What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Amy was extremely friendly and knowledgeable in the field.

I most enjoyed the tasks that allowed me to explore my own characters and stories in new and creative ways. I also enjoyed analysing books I had previously read, as it helped me look at them from a different perspective and understand the writing techniques and choices.

It has given me more direction in my writing which has inspired me to continue.

My biggest 'aha!' moment was learning that the first draft doesn't have to be perfect. Taking the time to edit, restructure and refine my work can make a significant difference to the final result

It is good for foundation building and learning structure and writing technique.

I was seeking a beginner level course. The course outline sounded like it was exactly what I was looking for, the website looked easy to navigate and professional. I also liked that there were plenty of other course options available to progress to if desired.

Margaret was very knowledgeable. All feedback and suggestions were easy to understand and constructive.

The weekly assignments were the perfect opportunity to put each week's module into practice. As someone who had not done any creative writing previously, I thoroughly enjoyed having smaller contained tasks which built on each other.

I love reading and had always thought I'd like to write my own book one day. I wasn't really sure if it was something I was actually capable of. After completing this course (while I recognise I still have a lot to learn) - I do also now think it is entirely possible.

I enjoyed the opportunity for feedback, seeing others work, and seeing myself as a writer.

A well run and organised course that is run by professionals. Will help develop your writing by laying down foundations. The ability to get feedback is a fantastic opportunity.

Margaret was very friendly, and her feedback was very constructive.

I enjoyed reading assignments from other writers, as well as watching the feedback videos.

It's helped me to focus on my writing, and given some structure and direction to pursue a writing career.

It is very helpful, and fun!

I enjoyed listening to the recorded lectures. The feedback was specific and clearly detailed making it easy to understand and purposefully apply to editing my work.

It has continued to fuel my enthusiasm and commitment to completing a publish-worthy picture book manuscript.

Do it! The quality of instruction and the learning you will glean from the content is invaluable. You can't lose!

Margaret's commentary each week was incredibly insightful, and I learned a great deal not only from her feedback on my work, but the work of my peers as well. I've used your feedback to improve some of my current work and can already feel the difference when I read it out loud. Thanks, Margaret!

I enjoyed logging in to watch/hear the feedback each week. I feel like each and every writer grew as the course progressed, both from the content and Margaret's feedback.

I learned so much from Valerie's audio clips, and the course notes were very helpful too. I applied many of Valerie and Margaret's teachings to my current work in progress, and felt the words on the page pop even more. I even managed to cut 1k words from what was an 89k manuscript, and the manuscript is better for it!

If you've ever dreamed of writing, whether that be professionally or for pleasure, I can't recommend the Australian Writers' Centre enough! Their Creative Writing Stage 1 course in particular is an absolute game-changer. Not only is it an engaging and enjoyable course, but the feedback from the tutor alone makes it completely worthwhile. Highly recommend!

I have attended many courses presented by Pamela. She always opens my writing mind. She is so knowledgeable and experienced and presents well. I also appreciated Bernadette's feedback re my assignment.

I've been attempting to write for a few years now. I have a lot of stories that I want to share and have started to write. I have attended many AWC courses. This course has opened my mind yet again! I have decided to write the book (my initial plan) that my friends and family have been and are still encouraging me to do.

AWC courses are supportive, encouraging, knowledgeable and presented in a friendly communicative style. Plus they get results. Plus the presenters all have real experience to share and guide you with.

Bernadette's detailed feedback was very encouraging and insightful. I found the detailed feedback on everyone's stories extremely helpful.

AWC courses are very helpful, practical and well structured.

Thanks Bernadette and Pamela, a great course.

I enjoyed the assignments and constructive feedback. I liked the community of other aspiring writers.

Nat was energetic, smart and knowledgeable.

I now have much-needed foundational skills, and am thinking about character development and motivations etc.

The course is flexible, well-structured and, most importantly, you receive constructive feedback on your own writing.

Bernadette's feedback was detailed and specific. Her suggestions are invaluable.

The modules were useful, great handouts with practical information. Learning from feedback for myself and others.

The AWC is amazing. My writing has improved so much. There are so many different courses to choose from. The tutors have a wealth of knowledge and provide extremely worthwhile feedback.

The material provided was useful for improving my manuscript in terms of show, don't tell.

It made it clear that in my memoir I have too much telling. I started rewriting all the chapters I have so far so that I can show more than tell.

