What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Nat was warm and welcoming and her feedback style resonated well with me. I appreciated her humour and down-to-earth approach to helping us improve our writing. It is clear she is very knowledgeable about the craft of writing, we were fortunate to have her as our tutor. Her feedback was immediately actionable and achievable.

I have struggled with POV and tenses for a while but had several 'aha' moments where I was writing consistently in each POV and tense. I feel like I get it now. Previously I understood it from an academic point of view but now I feel it when I write.

Enrolling in any AWC course will benefit their writing but working with a community of likeminded writers and having access to professional authors is just so invaluable. It's a must!

Kate Forsyth is a wonder. She obviously enjoys her creative output and enjoys imparting her amazing knowledge.

I enjoyed the journalling. I can use it to build on my own practice. I also enjoyed the videos very much. I found the challenges quite inspiring.

When Kate talked about journalling, and her own journalling early in the course, it struck a chord with me. I have often written in journals, but I haven't usually used them as resources for writing. I immediately went out and bought half a dozen beautiful journals I can use in different ways, and probably continue with the challenges.

If a course appeals, do it! You have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. You will find a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas to continue with your own writing. So take up the challenge!

Bernadette Foley is an industry icon, so anything she has to say is of use.

The course has taught me how to build a world and that worldbuilding is not just the preserve of the fantasy writer. Worldbuilding can be done in any genre.

I'm a long time reader, first time writer. I spat out my first novel over the last year, and having never written anything before, I thought I should get some lessons under my belt. 'Openings' seemed like a good place to start.

The lessons were great, and I also enjoyed listening to the feedback other people received - it broadened my understanding of the concepts taught. I love how the course is broken into modules with 15-20 mins segments - perfect for listening to on car rides too and from work.

The tutor was very encouraging, with lots of great information and tips.

My writing will improve dramatically as a result - I was introduced to the art of writing.

Amy was very knowledgeable and empathetic.

I thought the video lessons were excellent.

It has given me more confidence to keep writing.

Personal Pages have been a great exercise. They're the key to making time for writing each day, plus simply practising and narrowing my writing focus. An excellent takeaway from this course that will continue into the future.

Nat is SO knowledgeable. She gave concise, targeted advice that was easy to put into practise. She took on the spirit of each story and discussed associated feelings with the writers so all our assignments felt truly valued. Her genuine interest and engaging manner made every student's feedback valuable for all of us to hear - not just our own feedback. Her approach made assessment time exciting, not dispiriting, and she pushed us to think beyond the course to our future writing plans.

I enjoyed the small, manageable assignments with simple guidelines to follow in each module. Valerie's modules were tight and informative without information overload.

Hearing Nat say one of my pieces could be submitted to a flash memoir publication or competition has given me confidence to pursue this genre and try submitting a piece! Nice to hear I'm achieving what I hoped for in exploring memoir work.

I trust AWC's courses because the approach is rigorous but also manageable, flexible and enjoyable. You provide a positive learning experience with excellent tutor support.

Thank You!

Pamela is a great presenter--clear and easy to follow. Helped me understand how to use my subplots more effectively, when to start and when to wind them up.

The AWC is such a great resource!

The tutor was fantastic. Nat's feedback helped improve my writing dramatically, and she gave honest opinions on how to strengthen my writing.

I gained so much motivation to continue writing my novel and discovered so many new ideas.

Nat is a great tutor, her feedback is fair and she takes the time to explain how a piece can be improved.

I enjoyed trading feedback with other students.

I am even more confident in my writing, especially when a published author tells me my writing ability is strong.

The 'aha!' moment for me would have to be when Nat made me realize that even professional authors make mistakes and sometimes they don't explain a scene properly the first time. Knowing that really boosted my confidence because I thought I was just terrible at it.

Bernadette is knowledgable and provided constructive feedback which helped us nail our openings.

I enjoyed learning from the feedback Bernadette provided to others plus the feedback received from course participants which broadened considerations for opening. Handout is also useful with questions to prompt nailing your opening.

I feel I'm on track with my idea and just need to write the rest of the book!

AWC courses are well structured, tutors knowledgeable and support materials are handy points of continual reference - all in one supportive community!

Thanks!

I already love writing but I really loved this course. I knew that the Australian Writers' Centre has a great reputation by looking at their website. And they really lived up to their reputation. Teachers were professional in delivering their feedback.

Amy provided professional and constructive feedback.

I enjoyed the opportunity to write and discuss my book ideas.

I write my novels better now. The quality of writing is better. And I'm looking into publishing my books.

I recommend this course to other people if they are writing a book and trying to get it published. If they are stuck for ideas or simply would like to accomplish the goal of writing something worth reading on bookshelves.

