What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Bernadette was extremely knowledgeable and gave great feedback.

I enjoyed learning more tips and tricks that are beneficial to my day job - and more!

I've learned how to be more intentional and considered in my writing. I'm not sure if there was just one "aha" moment - but being more aware of the words I use is one of my favourite results.

The Australian Writers' Centre courses are extremely helpful for my development as a professional writer - both in my career and in my own creative practice.

I wanted to dedicate myself to my dream of writing a novel, and I thought this course would be a great first step. I desperately needed the structure and accountability to get to work! My only concern was not being able to keep up with the writing schedule.

I found the lessons very interesting and applicable. I have never written such long-form fiction before and so the advice and direction of each of the recordings offered a great foundation for my writing. I have taken several writing courses in the past, and still learnt so much! I also liked the interaction with my fellow coursemates!

This course has started me on my lifelong dream of writing a novel! The advice, techniques and skills I have gained will be instrumental for me on my writing journey.

The format of audio feedback was great. It makes it feel so much more personal than reading written comments. I also learnt a lot from listening to the feedback for other students' writing (and reading their writing).

Pamela gives really practical feedback that allows the students to improve. I felt I made huge strides in the course and could also see my fellow students doing the same. Pamela also has a lovely encouraging style that makes you keep going and trying.

It challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and to try new things.

I just want to keep writing and learning more. Thank you!

It's great fun, you'll learn a lot and you'll improve dramatically.

I genuinely appreciated all the feedback from Alex (our online tutor) and got a lot out of listening to everyone's feedback.

I enjoyed going deeper into publications and topics that I wanted to explore further. I also liked having the pair assignment where we interviewed each other. It was good fun, but also very educational at the same time.

I am now more confident in pursuing my writing further.

The AWC courses are well-structured and likewise, the tutor's feedback is so invaluable! It gave me accountability for developing my own writing practice through the weekly assignments.

I am excited to do another course!

I enjoyed all the resources! Plus studying at my own pace and being able to download everything for future use.

This particular course has really helped me to figure out the journey of my story.

Every course I have completed has really impacted where I go as a writer. I am a fledgling storyteller and I often lack the confidence to get my work out there or in fact to sit down and write anything! Slowly but surely, your courses are teasing out my writing interests.

I read through the outline and loved just about everything in it, especially world building and structuring trilogies/multiple books set in the same world with multiple protagonists.

I had so much fun and learnt so much in every class. It's really changed the approach I will take to my writing moving forward.

Pamela was a wonderful tutor. I found the way she taught really engaging. I learnt so much about writing in the last few weeks. She answered all questions really precisely and she was the first tutor to explain techniques someone with aphantasia can use when doing scenes.

I liked that all the assignments forced me to really think about the world and story I was working on in a safe learning environment. My favourite was map-making as it forced me to think about things like water sources.

It forced me to really think about every element of the world from the people, to the history to the soil. The advice, tips and resources given will help my writing for years to come.

I highly recommend it! It is a wonderful way to learn about writing and your relationship with it.

I loved the whole course and I'm very glad I took it.

I really appreciated the way the course is designed. It's clear from the content that you value people's time - there was nothing superfluous, yet there was so much detail included. I thought it might have been a bit 'general' but the insight given was impressive.

Great feedback. I learned a lot from not just my own feedback but by listening to others' too.

I enjoyed the modules themselves and the feedback. Being able to listen to them as audio files was most helpful.

I know so much more than when I began. I read a quote from a graduate saying, 'Don't submit anything before doing this course.' How right they were.

Do it.

Lesley's presentation style was clear and easy to follow. The topics covered were comprehensive and informative. The exercises broadened my perspective on writing and publishing.

It has encouraged me to get back into writing. It is the place within me that I feel connected to the most.

The area of major learning for me was the themes that are usually covered when writing for 6 - 9 year olds. Most relate to their own world, including family, friends and school. But an exercise we did showed that the theme can be about anything - it just depends on how you present it.

