What’s it like to learn with AWC?

I've been receiving AWC newsletters for a while now. I wanted to do this course as a chance to develop and get some feedback on my creative writing and to start to build a network of writers as well.

Finding the time to do it justice was the biggest concern - but the biggest hesitation was just finding the confidence to share my writing. So glad I did though!

Pamela was fantastic - so knowledgeable about the craft of writing but also just in general with the feedback given to the class. I loved her focus on the positive aspects of the assignments and the constructive advice given for improvement.

I loved completing the assignments and receiving feedback on them. It was enjoyable to play with the different scenarios and POVs and come away with some ideas to build into longer stories.

It's given me the confidence to go away and write some more and showed me that I can find the time to do it too!

The AWC provides a really supportive environment for aspiring writers. Creative Writing Stage 1 is a great starting point and really helps break down how writing works. Receiving feedback on course assignments is so valuable - I'd highly recommend AWC courses based on my experience.

Keep doing what you're doing. It's fantastic!

One of my favourite things to do in the world is reading and writing. I have loved books for a long time and love creating my own world. I have needed some help though and this seemed like the perfect course for it.

I had no hesitations. I believed that it would be perfect and it has been!

My tutor was very good, providing helpful feedback, both negative and positive, and it was very helpful. Thank you for the excellent help.

I enjoyed the part where I got to work on my story, like making my characters, their feelings, appearances, and the world around them.

It has helped me start a story for the first time which I am confident with. I always struggled with starting stories.

I would say that it is a very good course that can help your writing skills improve and can give you personal feedback that is unbiased, because it is not from family or friends.

It was perfect. Thank you.

The tutor was fantastic - Pamela's feedback was very helpful and interesting. I am very grateful for the gentle encouragement to try the workshopping process, which I was anxious about but have found incredibly useful. Thank you.

I have done a university stage one writing paper in the past and, although it was interesting, it wasn't very helpful. I am a pragmatic learner, so found it didn't seem to translate well to the specifics of how to write better. This made me unsure about trying another course, but I'm so glad I did as the AWC course was fantastic and I have learnt so many real practical useful strategies.

The course has made me see how important every single word and space is, and helped me understand the difference between simple storytelling and writing well. It has also given me hope that I can learn to write well and even given me hope that getting published one day may be possible.

If you want to learn the practical tools and strategies of both telling a story and writing it well, do this course.

Thank you :-)

My overall impression of the tutor was that it was all constructive feedback and had the extra push of where I could improve my story and where I'm doing really well. Whereas getting that feedback from friends or family didn't help at all.

I hesitated at first because I was worried about another writer being mean about my work. But everyone in my course was so nice.

I have a better understanding of how to start and structure a story. This course helped me so much in gaining those foundational skills that I wasn't taught at school.

I would say that this course is amazing for first-time writers or any writer that wants to relearn the foundations of story writing.

I have decided to write a creative non-fiction book about my path to becoming an author.

The content was useful but also engaging and entertaining. My major learning was the importance of making sure everything is factual whilst ensuring that it is not just a list of facts and dates.

I have done several courses with the Australian Writers' Centre which have proven invaluable to achieving my goal to become a published author. These courses helped me to keep going through the often difficult stages of writing my first full manuscript when I thought I might give up. Now I am almost ready to self-publish my first historical fiction novel. I would never have made it this far without the Australian Writers' Centre.

The course was really good! It was concise, interesting and very useful. Lots of small valuable lessons that add up.

My first children's book will be coming out later this year and I want to be prepared for doing school visits and author talks. The timing of the course was brilliant.

I enjoyed the practical advice and Nat's generosity in sharing specific games and activities we can use for kids of all ages. She is an enthusiastic and generous presenter and gives us all something to aspire to.

I now have confidence that the author presentation I've had in the back of mind will work but also that there are other options if I need them, plus games and quick ways to pivot if things go wrong.

A thoughtful, practical course that provides you all you need to know about presenting to kids and makes it slightly less terrifying.

Loved all the costume changes, Nat!

I was blown away by the detail and the information embedded in each module. Loved the tables for planning aspects like setting and characters.

It validated my desire to research broadly and deeply.

I was so impressed by Carli. Her knowledge and experience really shone throughout the course, and she made all of us feel so comfortable and respected. She would actually be one of the best tutors I've had, alongside Bernadette.

I really enjoyed Carli's passion, knowledge and her unwavering engagement with all of us. She genuinely listened to each of us when we explained what our current roles were and what we hoped to achieve from the course and referred back to all of us individually throughout the session. She really is a fantastic and charismatic tutor.

The AWC is a very professionally run organisation with exceptional tutors - definitely worth the time and money.

I am a lover of words and I really wanted to make it my career.

I actually really enjoyed the assignments. Mark was great with very detailed feedback. Doing the assignments brought out my creativity again that has been missing from my life for so long.

AWC professionals are guiding you all the way. Don't go anywhere else.

Absolutely loved the course! Bernadette is by far the best online tutor I've ever come across. Extremely knowledgeable, professional, and genuinely cares about helping her students to take the necessary first steps to become freelance copywriters.

