What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I found this course to be extremely helpful. It was so practical and just got straight into the nuts and bolts of everything while still holding the big picture (book) view. I found the feedback galvanising and the weekly assignments kept me focused and engaged.

The tutor seemed very knowledgeable. I appreciated that she was both honest and forthright in her feedback. She seemed to recognise the vulnerability of new writers and so remained encouraging at the same time.

I am now writing every day and am so enthused. In the past five weeks I've gone from simply daydreaming, to entering several competitions (and being successful). I have registered an ABN and looking to do the freelance course next. I'm doing everything I can to turn writing as a lifestyle that sustains me not only mentally, but financially.

Absolutely go for it, there is no doubt you will emerge a more skilful writer because of it.

Margaret was lovely and provided invaluable feedback. She very obviously knows her stuff and I am grateful that I got to share in her expertise.

I enjoyed listening to Valerie's voice! The audios were lovely and so easy to listen to. It was good to have industry knowledge involved - it helped put it all into perspective. I hadn't realised how much would be involved so it was good to have that presented to me - not to knock my dreams but to provide some much needed realism.

I finally understand show don’t tell! This has had me stumped for years. I also love the focus on lots of drafts and saving each new one and adding notes. I've usually just saved over, but it'll be good to see how far my stories come.

There is no pressure - just give it a go. Very supportive environment and relevant information.

I enjoyed learning about the different styles of media releases. The videos were great. The downloadable material also helpful.

This is a comprehensive overview of media releases. From how to structure them right through to following up with a journalist. The templates provided in the material are an added benefit of enrolling into this self-paced, easy to follow course.

Margaret is friendly, personable and incredibly experienced and helpful. Each time I did a rewrite according to Margaret's feedback, the transformation was stunning!

I enjoyed the specific detail about every aspect, without any time wasting or padding out of info. Each week I printed out the handout sheets, then proceeded to note pretty much everything that Valerie said in the video recordings! So good!

Also, I just happened to find the 'So You Want to be a Writer' podcast. WOWZERS!!! An incredible resource!!

Even though you may have a fabulous story to share, there is SO much you can't possibly know about the ins and outs. This course has saved me endless time-wasting with submitting a half-baked or under-developed story to the 'wrong' publisher and wondering why it's not going anywhere. This course is fabulous and inspiring. I'm on fire! Just do it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the work that's gone into this amazing course!

All the Focus on... courses are great. No matter what the topic is, even if I think I know "everything" about it [ironic chuckle], Pamela Freeman gives me more to think about and work on. Solid foundational counsel.

The opening makes a promise. The rest of the book has to keep that promise. It led me to think about my own opening... but I'd better write the rest of the book before I think about it too much more.

I've taken a bunch of courses here; every one has been valuable. Keep it up. My thanks.

I have listened to several seminars presented by Pamela Freeman. She really knows her subject and the fact that she writes for various genres she gives well rounded advice.

I enjoy writing for personal satisfaction at this stage and the seminars/courses give me the information I need to help me continue to improve.

The Australian Writers' Centre has a vast variety of courses on offer and there is something to suit all needs.

I am a mum of two young children who love to read and I would love to be able to write a picture book for them one day!

Margaret was wonderful. So prompt and detailed with her feedback.

I enjoyed reading the stories of the other students, so many wonderful ideas!

It has given me confidence to keep pursuing something that I have always wanted to do but haven’t always felt able to!

I’m loving all the courses I have completed so far and I’m looking forward to trying some more! The courses on offer cater to all interests and pursuits and they are very accessible and welcoming.

I enjoyed hearing about other people's journeys - it's refreshing to hear stories of success 'later' in life. I feel success stories of those in their teens and twenties are much more visible in mainstream media.

There are many different lenses when looking at success - to be a successful writer doesn't necessarily mean you writer for a major newspaper or are a top 10 best-selling author. Plus, it is a career pathway that can be grown concurrently to your existing career, and something that is possible to break into if you didn't start in the industry as a young person.

Practical and polished courses worth investing in!

I enjoyed getting feedback from a tutor on our weekly assignments. Great feedback and insightful conversations.

I've been able to apply copywriting knowledge to my CVs and in my field of work in factual TV.

It's a great punchy course that you can pace out in your own time and you don't need a whopping debt from studying a creative writing course in university.

This course really helped my confidence a lot, thank you.

I wasn't sure what to expect as it was my first writing course. I was blown away by the information and personal feedback, which I found very helpful.

I was just rambling with no real structure or understanding of what was required. This course was well worth the time and money, as it gave me vital groundwork for me to continue writing in a different light.

The feedback was extremely useful as a guide moving forward to write professionally, not just babble.

Thank you for all the information and time spent creating this course.

I loved that Pamela didn't try to make it a "one rule fits all" situation. She was setting out the things you need to think about, in order to achieve what you're trying to achieve, rather than telling us the "right" way to write villains. It was a course that got me thinking.