The AWC has a wide and helpful range of courses for people interested in all areas of writing. There is something for everyone.

Thank you, Lesley, for sharing your knowledge and for your guidance.

I wanted to give writing fiction a go, I hadn't done any fiction writing since being in school but always found it fun so thought I'd give it a try.

I was nervous before starting as I had never done anything like this before and I wasn't sure how it would work. Also having to post in front of other people was very nerve-racking, as you are vulnerable to other people seeing your work (as opposed to just the tutor alone). I quickly got past this however and found that it was great to see other people's work and get feedback. You learn from others as well as your own work from the tutor's feedback.

The feedback provided is useful and although it can be tough taking on board constructive criticism, I've found that Pamela explains the reasons why and it does make sense. I'm trying to look at things more objectively and hearing the positive feedback is also really encouraging and exciting! It makes you want to write more.

I enjoyed getting to follow the creative flow and see where the story goes! I feel like in school, storytelling is a small part of learning English but that's the part I most enjoyed, so to be able to refresh that again as an adult has been really exciting.

This course has made me rethink writing and what it means. I didn't realise there was so much to it, there's so much detail and whilst that scares me a little, I feel like this is a valid field to work in. The course has inspired me to keep on writing and that it is OK to write fiction and follow your imagination (I was told off in school for daydreaming too much). That is exciting!

I think for me, it was just learning throughout this course that it is OK and acceptable to be able to write fiction, to make stuff up, to go with it and this is actually 'a thing' you can do!

It has been a great learning experience. I have enjoyed letting my imagination flow and getting words onto paper. It's been great exploring writing fiction and seeing the characters and scenes come alive.

While doing the Novel Writing Essentials course, other students recommended Scrivener. I had never heard about it before. I was curious, but was frightened it would take too long to learn. Fortunately I was told about this course on the AWC site and thought it would be worthwhile to at least investigate it.

I would really recommend you mention this course to everyone who enrols in Novel Writing Essentials. I wish I had known about it earlier! The course is presented so well. Thank you!

I enjoyed the hands-on approach. I am glad I can go back to it over 12 months as well, as I am sure I will forget things. Hopefully after using it for 12 months I will become competent.

As my novel got larger, Word was so cumbersome! I love the way everything in Scrivener is at my fingertips. Even my research! I am now finding it easier to write!

Do the Scrivener course before starting any large piece of writing. For a two hours commitment it will save many, many hours when you start your novel! The course is written so well, even people frightened of learning new software will find it so easy!

AWC's MOJO month has been a great investment, thank you FF team! They have covered every imaginable topic for a writer to feel inspired, educated and empowered in improving their writing skills. Each day provided a further insight into what makes the construct of a story powerful. I would recommend this course to anyone who has any self-doubt about their ability. A very uplifting and rewarding pathway to improvement.

The final Module on Setting was FANTASTIC and a huge help to me. It will be one of my most revisited aspects of the course and was really inspiring in terms of helping me visualise the elements of my story I'd been wanting to convey. It totally hit the spot, and I'll be telling my writing buddies about this course.

I enjoyed Valerie's voice - ha ha! I'm so used to hearing her now that I feel very relaxed about being educated by her (no matter who's behind the material). I'm used to the way she speaks and it makes me slide into the info. I also find the handouts enjoyable because they are thorough, and that makes me relax because I don't have to panic about getting the words down as they are spoken. My brain has time to process all that's being said.

I feel like I've had a breakthrough in understanding scenes and settings, and that is GOLD. I've been writing a long time and some of it is organic for me, but other parts feel like corrupted files in my brain. It's helped iron out the data by using a great input method. Settings has been a strength and a weakness, and this has truly helped iron that out in a positive way. Also, to be reminded to 'enjoy the process of writing' and not to 'rush the setting to get to the story' - words I needed to hear. I work full time and it's important to be patient sometimes. With great ideas comes great responsibility ;)

I've already been recommending AWC, and have advised they simply check out the options on the website to see which course would suit them best. If we're honest, we often know our own weak points, but there's enough 'links' mentioned in each course and references to the other courses on offer that it's impossible to do just one.