I always had trouble getting to the point and often wrote long-winded sentences. Thanks to this course, I've been able to start articles or any written pieces with short, succinct, fun, appropriate 'hooks'.

JUST DO IT! And you'll thank me for it!

This course has given me a solid foundation for understanding the ever-evolving world of UX writing.

Carli was great - inclusive, approachable, knowledgeable, and encouraging. Plus, she knows her stuff and gave us lots of real examples, and talked through them clearly.

I enjoyed being able to apply the things I learned today to my own business website. I have a whole new perspective of how my website content could - SHOULD - be written!

The AWC is always a great choice for personal and professional development if you love writing of any kind!

I enjoy copywriting, but was doing it without much knowledge. I wanted to learn the basics in order to pursue it further.

I thought Bernadette thoroughly explained everything and gave great examples demonstrating the fundamental skills of copywriting.

I enjoyed how it was delivered - I thought that listening to the videos was a great way to learn (for me, anyway!). I found it much better than a traditional online course.

I feel much more confident attempting to find my first copywriting job.

Do it! The course delivery method is relaxed and can be done from wherever you may be. Feedback regarding assignments is very beneficial and you'll walk away with a fantastic understanding of the copywriting essentials!

Great content. Very relevant material and extremely knowledgeable presenter.

Carli's experience in the field was why I was so keen to undertake this UX writing training. She was fabulous! Carli is the holy grail for all things UX Writing - no wonder she is in such high-demand.

The AWC continues to deliver relevant, market-ready short writing courses that provide its students with brilliant job-ready writing tools.

Keep up the great work, AWC!

I felt encouraged by Valerie's passion and positivity which has inspired some hope and faith that transitioning into a writing career is a real possibility if I put the work in, regardless of my background.

I enjoyed the shared experiences from past AWC graduates. As indicated above, I relished all of the encouraging messages helping me to 'feel the fear and do it anyway' and to forge ahead step by step and have faith I'll make it in the end if I continue moving forward. I have no university degree and am dyslexic, however have ironically always felt drawn to writing regardless. I feel grateful for the boost and wonderful information and hopeful that I can forge through if I continue to carve out more time for me and my future. Thank you all very much!

I've been struggling to find time to write for soooo long; work and life always gets in the way. Although if I'm honest, I was just procrastinating but also putting MY needs last (as usual). This course forced me to schedule in time to write every day. I did miss a few days here and there, but I managed to write 10,000 words, two blog articles, and also worked on a couple of other writing projects! Now I'm motivated to keep going. I just had to get over that initial inertia - the first hump - to get the flow going.

It's made me realise that if I'm ever going to get any of my writing finished, I have to SCHEDULE in time to write.

Great way to get started and educate yourself on what it REALLY takes to be a writer.

This course is absolutely unrivalled for quality, cost, time and ease of access. I learned many new skills which I put to use immediately and have relied upon in a variety of contexts since. AND, I so enjoyed it! Thank you AWC, Bernadette and Mark!

My tutor was Mark Farrelly, and he was superb! I did not expect to receive such detailed and useful feedback on each of my assignments. Mark gives his feedback by Loom video, and I found this a very engaging, enjoyable way to receive feedback on my work and also to learn from the feedback on my classmates' work. Mark's comments are genuine and always constructive. Thanks so much, Mark!

I can honestly say that I enjoyed everything about the course. However, I especially enjoyed the assignments, tutor feedback, and participation from the cohort.

I have three uni degrees and feel like I was trained to write quite long, wordy, "slow" types of papers. This course has helped me to write more creatively and to communicate meaningful messages in a short, concise way which gets a response / result. I have been applying these skills to help me communicate more quickly and effectively in many contexts - even interpersonally! In terms of my writing, I have gained new focus on making sure every word is purposeful and targeted to my reader / audience.

Suzanne's feedback was honest and fair. Her suggestions were excellent and I will definitely go forth in my writing with her advice in the back of my mind.

It's opened my eyes to how much work goes into writing a picture book. There's soooo much more to it than I first thought.

Do it! Such amazing content.

Bernadette is fabulous. A brilliant teacher and very experienced and knowledgeable about how to get the best from your content writing. Her feedback is so constructive and she makes you feel that you can write anything that will sell!

If you want to get serious about your writing check out the numerous courses at the AWC because no matter what you want to write, you will definitely find the right course to help you.

I'm enjoying learning. Thank you for creating these courses and opportunities for writers and those just starting out.

It's given me the foundational knowledge and confidence to get writing!

It was great to look at stories from the perspective of the author, rather than that of the critic / English Lit student. It was also great to write weekly and receive feedback and to see where I can improve and also where things worked!

The AWC provided a safe space in which to tap into my imagination and give writing a go! Being part of a structured course gave me the direction, parameters and accountability to write and write regularly. Sharing my writing with the class was a great experience and receiving specific feedback each week helped me understand my areas for improvement and my strengths. It has inspired and empowered me to write, write, write!

Thank you!