What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I'd lost my writing mojo and needed encouragement to get back into a good habit. It was hard to begin with because I had such a block with the story. I forced myself to write anything that might push the plot forward, such as conversations with my characters, or short scenes that I knew would happen but not when or where in the story.

By the start of the fourth week I had my mojo back. My characters were talking to me and I was frantically looking for pen and paper to jot down the ideas (because the muse never came to me when I was on my computer).

I enjoyed checking in every day to find out how much I had to write. I particularly enjoyed the #500in30 exercises because I had to write fast and forget about planning. These were my most creative days.

There were days when I thought I didn't have time to do the task, and yet I managed to squeeze them in. I learnt that it doesn't matter if you write a big pile of rubbish, because buried in there somewhere is a gem of an idea.

You can't edit a blank page. And, if you don't turn up every day, how will the muse find you?

If you need accountability, do it!

Pamela was fantastic. She provided really helpful feedback and shared so much knowledge. I enjoyed listening to the modules and receiving feedback on the assignments.

It's a great course with lots of helpful material and a fantastic tutor.

The course was pitched at my level of ability but was still challenging. I just loved every bit of it. Of course, it will take time to practise the skills and then put them to good use.

It was all enjoyable but probably I enjoyed particularly the aspects of writing demonstrated that deepened my learning e.g. the literary techniques, how to plan the narrative arc, structure and particularly the fact-checking section. Also I was very interested how other writers employed these writing skills.

I now have more enthusiasm, energy to move forward, more knowledge and confidence and thirst for more writing knowledge and of course more aptitude to do my own writing whatever that may be.

The whole course just lit my fire for more.

I love creative writing and struggled to find a good reliable source that would help me navigate with clear easy-to-follow steps to have my stories published. Really appreciate all the information and supportive documents!

I enjoyed the step-by-step guide and book boffin easy-to-follow instructions on what to do to get my stories published. The information was there but I had no idea where it was up until I did this course. Thank you for all the info and resources available to me. It gave me some much-needed guidance.

You need to get on this fab AWC online course. It's affordable, easy to learn and it has all the info you need to be a success!

This course took me longer than expected as there was so much wonderful content. I enjoyed Nat's passion, engagement, handy tips. I am more prepared for my first school visit next month.

This course was amazing and highly recommended as engaging Nat shares gems of experience and loads of content to help budding creators present to kids. 11 out of 10.

Nat did a wonderful job of giving constructive feedback. I feel like she really took the time to delve deep into our writing to give a proper analysis. Her comments were always insightful and highlighted areas to work on that I had never even considered.

The course forced me to be more consistent in getting words onto the page.

I felt that the pacing of the course and the nature of the feedback worked well to help the students improve in a reasonably painless way, over a reasonably short duration. I also found it to be well presented in terms of the course materials.

I felt that Nat did a great job of delivering appropriate feedback whilst also being tactful. I felt that she was personable and knowledgeable, and I felt confident in her ability as our tutor.

Having simple parameters and reasonable expectations ensured that meeting the deadlines wasn't too much of a challenge. It was also good to hear my writing read aloud.

It's helped me to become more certain of my own abilities; more aware of my own flaws; and more likely to pursue a future in writing. I discovered that I'm better at this than I feared I would be, while still needing to work on addressing the gaps in my knowledge and skillset.

It's a great way to develop your writing skills, and there is sufficient variety amongst the courses that you'll be able to cherry-pick the things you want or need to focus on.

Just a warm thankyou.

Each and every tutorial with Bernadette is like a mini-masterclass. All her feedback is priceless and it's such a great safe space to take risks with your writing while having fun.

The more I learn, particularly with the courses AWC gifts as study, the more I want to learn! It's completely feasible to do one standalone course and be equipped and satisfied yet I always find it's like looking into a prism and discovering extra angles to harness.

Whether you're just curious ... dip your toe in the water curious - or follow a passion and deep dive into a subject - you will find your stroke. The water is fine!

Nat was really knowledgeable and her feedback felt fair and actionable, which was great.

It was so cool to read other people's assignments to see how they responded to the prompt and also to learn more about how to write better. The course made me want to keep writing. It also warned me that writing a novel is no small feat.

The AWC is a great community connected to many amazing authors.

Bernadette is amazing. Very knowledgeable and makes you feel at ease with taking on a new career. She gives you the confidence boost you need to combat the overwhelm and believe in yourself and your skills as a copywriter.

I have taken significant steps in the last few months since starting the course to start my own freelance copywriting business and now feel there is a way forward. I'm excited for the future.

You can't go wrong with any of the AWC courses. If something in the writing field interests you, they have the course for it and your skills will skyrocket by completing their course. The community around the AWC is the most wonderful and supportive place.

Pamela was absolutely amazing as a tutor. So knowledgeable, and just a very lovely person. And her feedback was 'off the Richter scale good'!! I greatly admire and appreciate her passion for helping students hone their craft and become better writers - it shines through in everything she does.😊

One realisation, for me, was realising that a children's book doesn't necessarily have to be 'fun' (from a question that I asked Pamela). Many children's books obviously are, but there are also many that are a bit more 'serious', in terms of what they're about. While my novel will (hopefully) be a lot of fun, it feels good to know that it doesn't have to be 'fun' all the time (and it's not really possible anyway!!).😄

AWC courses and workshops are absolutely amazing. You will learn so much.😊

It was a very helpful guide in self-editing. The steps were laid out in an easy way for referencing. That chapter on characters was great as it made me look at my secondary characters differently.

