What’s it like to learn with AWC?

It's been a bucket list item to write a children's book but this course has ignited a fire in me to become a full time children's picture book author. I'm brimming with ideas and information after this course and can't wait to submit my first manuscript.

Cathie was fantastic. She was prompt with her feedback and honest. Her recommendations were useful and supportive. Very grateful for all her insights and industry knowledge.

I enjoyed all of it. The audio was easy to listen to and understand. The handouts are a fantastic resource and extra exercises were a great tool for expanding/practising my skills. The assignments were a great little challenge and I looked forward to my feedback every week. I REALLY enjoyed being a part of a class where we could read each other's work and support each other throughout.

I felt a little lost and out of balance. Being a stay-at-home mum it is easy to become a little absent from the real world and I was a little daunted to return to it. But this course has made me feel empowered and creative again. It's given me the tools to embark on a new career that I always fantasised about. I have been restored and I'm so excited for what's next.

Thank you for this opportunity; it's done more for me than anyone will ever know. Oh! and keep an eye out for my name - one day, I might have a book good enough to use as a resource ;)

The amount of practical, industry-based knowledge I have learnt over the past five weeks has been phenomenal. Vivienne gave sound advice when delivering her feedback for the assignments.

I enjoyed the logical structure in both the modules and the assignments.

The course has given me much more confidence in my writing abilities and a belief I can work as a full-time freelance writer.

I would like to thank both Valerie and Vivienne for their encouragement along with my fellow classmates.

The Freelance Writing Stage 1 course gives you the practical knowledge and skills to go out and earn an income.

Once I completed all research into the range of online writing courses, I did not take long to decide that AWC was the perfect platform for me to enrol. It addressed the learning goals I have been looking for for a long time.

I found the written feedback valuable, and it helped me to improve in many ways. I thought my online tutor, Cathie Tasker, was direct and did not hold back on stating the truth about the quality of my work. This allowed me to make realistic goals for my future as a writer.

The handouts and the course videos were enjoyable and helpful in executing the weekly assignments. I also enjoyed reading other students' work as a benchmark. Finally, I also appreciated when other students gave me feedback. It showed openness and provided an exciting perspective.

It provided the highest motivation to write stories that were merely sitting in my head and notebooks for over ten years. The course provided a framework that allowed me to see that anything is possible.

Thank you for forming a very professional organisation to inspire and support writers.

Cathie is a great tutor. Her background and present experiences provide students with well-informed reflections and feedback. I found Cathie supportive, encouraging and incredibly well-informed.

I enjoyed seeing the diversity of stories that people wrote. Then reading the stories and letting each know how as a reader I experienced/responded to their work.

If you want to develop the craft of picture book writing, this course is a great initial stepping stone to start you on your way.

Vivienne is really great; open with her opinions and discussed the topics well.

The course stretched me the most in my understanding, mostly of myself and what do I have/want to have an opinion on. I think it's helped to shape what I do and don't want to write about.

AWC has made me realise more than any other book / course / online learning that I can write. This is a big freaking deal.

I like Valerie's audio files. Feels like there's a writer buddy there giving me great advice and leading me through the exercises. I have 11 pages of notes!

I now know it's achievable to write a book. That's all I want to do now.

I was surprised that I could use character interactions to build plot, and with only 3 of my main-ish characters (so far), I've been able to flesh out a lot more of the story, in terms of the plot points, and just helping me get that word count up to where it needs to be.

The AWC gets you from point A (Can I write? Can I write a book?) to point B (YUP!) by guiding you through the process / steps in a logical way and unlocking all the ways and tools to get you there.

I enjoyed getting professional feedback on my writing. Great honest, constructive and helpful feedback. Gave me confidence that it was possible for me to write and be published.

A great course for anyone who's ever considered writing for publication - gives you everything you need and puts it on you to make it happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed researching my topics and applying it to my assignments. It helped me to really identify the topics that I am most passionate about. Criminal justice is my thing!

I learnt so much and can't wait to start another course.

Due to my career in education, I have always had an interest in children's literature and children's literacy development. Writing a picture book and being successful in working with a publisher is a bucket list item of mine and I'd like to pursue it seriously.

I enjoyed the fact that I could fit this around my busy schedule - 3-4 hours is doable even while I'm working fulltime.

Cathie's feedback throughout the course was invaluable. She was very approachable and always responded to queries posted in the course chat. I felt like due to what I received from Cathie, my writing improved each week I completed a module.

Before I completed this course, I didn't realise how many elements go in to writing a picture book. I felt like I kept improving with my writing, which gave me confidence to keep going!

It's worth completing a course with AWC if you are serious about writing. They give all the information/resources needed to keep refining and honing your craft.

The video feedback from Carla has been brilliant. It allows you to hear everyone's comments, rather than being insular, and this assists with things (positive and less so) I may not have experienced yet. The feedback was kind, direct, individual and advice has been useful.

If you're interested in writing. Do it. If you want to write well, learn from tutors with "street cred" in a supportive environment, and alongside likeminded emerging writers. Then do it with AWC.

As a relatively new author/illustrator of picture books, presenting was the natural progression for me to better promote my work. After reading your course outline, this was definitely what I was looking for. Public presenting has always been a huge challenge for me. I thought this course would demystify and help me to get over my hesitation.

I cannot thank AWC enough for putting together such a fantastic course. I may not use all the things covered, but would struggle to find anything else as comprehensive, especially for the Australian market.