The course gave me all the information and tips I was hoping to receive. It was well structured and clear.

Grant was an excellent tutor. He presented the course well and gave relevant examples and tips. He was also very open to questions and comments. He is clearly very experienced in editing, writing and teaching so that is reassuring for any student.

I enjoyed the clear explanations for grammar and other parts of the editing process. The slides were great and pictures always help make slides interesting. The examples Grant gave were particularly useful as were his thoughts on appropriate conventions.

The advice from Grant was useful, in terms of editing work, and the course gave me clarity in many aspects of editing as well as confidence in my understanding of it. This will all help my career!

Thank you for providing this course. I found it very enjoyable and useful.

I had just completed Creative Writing Stage 1 and wanted to keep up the momentum I gained through doing that course. Feedback is something I find particularly helpful so this was a big part of my decision in moving forward with this.

Petronella was relatable and encouraging, and gave each of us excellent feedback and suggestions.

I enjoyed pushing myself to write a set amount of words for submission and receiving feedback.

It's helping me to stay motivated. I've stayed connected with most of the other course participants and we're going to try and continue giving each other feedback. It's also encouraged me to believe that it's possible to write a novel (and it's not just some lofty dream or hope in my head).

Great course to engage yourself in your writing, with the chance to connect with others who share the goal of one day getting published.

I wondered whether I should jump right into Write Your Novel, but I'm glad I did NWE first. I'm still developing my novel structure, but the course has given me confidence and tips which I didn't have before.

Nat was super enthusiastic and positive. Her feedback was practical and wise.

I enjoyed workshopping, and other people's stories. They are fabulous!

It's a practical fun course and you learn a lot. I now have more discipline, and I'm aiming to finish my first draft by Christmas.

I feel like I can do this now. I was sceptical prior to enrolling as to whether or not I was capable, but given the tools and the ongoing feedback from Nat and also my peers, I'm much more confident in myself now.

If you're serious about becoming a better writer or fulfilling a dream to become a writer then these courses are brilliant. You'll learn about things you never thought about. Characters, structure, sub plots etc. Meeting people along the way was also a huge plus.

The step-by-step process took something that seemed really overwhelming and turned it into manageable chunks.

I didn't have any roadmap for bridging the gap between what I had drafted and what I wanted my book to be. I knew my manuscript needed work, but I didn't know where to start. This course felt like having Pamela and Angela in my pocket, breaking down something that seemed overwhelming into something achievable.

If you want to take your writing seriously, invest in yourself and your craft! Just do it!

I had done Creative Writing Stage 1 and this course helped me develop characters more deeply. Very helpful.

I'm actually starting! I have my cast of characters mapped out in quite some detail, have really thought through the relationships between characters, and how they'll change over time, as well as what the main characters need vs what they want. I've also mapped the plot events and now I'm looking forward to writing and see what else develops as I go.

If you are interested to learn helpful structure to start writing creatively, don't hesitate. I have found the formats and prompts super helpful to give me a starting point and the mapping of characters really stretches your mind to think about key plot events. All of which has made me ready to finally start writing. Very inspiring.

I really valued the online tutor. I thought she was great at dealing with so much detail and giving feedback from both an emotional and technical perspective.

I really loved listening to Valerie's voice during the audio lessons, and that I could listen to the lessons while going for a walk, rather than having to sit in front of a computer.

I would say that this course will definitely improve your writing skills, and that you don't even know what you don't know until you go through a course like this that really covers all the bases.

I felt Nat was extremely clear and encouraging of all writers in her feedback. It was extremely useful to get her perspective on what we were all doing right and what we could all improve on as it helped in your own writing. Nat was also great about ensuring we all knew it was a safe space for our work to be shared and that if we ever had any issues or wanted to challenge feedback that this would also be welcomed. We were also constantly reminded to think of and refer to ourselves as writers which was almost like being given permission to step out of the "dream" and live the reality.

I loved the opportunity to read the very different stories and characters the other writers were developing. Some of them were genres I haven't read a lot of so was excited to see these come to life. The course overall gave me more confidence in writing that I think I had lost over the years so I feel on a good track to finish my first draft by the end of the year.

Although initially intimidated by the schedule, I found the timetable to be really helpful to keep me on track for my weekly word count. It doesn't always get met but I can see how much I need to pick up the pace in subsequent weeks.

Whether you're brand new to the world of writing, or you need to be reminded of the rules, or you want to take your skills to the next level, there is a course for everyone. If your aim is to be published or you just want to perfect stories for your own enjoyment, AWC encourages and supports everyone on that journey, and you'll get to meet some like-minded writers.

I found the style of presentation very accessible.

I realised that I do have relevant transferrable skills and knowledge to build upon/ launch from, which is very pleasing.

The courses are targeted, short yet comprehensive - practical and encouraging. Really quite liberating!