The AWC courses are useful, and The Art of Showing, Don't Tell is one of the most valuable courses I've purchased so far.

Pamela was excellent at explaining show don't tell. And also at giving examples and providing handouts that were clear and helpful.

It's given me plenty of examples about how to go about showing in a narrative, and also about when it's appropriate to tell. It has clarified it for me and given me motivation to try it out.

Kate provides both an academic and an operational approach in this course. While I could easily ascertain her process, she is incredibly generous with additional information and learning opportunities. Her preparation is excellent.

I saw the need to be more rigorous with my writing schedule, to be as detailed as possible about the writing journey (to understand changes in decisions), and, for me, one of the things that stood out most was that Kate spends a year plotting, planning, and researching BEFORE she starts writing the story. This is an excellent reminder that it will save time later.

Don't start writing until you have the story clear in your mind and have done the heavy lifting (plot, characters, conflicts, turning points, etc.). This resonated with me, and while it might not be how others like to work, it made sense for me.

AWC provides a range of practical, useful courses aimed at writers at different stages of growth, as well as those working across different genres. If you want to write, it is a great place to start... and possibly continue.

I love Nat. She's thorough, great attention to detail, funny and professional.

I enjoyed learning new skills about scene traffic lights. Learning further from comments on my own and other writers' texts.

I will go through my scenes and check that I have added and incorporated different aspects of the scene. I will pay attention to the story arc, the connecting thread between beginning and the end.

Get involved, you will learn a lot. It will help you with focus and you will become a member of a special group of people.

Kate explains well how she creates the plots for her stories. I had no idea where to start drawing up a plot, now I know how to begin.

The AWC teaches great specific information on what you need for story writing.

Amy did a great job of providing feedback to everyone. I enjoyed that you could hear and see feedback to all those who had submitted the assignment that week.

I learned that I can write, and I just need to keep at it.

Petronella was a wonderful tutor and incredibly approachable. She was open to hearing and discussing all story ideas and never once made you feel that your story was irrelevant or too outlandish. In fact, she only strengthened my faith in myself and my manuscript.

It was wonderful having such an experienced author like Petronella give feedback, and also meeting similar aspiring authors who were in the same boat as me and going through self doubt but wanting to better themselves.

To be honest the course was everything I imagined it to be and more. It covered writing techniques that I hadn't even considered such as POV, plotting and the techniques used to create relatable characters.

AWC courses are simple and easy to follow and they're not bogged down in academic jargon like one might find while doing a writing course at a university. Actually, I would say don't bother doing creative writing at uni. Just enrol at AWC. Their courses are current and relevant.

Highly recommend to anyone wanting to pursue their goal in writing their own novel.

I love Nat. She is fabulous and is both a captivating educator and provider of valuable feedback and recommendations.

It has got me drafting my novel regularly and made me really consider the research I was doing and ensuring I have a firm grasp on not only the main character but sub-characters and their development + world building.

Definitely beneficial.

I enjoyed Creative Writing Stage 1 so much that I wanted to go deeper. As a scientist, I didn't really learn creative writing, and it is great to learn it now!

I think the modules are very well paced and set up so that you can take several bites over the course of the week. Makes it manageable.

The tutor was great! I felt quite vulnerable at the start, and from this place had to get used to the feedback, but Nat had some really useful points to make, and I have better pieces because of her attention to detail.

Because I have now started, I have now got some reference materials like the handouts, and I can now check my notes or even the modules again to improve my writing even more.

I'll see you in the next one!

Bernadette was fantastic. She has a way of giving constructive feedback in a really encouraging way that leaves you feeling positive about your work, as well as motivated to improve on it.

The most enjoyable part for me was being able to hear all of the feedback for everyone as this can help me improve my own writing.

This course has opened my eyes to how important worldbuilding is, regardless of genre. Previously I thought it was a concept mainly involving fantasy or science fiction.

I'd highly recommend AWC courses to anyone interested in writing. They're a great way to get motivated and get started when everything seems too overwhelming. The courses with feedback also make you accountable. It's easy to forget about writing when life gets in the way, but having assignment deadlines helps motivate you to make the time, as well as gives you something to look forward to when the feedback arrives. The tutors are great and their feedback is constructive and encouraging. Best of all, at the end of the course, you've usually got a few hundred, or a few thousand words towards your story!