Go get your eyes on the site and check it out, have a trawl and consider all the options. It really explains itself perfectly. I reckon it just keeps getting better.

LOVE all the wonderful modules, tips, online TED Talks, links, exercises, etc. If I keep practising all that I've learned, there should be enough fodder for me to write LOADS.

I enjoyed EVERYTHING!!!!!! I love all the tips and links on offer too. So clever, informative and fun.

I will try and use everything I've learned more and more. I've kept notes (loads of them) and will put them in a folder so that I can peruse and look at them when I'm feeling 'meh' to get encouraged again and again to keep at it.

Pamela was personable. She has great advice for the novice writer. Her feedback was honest and aimed at helping the students.

I enjoyed being in a Zoom class. I liked the chance to interact with fellow class mates. I like the informal nature of the course. Pamela let the conversation take a natural course. You were learning and enjoying it.

It provided me with a validation of the genre I want to write in. In other courses I keep getting the 'I don't read this genre' comments. These participants don't only read it, they write it too.

Just do it! If you think you want to write fantasy, science fiction then this is the course for you. This is where you will find your tribe!

It has been so refreshing, learning to think about writing in a mindful way. I learnt to be a better spy, listening to conversations, people watching (body language and interacting with one another), snapping photos of colour and ideas for stories. That was the amazing thing, there is a story in all of us, and all around us.

We all have stories to tell. Observe everything and be open to new experiences, you never know when that story idea will hit.

An inspiring and uplifting course, full of challenges and fun things to do.

It has given me insight into the art of writing and creativity - to keep doing it for the love, enjoyment and exploration of myself. Anything is possible and it may be a rollercoaster at times but just keep going.

Being in retirement and having been a teacher for many years, I wanted something that would challenge me and writing was a natural extension of my work as a teacher.

I felt somewhat nervous about others in the course reading my attempts, but in the end, I felt it was helpful and something I had better get used to if I wanted others to read my published work. It was good to see how others tackled the assignments and the feedback given by Alex on others' (and my) work was extremely helpful to me and reinforced and clarified salient points raised in the audio lessons. It was also helpful to have a chat section where questions could be raised and responses provided both by Alex and other participants.

I thought Alex was very good and supportive of everyone doing the course. It was very encouraging to receive honest and helpful feedback from someone like Alex with real-world editorial experience.

It was interesting writing the profile and conducting an interview--very good practice! It was good to meet another participant on a more in-depth level.

It has given me the tools and courage to take the next step of pitching to an editor.

If I had known how much content was covered, how interesting it would all be, and that I would start every day with a smile, I would have done it sooner.

Since starting this course, I have written most 4000 words! It was exactly the kick I needed, and although I'm still yet to go back and review a lot of the material, I've now started a habit of writing every day.

When I first started this course, I felt unfilled and like I wasn't reaching my full potential but had no idea where to start. This course gave me the exact boost I needed. Not only is it full of inspiring content, but you can also read other's comments for inspiration. Now I'm writing daily, thinking about how to improve my descriptions, and have a new daily routine that works for me, all thanks to MOJO and AWC. The content in this course is beneficial for everybody, not just writers!

I wanted to get a jumpstart in understanding writing fiction in the hopes of trying my hand at writing a novel.

I enjoyed thinking up fictional scenes and characters and actually sitting down to write about them. I didn't know if I could do it!

By explaining the tools that make up great stories--setting, scenes, characters, dialog--the course gave me the confidence to write fiction. Now I don't want to stop.

It's a practical, honest way to encourage you to write and it's broken down into chunks that make it feel completely doable.