There is a course for everyone. The content is clear and enjoyable and you will learn so much about writing.

I believe a good writer should understand proper grammar and punctuation for clarity in any forms of writing. Refresher course for me as a newbie writer.

The bite-sized learning modules are simple to understand. Absolutely love the content and listening to the audio helped sealed into my memory. Having these notes on hand as reference is vitally important. It's like a handy dictionary to flip over and over again.

The difference between how a writer writes and a reader reads are addressed in these modules. I am beginning to transition from a reader to a writer in this course. I have more confidence in novel writing without going through the pitfalls of getting tenses mixed up in the story.

The course gives you a roadmap of understanding the basics of grammar and punctuation, which is a must for every level of writing. Definitely a go-to fast track English lesson for serious writers!

Loved having Kate present the course and the slow build-up of the challenges to create a creative writing practice.

The Dare to Dream course is one of the best writing courses that I have experienced thus far as a writer. The course was conceptual and theoretical in a way that made it easy to understand. Kate brings these to life in her storytelling through her use of words and expressions that bring forth images and visions. What an inspirational course.

I have been unable to attend courses in person with Kate, so these online ones have provided me with the opportunity to learn from a master storyteller.

I enrolled in this course on a whim. Children's novels? Hadn't read any for years. Then I watched a doco on Harry Potter and all the great books I'd read with my son when he was little came flooding back. Children's novels? Yessss!! Was I mad? I'd just finished Freelance Writing 1 and here I was thinking of doing something completely different! So I think I enrolled the night before it started :)

Pamela was absolutely brilliant. So spot on with her comments, always very positive but also constructive with lots of take-aways. I lapped up not only her comments on my work but also for other students - she gave out so much information that underpinned what writing children's novels is all about. I feel I have a solid basis to go forth and write my novel!

The feedback from Pamela was incredibly helpful, but the structure of the course and its content is very spot on, practical and vitally important in order to write a children's novel that can be read, understood and enjoyed by children.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I have struggled for a while with knowing the 'rules' of picture book writing, since I come from the point of view of an illustrator who creates characters and worlds visually. I was itching to be able to write the stories to accompany my own illustrations so I signed up!

I was really happy with Cathie's approach to giving feedback. Her honesty is really essential as it helps you cut out bad habits from an early stage in the course. She offered some invaluable insights to me as an illustrator too which I was happily surprised by.

I enjoyed the opportunity to learn at my own pace and to be able to receive individual feedback from a professional in the industry.

The 'show don't tell' concept has been my biggest revelation. I had heard of it before but now I understand it better and can see how it's an entire world to be studied. The lessons about using potent verbs and active tenses, and about what to cut out were absolute gold to me.

The course has given me the confidence to approach publishers and a newfound self-belief that I CAN write impactful picture book manuscripts.

If you are wanting a real industry-centred writing course then definitely enrol with AWC.

The commitment of a few hours a week for 5 weeks seemed achievable as a first step for me, with two young children and a business to run. The cost seemed reasonable, and since completing the course I can confirm that it was good value for me.

This was a great introduction to writing picture books. I didn't expect to learn so much about pitching and how to establish my online presence as a writer. The 'Bonus: Insights from an industry expert' was really useful, in addition to the course content.

Cathie provided useful and meaningful feedback. This meant a lot coming from someone of her background in the industry.

I enjoyed the writing, and seeing my stories improve with practice and applying Cathie's feedback.

Since completing the course, the idea of publishing picture books has gone from a vague dream to something within my power to achieve. Although it will require plenty of work (I won't pretend it's easy), the path forward is clearer.

Whether you're a complete novice (like I was) or have been practicing the craft for a while, there is something in this course for any unpublished writer curious about writing picture books.

A big 'thank you!'

Cathie obviously brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to picture book writing. She's a master crafter!

I enjoyed seeing my improvement over the course.

I've been writing and submitting stories to publishers, unsuccessfully, for over 25 years. I didn't know there were so many techniques and requirements that I needed to have perfected.

An outstanding opportunity... Thanks for offering such a great course!

I wanted to hone my writing skills and learn the craft of writing children's picture books. I couldn't wait to start!

Cathie is amazing! I'm so grateful for her guidance and knowledge.

I enjoyed absolutely everything about the course. I have a better understanding now of how to structure a picture book.

The AWC is a fantastic hub and learning centre that offers great courses, webinars and has a supportive community.

I found the ability to choose my own time to complete the work and the tutorials very helpful and it allowed me to design my own program. The writing guidance assisted in focussing my thoughts and made the overall process more engaging.

My aha moment was when I realised I had slipped out of the main POV into description more than once. I will keep an eye out for that now.

Pamela is a craftsperson and she shares her craft knowledge within the feedback. It's not always what you want to hear but it is what you need. Also the nuggets of approval are so welcome!

DO IT! you will find your skills and talents and learn new ones. All your work is appreciated and your efforts validated. It's well worth it for a twelve-month subscription to the course.