What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I've been wanting to do an AWC course for a long time, and the timing was perfect for this one. I've tried writing children's stories but needed instruction on specific structure etc.

There was a lot of information in 5 weeks, which was great. I like Cathie's style of giving feedback. She tells it like it is, but in a nice way.

I had a few ideas for children's stories and had thought about illustrating them, as I paint/draw. Almost in the first lesson it was pointed out not to do the things I had planned so it has saved me a lot of time and wasted effort!

Kate made the process of plotting and planning really easy to follow and has eased my anxiety around starting the process. Wonderful examples and clear steps to follow.

It is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to write!

I have been able to use Kate's advice and tips to start plotting my story and I feel much more confident and organised.

This course is easy to follow, encouraging and inspiring, and I highly recommend it.

I like the fact that the course avoids setting a writing formula or recommended practice. It is very much left to the individuals to extract from it what they need.

The tutor was very smart and gives precise feedback. I trusted her knowledge base.

I think the exercises are challenging but in a good way. I can see improvements and new skills emerging after each module.

I already have in almost final form a collection of 23 stories. This means that I can now take the learnings from the course and review the characters, scenes and structure.

I have already recommended this course and organization to others. They talk about writing but find it hard to make a start.

I've recently started a new position and found my copywriting skills lacking. I did some online research and the AWC course content really appealed to me, the course length was appropriate and I liked the online access.

Mark was great, feedback was constructive and insightful.

The SEO section of the course was incredibly useful to what I'm doing. It made me take a different approach to my work, and I've already seen improvements in our company SEO standings.

AWC courses are enjoyable, accessible and useful.

The personalized feedback was invaluable in affirming what I am working on. The tutor was bang on every time and delivered positive feedback.

I enjoyed seeing other people developing and the common support.

I now have the confidence to keep going on and pushing myself further.

I think Nat did a great job in providing much needed feedback. It also helped that she gave some great recommendations on what books / videos would help as well.

If you're starting out with writing a book, then the Australian Writers' Centre provides all the straightforward and important information.

I appreciate the all-around support that I and everyone else received in sharing our works.

Kate and her course have inspired me to keep on writing even though there are times when life gets in the way.

For anyone who is passionate about learning their craft and is serious about making writing their career, don't hesitate to do this course. In fact, I have encouraged a few aspiring writers to do so.

Nat has been awesome in providing constructive criticism as well as being nice enough not to point out everything that is wrong with the assignments! She knows what she is talking about and has been supportive which is very much appreciated.

I enjoyed all aspects, really. From the information to the classroom chat, it is well presented and easy to follow. I especially liked the feedback even though it initially scared me!

It has given me confidence in writing and my passion has come back. It has also taught me that nothing I write is wrong, and I have to keep writing to get to where I want to be.

It's brilliant! A welcoming and creative area where you can write anything and feel safe. You learn a bit about yourself as well as many aspects of writing to get you started.

I want to write a novel but didn't know where to start. This course looked like the perfect foundation for me. And it was!

It definitely exceeded my expectations. Nat's feedback got me thinking about the small things (like, can your character 'actually' see what you're saying they're seeing). Those small things are extremely valuable!

I am so grateful that Nat spent the time and energy to provide feedback. The feedback incorporated both what WAS working in my writing, and what needed improvement. She can definitely help anyone become a better writer.

I just love learning. I loved the lectures. The actual writing felt daunting given the time constraints, but really pushed me to submit something by a certain time. I probably wouldn't have written anything otherwise!

It made me want to be a writer and learn as much as I can about writing. Especially Nat, her feedback has made me think of things in my writing that I hadn't thought of previously.

The best investment you'll ever make. Even if it's just for a hobby or out of interest.

The title of the course spoke to me, as I have always dreamt of writing for middle school-aged readers. And then, when I read about all that was to be covered in the course, as well as the positive testimonies from previous students, I felt inspired to take the plunge.

Margaret seemed very kind and supportive, and she also had wisdom to share. She was not afraid to offer her learned opinion, and I was grateful for that.

I most enjoyed the incredible lessons. The information was highly illuminating, and I liked how they were broken into small mini lessons. It was also excellent to have little assignments that related to the learnings.

Fantastic up-to-date information, you can do it at your own pace, you get gentle positive pressure to ‘stand in the arena' and actually write things that your classmates will be able to see.

I loved it and I feel inspired.

This is a great entry level course that opened up so much to me, both in listening to the fantastic audios (great voice, easy to listen to), and that I can go back and listen to them again. The exercises were a real confidence booster and enabled me to put in to practice the week's lesson content. And I could use the exercises repeatedly.

Jo was great and I always felt that she was having a one-on-one with me during assignment feedback.

I was attracted to this course by the desperate need to turn my PhD thesis into a book. I had high expectations and you matched them.

It made an overwhelming process seem doable. I loved being taken through a clear structure.

This book is not only an ethnography of a spiritual community, it also includes auto-ethnography of my own life. I learned the reason why 14 years passed and seven attempts to find my "voice" ended up in the bin. There was a level of honesty I needed to find and it was the practical structure of the course that made it possible. Finding those inciting incidents and following the steps which are designed to give readers reasons to want to know more. I had always thought, 'why would anyone want to read a book about a woman they don't know?' And although I do know about universal narratives (I'm an anthropologist after all!) the security of that notion felt freakishly flimsy when I tried applying it to myself and my own story. Anyway, I did it. The muse visited me for some. The rest was hard work. But I was so happy with the first draft! Now I am on the second draft (this is the one where I want to throw it in the bin). But I have a publisher and I have a reader! So... onwards!