Great course!

Excellent videos and information and great video feedback. I now know how to rewrite my opening page.

Great courses and good value for the money.

I am excited that I now have a structured plan to work with to start and progress my initial writing.

I now have a blueprint to use to structure my story and actually write consistently, rather than just writing a story without knowing where it is going.

There is more to figure out before starting the actual writing than I first thought but that will work in your favour.

Good courses which teach practical and useable knowledge for your writing.

All of Nat's feedback (as it was in Personal Storytelling and Memoir Writing) was both positive, and helpful where advice was needed. That advice was given clearly and comprehensively. I appreciated everything: she is an articulate, thoughtful tutor.

I enjoyed the writing and encouragement to continue my story as the course progressed.

I understand structure so much better and this is already shaping how I can continue my story.

Do it: you'll learn so much in a supportive on line classroom.

I wanted the tools to get my writing underway, stop my procrastination!

Some great tips, book and apps that can help along the way. Also what published writers do and what works for them, such a variety of useful tips. It's brilliant. All the information was great. I thought it stayed on topic and was a short course to give me some inspiration.

It makes me think I can do this, it's a doable thing. Writing a novel I've always wanted to write. It's just the motivation I need.

I began writing my manuscript through Novel Writing Essentials, and in completion, formed a workshop group with the fellow students. From there, as my novel grew, I decided to complete the next course in order to receive professional feedback on my manuscript.

Nat is encouraging and motivating in her feedback, but also knows how to frame her advice in a way that hits the nail on the head in terms of areas needing improvement. She always made time to answer my questions in a neutral and supportive manner, and I felt my skill grow markedly under her tutelage.

I enjoyed writing for others, having my work read and others telling me what they loved about it. The critique sometimes was hard, but in the end I learned to embrace it, and appreciate the opportunity to test it against fresh eyes in order to make my story better.

I completed my manuscript. Workshopping is invaluable. I grew so much as a writer because of it, and I found something just “clicked” at the end of reading through the manuscripts. My understanding of writing characters with deep third person interiority has levelled up ten fold.

As above, my aha moment was realising that I wasn't writing my characters through their eyes, but from a camera position close to, or just above their head. I have learned to thread the story through the characters, thinking about what does this character think, see, feel, in this moment. It's a skill that took some honing, but I feel by the end of the course, I really got the knack of it.

Easy to access, you get to meet an online network of fellow writers, some of whom may become life long friends. The course is thorough and well paced, the worksheets are excellent and communication is clear.

I can't speak highly enough of Nat. Sharing your work is such a vulnerable, exposing, terrifying process and she just has a way of being plain spoken in her feedback, so that her writing lesson is constructive, but also completely non judgemental and encouraging.

I enjoyed writing the assignments. Taught me so much more about writing and some good advice on getting me writing my novel.

Loved Nat, great feedback and encouraging.

Great course if you are serious about writing.

Both tutors have a beautiful, infectious enthusiasm. The content was straightforward and easy to understand, which made learning pleasurable and easy.

Bernadette's feedback was clear, well-focused, and helped me understand exactly what to do next. Honestly, she has provided the most useful feedback I have ever received, as it went to the heart of a problem with my prologue that I have been trying to solve for years. Thank you, thank you.

I will recommend it to others! Well worth the time and money.

My overall impression was very positive. The feedback was thoughtful, encouraging and, most importantly, specific. Rather than just pointing out what worked or didn't work, our tutor explained why, which helped me understand how to improve my writing and what to avoid. I always finished each assignment feeling motivated to write the next one.

I enjoyed how naturally the course got me writing again. Ideas that had been sitting in my head for years finally found a home. Characters came to life, stories started taking shape, and before I realised it, I had written far more than I thought I was capable of. It never felt forced. It just felt like I had rediscovered something I had been missing.

I am writing again, and I find myself thinking about stories all the time. My characters are coming to life, and I've finally understood concepts like structure and plot that were just words to me before.

My biggest 'aha!' moment was learning to step back and ask, "What is this adding to the story?" I always knew how to write, but I used to write things that didn't really move the story forward. Now, I reread my work several times and cut far more than I add. If I start with 700 words, I'm now able to bring it down to 500 without losing the story. I don't delete the lines I remove either. I keep them on another page and come back to them later if I think they might fit somewhere else.

Go for it! It's worth the investment.

Mark was a positive and supportive tutor. The overall course was interesting and informative.

I believe the course has equipped me to begin a journey in copywriting!

I would recommend the AWC due to its structured content, the ease of learning, and the accessibility of the weekly tasks.