process. Watching was learning. The handouts were excellent. The pre reading amazing. The examples so good. Can't speak highly enough.

I can do this. I have the personality and have been essentially doing it for years - now time to write it all down. I found my niche. I know what he is talking about. I gained confidence that I can do exactly what I have wanted to do, tis now to me to carve out that time. The structure is very helpful. The tips excellent and practical.

Valerie is an incredible tutor and so knowledgeable about the ins and outs of travel writing. Every piece of her feedback and insights were invaluable.

I enjoyed writing the assignments, having creative freedom to run with an idea. The planning, the research, the writing and receiving the feedback on all the work within the class.

I think for a short 5-week course, it covers everything and is delivered in the most efficient way. It has given me the confidence and motivation to pursue my travel writing, feeling ready and equipped to write more stories and approach editors.

It is an absolute game changer. Excellent value. Prepare to learn a lot in a short time, within a fantastic and supportive community.

This was a fantastic opportunity to spend some time with David Leser and learn a bit about profile writing. It was more like a conversation than a course and I enjoyed it a lot. Generous, engaging, intelligent. What's not to love?

AWC courses are focused, practical and immediately applicable in the real world. Don't waste your time or your money going anywhere else.

The Travel Writing course reinforced many of the underlying principles I learnt in the Freelance Writing course earlier in the year. But as this course is purely about travel writing it really made me focus my attention on looking for even better angles to fit with this genre. Just practising the craft - analysing, writing and pitching - in a safe environment has been, along with the excellent feedback from Valerie, really confidence building.

Over the last few weeks I've noticed a new habit: when I'm out and about - walks or hikes with friends, exploring somewhere new, visiting a museum or new micro-brewery - I'm asking myself: "Is there a story in this?" or "This is interesting, where's the angle?"

The AWC offers a really good framework for budding writers. You are guided supportively by some great tutors. Week by week they build on very well-structured lessons with great advice, examples and feedback that helps build skills and confidence. I have learnt tons from the AWC courses.

Anything is possible i.e. becoming a freelance or travel writer. Trust the process, do the homework, listen to the tutors, and I'll get there!

It was informative but didn't require too much of me. This was important as I have my fingers in many pies at the moment so it's nice to be able to fit the learning around my busy life, rather than feeling I'm dropping balls everywhere!

I really enjoyed it. I have set up my ABN and enrolled in more (a lot more!) AWC courses to give me plenty of exposure in my early days as a freelancer to give me the best chance of success.

I really can become a freelance writer; it was a secret dream before. I am super logical (I was a financial planner before having kids) but I am loving using a more creative part of my brain and I am learning that my research and previous corporate experiences will help me in my freelance writing career.

I aspire to be a writer but had no idea where to begin. This course seemed to tick all the boxes even those that I didn't know existed prior to the course. Being new to the whole journey of writing, I wasn't sure what course would be ideal. But this has been the perfect choice :)

Valerie Khoo was articulate and was able to capture my attention. Our online tutor provided valuable feedback for the assignments and reinforced my learning.

All modules were enjoyable and nuanced, each one was an eye opener for a novice like me. I learnt something interesting and new each time!

I never thought freelance writing was even possible for me. Every module taught me a practical technique that I can practise and incorporate into my writing.