I have a manuscript and I've gotten it as far as I can take it for the moment, but knowing that it's flawed and still needs (a lot) of work. I was hoping to get some understanding of basic plot / character / structure tips which might help me improve my work.

Nat was really great. Her comments were clear and justified. It was good to listen to the feedback she gave everyone else, too, as there were many things which did not apply to my writing which were useful to know.

I enjoyed doing the actual writing! And getting feedback on it. I've never had someone give objective feedback before, and it was helpful to experience that. Having someone else pick out the details which don't work is unbelievably helpful. It meant that I could go back and make small changes to gain great improvements.

AWC courses are practical, interesting, and safe!

I have been writing stories all my life and finally decided at 61 to actually do something, to learn and hope to complete a novel. I really had no idea what to expect. Actually thought I could be wasting my money. It was not a waste at all!

Jo was great, easy to listen to and clear with all her feedback.

I believe I can write. I have a lot to learn still, but I have a self-belief that I didn't have before. I can accept feedback. I can put myself out there.

Give it a go. It's friendly, kind and so easy to follow and learn.

I really enjoyed the weekly exercises and feedback from the teacher. Jo was lovely, positive and constructive.

I also really enjoyed learning more about creative writing, completing the exercises and receiving weekly feedback.

I intend on doing more AWC courses and now want to write a novel.

There was so much I learnt that was new to me. Each lesson taught me something I didn't know and had 'aha' moments. I didn't know how much theory went into writing a novel. I also really liked the message that you won't ever write a book if you never sit down and put pen to paper. You actually have to sit down and dedicate yourself to the task.

I have already recommended AWC to some friends. It's a fantastic way to start learning about creative writing and it definitely gives you incentive to start and/or keep going with your writing dream.

I really enjoyed the course and have already started Novel Writing Essentials.

I really wanted to develop some skills and knowledge of how to approach writing a children's novel, ahead of a project I'm working on.

I was very happy with Margaret as a tutor and the feedback she gave.

I enjoyed listening to everyone else's assignments and sharing in the feedback process.

The AWC has really great courses on all types of writing, run by people who are also working in the industry. I've learnt so much from my courses and they're suitable for all skill levels.

I enjoyed the interactions. Great feedback from the tutor. Nice and specific.

Easy to achieve tasks. Well set out. Nice progression.

Feedback is not something I have had in the past so really nice to get writing out there and receive comments.

A positive experience.

I've been attempting to write novels for the last few years and keep finding myself getting stuck and feeling like what I was writing wasn't engaging enough. I wanted to take the course to learn more about the fundamentals, become a better writer and use what I learned to help me finish a book.

Nat is a fantastic tutor and I really appreciate the time she took to review our work and provide feedback. There were things I have been missing in my writing that she would identify and clearly explain, and then it would all make sense. She also pointed out strengths in my writing that I didn't even realise were there. Not only did I gain more knowledge and skills to improve my writing, but also an unexpected boost of confidence in my abilities. I would highly recommend Nat to anyone who wants to explore writing. Nat, thank you sincerely.

I really enjoyed and appreciated the handouts for use in developing our stories outside of the course.

I am reading books differently now - noticing stylistic features that I previously wouldn't have. I feel like I'm now getting more out of reading. This course has also really helped me with developing my awareness and confidence in my own writing.

If you are thinking about writing, this is where you should start. The course provides an excellent foundation and will teach you what you're good at and what you need to make your writing better in a supportive environment.

I was attracted to the course because it was for anyone and everyone. I was a complete beginner and hadn't written anything creative since I was a child, so I was pretty nervous about writing and sharing my work. I knew this course would give me the foundational blocks needed to not only enhance my writing, but to think creatively and find my voice. I also knew that I would improve by sharing my work. I needed that push to get started and stay motivated.

I definitely had hesitations about enrolling, but more to do with my own self confidence. Initially, the idea of sharing my work was really scary.

Jo is a fabulous tutor. I really enjoyed learning from her and appreciate all the time and effort she put into our feedback. Jo is constructive but also very kind and encouraging.

I enjoyed the feedback sessions. Not only getting feedback on my work but listening to everyone in the group. There were many times where the feedback was something I hadn't thought of, and sometimes they were glaringly obvious mistakes. Every feedback session was an opportunity to learn and improve my next piece.

I think Creative Writing Stage 1 is set out exactly how it needs to be. As an absolute beginner, the layout of content made sense and wasn't overwhelming.

Writing has become a daily part of my life, both through learning to write and actually writing. The coursework and the AWC podcast have helped me learn more about the craft of writing and what it takes to become a writer. I also spend time writing and coming up with ideas most days. The course has drastically improved my confidence and my writing.

AWC is a supportive and extremely informative place to learn how to be a writer. There are so many courses available and the tutors are wonderful. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to start or improve their writing skills.

Thank you for putting together such a wonderful course. I think many of us forget the creative and imaginative voices we have as children when we become adults. This course has given me back that creative spark and has encouraged me to keep thinking and writing.

The variety of topics was very interesting and completely different from any other writing course I have done before. I really loved Module 3 about the history of storytelling and how stories affect our brains - so fascinating! But Kate also gave very practical tips and processes which are things I can implement myself, and it was good to hear how she incorporates some of these suggestions in her own life.

I am going to take on board some of Kate's tips on facing fears and finding flow from Module 4. There were some practical suggestions which I want to implement in my own writing life.