What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I was very happy with the constructive feedback given by Vivienne, in particular the way in which it was provided step by step, line by line. It was very thorough and practical and I am confident I can apply her advice to my writing and pitching.

It has made me more committed to learning more and trying my hand at freelance writing.

If you're thinking about learning the art of writing, whether it's for personal or professional reasons, don't hesitate to enrol with the Australian Writers' Centre. AWC covers every aspect of the writing process, the homework is designed to actually get you writing and the feedback provided is constructive and practical.

I write copy for work and am self taught, so it was nice to learn the ins and outs of the profession.

The feedback from Bernadette was great, and the modules were a great length for adult learning when you have work to juggle. I wasn't sure if I would have time. But the length of the course and the assignment lengths were brilliant.

My copywriting has improved and with that my company's uptake in the events we promote have gained more registrations. Thank you Bernadette and the Australian Writers' Centre!

The tutor was knowledgeable and interested in each of our stories even though very different genres, which I'm sure everyone appreciated. She was encouraging.

Workshopping and theory all in one! It really kept me accountable and now I have almost half my first draft written and I know where I'm headed.

I will keep going!! I will write this book! I needed this course to keep me accountable so I'll enrol in the next one.

I had been planning to do this course after Creative Writing Stage 1 mid 2023 but wanted to be sure that I had enough content underway to keep up. So I completed Writing Workout first, which was excellent preparation, especially the last module on preparing the synopsis. So I felt really ready for Novel Writing Essentials when it started.

My tutor, Petronella, was excellent. My impression is that she is a very talented writer and a talented tutor. Her feedback was extremely detailed, both conceptual and technical and very kindly pitched. She also was very warm, welcoming and positive. A really warm, encouraging presence. Near the end of the course, another student and I had the chance to attend the launch of Petronella's fourth book and it was fantastic to see our end goal embodied in this wonderful way. Petronella was a huge highlight of the course for me.

I found most enjoyable the momentum that the course structure and assignments helped me to build towards my first full draft. I especially appreciated how the last assignment of Writing Workout fitted so perfectly into the first assignment of this course. The (shorter version) work I did there and the feedback I received was really helpful as I improved my synopsis for the submission in this course. I found the content in the modules extremely enjoyable, especially around the technical aspects of a novel and writing. I enjoyed Petronella's feedback and some of the feedback from fellow students very much. It was very insightful and led to big improvements in my work.

The course definitely increased my confidence and taking myself more seriously as a writer. By the end of the course, I felt confident enough to submit my first 3 chapters, synopsis and chapter breakdown to the Richelle Prize. My chances might be very slim but as Valerie always says, 'you can't publish, if you haven't written it'. Equally, 'I can't win the prize, if I haven't submitted'.

AWC courses have a perfect blend of tutor led or self-guided and, being online, are fantastic for people who are building a writing practice around busy everyday lives. The courses are taught by published authors and other experts and provide excellent step-by-step content on the practicalities of developing a novel and writing it.

My next goal is to join the Write Your Novel program when I have 1/2 my manuscript completed (I have about 1/4) and I'm accepted. I love everything I am learning via the AWC.

I liked the teacher / writer and how she gave us many examples from real books to expand upon this knowledge. I enjoyed the exercises. I liked the PDF handouts.

I liked how some of the initial exercises asked us to remember things from our own childhood that were important to us (DER!) but this actually had me come up with a COMPLETELY NEW IDEA for a book!

The courses are very good value for money and VERY SPECIFIC to the genre / type of book in which you are looking to write. I have actually done other courses before through other writing centres and have been disappointed at the quality of the courses. This course packed a punch above its weight!

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

My writing was stuck, I was in major story writing doldrums, and I had some sense it had to do with not having a good understanding of foundational elements of structure, such as 3-act structure.

Voila! my writing is no longer stuck, and I'm out of the writing doldrums. I've made so many new discoveries in my story over the past week (as I went through this course) that are not only exciting to me, but which I know will excite my eventual readers.

I've had the plot for a long time, the characters, etc. And I'm a damn good writer. But even my long history of reading, writing, and even an MFA in Creative Writing (in poetry, however) did not teach me the fundamentals of story structure. Now, all of a sudden, things are falling into place. Now I know what to write next, and where it goes in the overall story.

Every course I've taken from AWC has exceeded expectations. And believe me, I have recommended your courses, and will continue to do so. A German friend of mine is taking your Romance writing course right now. Let me add that I'm an American, and was put on to AWC by a Brisbane friend a couple of years ago. Maybe there's something as good as AWC in the U.S., but I haven't seen it yet.

The course material was interesting and useful and pushed me to learn and think. The online tutor for the course assignments provided useful and relevant feedback. Overall the course was interesting, relevant and well paced.

Thank you to the AWC team.

I was attracted to this course because I needed help with my writing - I was getting bogged down.

It exceeded my expectations. It made me think in wider terms about what I'm writing. The fifth module on Settings has really made me think of the scenes I'm writing in a different way.

Great courses. Professionally presented and always relevant to what you are working on.