I think this course has removed a lot of the 'fear' behind presenting. I need to find my own groove and of course practice, a lot. A wealth of information that I will probably continue to refer to as I build my brand.

Nat was a joy to watch each session. I wish I had her energy and confidence, but hoping I get there soon after completing this course!

Highly recommend. You would struggle to find more comprehensive and user-friendly courses for the industry, especially in Australia.

This is a well thought out and structured course. Vivienne has passed on her knowledge and experience, both successes and failures in an engaging fashion.

Vivienne is an engaging tutor. She has a story to tell of how she became an opinion writer and is passionate about others having that opportunity.

I already was an opinion writer but lacked the knowledge to sharpen my skills.

The AWC is a great place to find your niche as a writer and gain the knowledge and skills to take it further; to the world.

I've been investigating the possibility of becoming a copywriter for some time, and have seen multiple blogs advising obtaining copywriting training before entering the professional world.

As a university student, I was a little scared of the price tag, as I don't yet earn a full time income! However, I'm very glad that I chose to spend my money on the course. I think it has saved me a LOT of time and effort, and I think it is very reasonably priced for what is included!

Mark came across as very friendly and approachable. I was a bit worried that one had to be "gifted" to be a successful copywriter, but Mark's constructive, helpful, and encouraging feedback has given me reassurance that becoming a professional copywriter is a possibility.

I enjoyed creating a short advertisement from a brief, and learning about the remarkable hidden world of SEO! I never realised there was a way to impact a website's ranking on Google. I also really appreciated the encouraging guidance on the art of writing long copy. Moreover, the real-world advice given on how to monetise one's copywriting was well presented, clear and comprehensive. Overall, I feel this course has given me some excellent guidance on how to get started as a professional copywriter.

I now realise that becoming a professional copywriter is actually a "real job", and moreover, that there are practical, real-world steps I can take to becoming one. I never thought I could actually get paid to write!

If you are curious about copywriting, I would highly recommend undertaking Copywriting Essentials. It is practical, encouraging, and worth the investment!

My fascination with writing began when I was old enough to write. My dream was and is to be an author and publish a few novels. But every time I sit in front of a screen to type, nothing would happen. I needed a place to start, some form of structure, hence signing up for this course.

This course has given me a place to start and a way to build my characters and stories. It has inspired me to take my writing further. I feel an opening of heart that wasn't present before.

The Australian Writers' Centre is a wonderful place to start a story. It holds space for whatever state you're in and offers possibilities to expand.

An amazing, fun course. I enjoyed everything!! 5 weeks of creative copywriting was bliss!!!!!

Mark is amazing; gives truthful and helpful feedback.

Give this course a go!!! It will bring out your creative writing.

I loved this course. It was challenging and full of really great content. I know I'll be revisiting the content many times in the future.

The assignments were challenging and I enjoyed applying what I had learned in each module to a new story every week.

I now have a confidence in my ability to craft a story. I have a greater knowledge of the process of writing for publication. Publication is not just a lofty 'imagine' but a feasible outcome.

If you have any inclination to write a story, do this course. It will give you the knowledge and confidence to make it happen.

Thank you. I have really enjoyed being creative every week and I have learned a lot from the process.

I was most appreciative of Petronella's time, as well as the quality of audio and written information. It is clear that the AWC provides genuinely high-quality material that has been well thought out. It is theoretically on the mark and highly practical. Pitched to just the right level for me and also helped extend me beyond what I expected.

I have experienced a paradigm shift in the way I view writing - I now take my writing seriously and see it is not a skill that grows like a magic apple on a tree but takes dedication. It can be fun but requires hard work and commitment. I have learned that more formalised training such as that offered by AWC has the potential to make a profound difference to the quality of work produced and will probably save me years of going round in circles trying to teach myself.

The quality of AWC material is exceptional. The online tutor was engaging and immensely helpful. I feel I have had a whole new world opened up to me. The opportunity to interact with a similar cohort has been an unexpected bonus and made me reach out to a local writing group which I never would have done.

Valerie was a great presenter and Vivienne offered thorough feedback on submissions. Great insights on how to actually go about getting feature articles out there.

I enjoyed the insights into how the industry works. As a beginner, it's really tricky to know these things without guidance.

Encourages me to diversify into freelance writing as well as copywriting. Expanding my skillset and opportunities to make a career of writing.

Really practical courses that can be completed without taking up a ridiculous amount of time.

Petronella was really great; she gave quick and concise feedback with easy next steps.

The weekly nature got me in the habit of setting aside time, in my busy schedule, to write. The course put in motion something I've been wanting to do for years, which is to get back into writing in a purely creative way. No deadlines or business tone, etc, just write something you want to create.

It's a fantastic starting point.

I got a lot out of seeing everyone else's work and feedback. It also gave me some fundamental building blocks I was lacking and forced me to view both reading and writing from a different perspective.

Pamela was extremely knowledgeable and gave feedback in a constructive and empathetic way.

It has given me a bit of a path/framework to work in/toward step by step that maybe makes completing something seem a little less insurmountable.

It is short, fun and easy to access. It will give the opportunity to try out writing and the teachers are very knowledgeable. If you have ever thought about writing and have not done it, or have not progressed because you are intimidated, or not sure if it's any good, or not sure how to make it better, then why not try it?