The course was brilliant. Easy to access on a range of devices. It covered everything I needed to know and some things I didn't realise I needed to know. It was so practical, focusing on the end goal and giving me the knowledge I need to get there. It was so helpful with the insider tips and examples of article types, pitches, checklists and write-ups.

It fuelled my passion for travel.

I know so much more about travel writing now, and have the tools to begin making it professional.

This course covered a wide range of topics; all were useful. I enjoyed the easy to follow, bite sized sessions which allowed me to stop and start with ease.

If you want to be fully informed about publishing your book, you must do this course.

I enjoyed Pamela's friendly manner and the content which has helped me with my writing.

I'm now on the lookout for filter words when I am editing my work. I didn't realise I'd used so many!

Don't hesitate - do this course.

Petronella was fabulous. She was supportive of everybody. Her feedback was constructive and insightful. She highlighted things I hadn't considered especially about family dynamics. It was inspiring to be tutored by someone who has written four books.

I enjoyed the interaction with Petronella and the quality of the content in the modules. I particularly liked the frameworks you provided that I could apply to my writing. The overall structure worked well and gave me the impetus I needed to get my word count up. One of the best pieces of advice I took out was the comment 'don't be too writerly' - just get the story on the page.

I thought it was great and worked well for me. I went from about 15k before I started to over 60k. That was way beyond my expectations when I started. Of course, the million-dollar question is - is it any good!! but I feel motivated to get it down on the page and trust the process.

The course gives you an easily accessible structured approach designed to help you take your idea and turn it into a story people will want to read.

I was worried that I might not keep up with all the videos and assignments. I was relieved that the course was do-able in bite-sized chunks!

I enjoyed being part of an online group for the first time. Bernadette always seemed cheerful and provided feedback in a constructive way.

I loved the explanation of the seven steps from the beginning. There's so much "smoke and mirrors" about what marketing is and how to write punchy copy. I appreciated the word-count suggestions for each section.

Give it a go! It's not hard and you don't have to be an academic to succeed. Why wait? Just give it a go!

I needed to know more about plotting. I'm someone who finds my story writing, and I can write great scenes and invent great characters. Sometimes, I write 100,000 words, but nothing happens.

The course had a profound impact on my writing. I love the formula; it's just what I needed, so finally, a lot is happening in my story. Thanks, Kate.

Charlotte was lovely and her feedback on the assignments and course chat was helpful. I enjoyed the video delivery of feedback and seeing her reactions to all the pieces.

I wish I discovered this course sooner! I've spent weeks of my life researching online and reading craft books to grasp concepts that AWC have distilled into an engaging and digestible course that you can devour in a matter of hours. So if you're looking to accelerate your skills, look no further.

Thank you so much, really enjoyed the course material and sad it's over :)

Having done a Professional Writing degree many years ago, I wasn't sure whether this course would be too basic, but I actually found it really helpful and gained a lot of inspiration (and it was a bit of a refresher course for things I'd forgotten, or hadn't considered in years). I was also a little concerned about meeting the assignment requirements, having not done any study in a number of years. But everything was explained really well and I actually entered the assignment phase of each module knowing what was required and with some excitement about producing something and meeting the brief.

Pamela gave great and useful feedback in a really respectful way. I'm definitely keen to put her advice into practice and keep writing. I might even do another of the AWC courses down the track.

I enjoyed that each module was doable in the time frame, with extra exercises, handouts and a short assignment. I was actually really looking forward to each week's offering being 'dropped' and I didn't lose momentum at all. I also liked that, through the exercises, I got an idea that I intend to run with and see where it leads.

I'm raring to go - with some semblance of a plan to go forwards (I've had a lot of ideas in the past, but feel I now have 'direction' with which to shape my ideas).

It's enjoyable and worth the time and money. It's a good springboard for more writing. Five weeks goes too fast!

Nat is knowledgeable. Her feedback was meaningful and helpful. She highlighted writing conventions and tips for better writing within participants' writing assignments. She was also always kind and encouraging.

Writing doesn't need to be a lonely pursuit; there are tools and community one can reach out to.

This was a really great course.

I needed to get out of a rut with my writing. I enjoyed knowing that I was working towards the completion of a written short story, towards feedback.

If I had not been enrolled, I would not have completed this story. I was already battling with issues of confidence but I got my story done. That's a big thing for me.

I thought the course was extremely comprehensive and, even though I've written real estate copy before, I learnt a lot and realised what I need to know now if I get back into it.

I enjoyed the practical walk throughs of a house, and the way different words and sentences can be built - useful for copywriting in general! The course creator and narrator was excellent.

It's given me the confidence to go out there and start pitching to some local agents - I would like to make it part of my overall freelance writing pie.

AWC courses are comprehensive, friendly, practical and will help you!

I love travel and lived overseas for 26 years! I want to write about travel and share experiences so this course seemed perfect.

Valerie explained everything so well and the course detail is comprehensive with the handouts and videos. You have more than enough to get started.

The interviews with Katrina Lobb were really useful. It was really helpful to see so many examples of the different types of travel articles.

It got me started! I got the confidence to send my first pitches, and the tools to plan some possible article ideas for an upcoming trip to Malaysia.

Do it! It's a practical course with something for everyone.