Write Your Novel
You’ve built your foundation skills. You’ve written at least 20,000 words. And now you’re ready to turn those promising chapters into a complete novel.
You will:
Complete your novel!
Become more confident making creative decisions about your manuscript
Receive regular guidance and constructive feedback from your tutor
Learn to see your work more clearly and trust your editorial judgement
Strengthen your characters, dialogue and key story moments
Develop the skills to solve story problems and keep moving forward
Understand your next steps towards publication
Reach the final page with a manuscript you’re proud of
“Undertaking this courses was the best decision I ever made. It gave me the confidence to write a novel, a dream I’ve had since I was a child. The support to reach my goal was there at every stage, and I couldn’t imagine any better structured course in writing.”
– Michelle Wills, Write Your Novel graduate
See more reviews
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Imagine reaching the final page of your novel
Picture this: you are writing that final scene. Typing the last sentence. Then looking back at the complete manuscript in front of you and thinking: I did it. I wrote a novel.
You’ve already created the characters, discovered the world of your story and written at least 20,000 words. During the course, you’ll build on that foundation until your opening chapters have become a finished draft.
You’ll become more confident in the decisions you make.
You’ll understand what your story needs and have the skills to give it shape. Instead of wondering whether a character, scene or plot point is working, you’ll know how to examine it, strengthen it and move forward.
And if you’ve already completed a first draft, you’ll look at your manuscript with fresh eyes and significantly improve on a new draft.
How the course works
- You’ll follow a structured program with clear deadlines that keep your manuscript moving while giving you the flexibility to write around the rest of your life.
- At key stages, you’ll submit sections of your manuscript for personal feedback from your tutor, including your novel’s climax and resolution. Your tutor will also answer your questions and lead regular Zoom sessions with your group.
- You’ll sharpen your editorial eye by reading and providing feedback on your classmates’ work, then applying those insights to your own writing.
- In your dedicated online classroom, you can connect with fellow novelists, share the experience and discuss the challenges that come up as your stories develop.
The writer you’ll become
Completing your manuscript is the central goal of Write Your Novel. But it isn’t the only thing you’ll take away from the course.
You will also:
- Find or strengthen your voice
- Emerge with a much stronger understanding of how you write, how stories work and how to make thoughtful decisions about your manuscript.
- Be better equipped to recognise problems, find solutions and keep writing when a scene or storyline isn’t quite coming together.
You won’t just be someone who wants to write a novel. You’ll be someone who has written one.
You’ll learn how to:
- create a balanced cast of characters
- deepen the reader’s connection with your characters
- build a strong and effective story structure
- identify plot holes, inconsistencies and missed opportunities
- recognise and remove material that no longer serves the story
- write dialogue that advances both plot and character
- strengthen your opening, climax and other pivotal moments
- maintain momentum across a full-length manuscript
- assess your writing more objectively
- identify what your manuscript needs in its next draft
- give constructive feedback and apply those editorial insights to your own work
You’ll also explore:
- your role in the publishing process
- the relationships between authors, agents, editors and publishers
- how to identify suitable agents and publishers for your work
- how to present and submit your manuscript professionally
- how changes in publishing may affect writers and their work
Many students return to Write Your Novel with a new draft or an entirely new manuscript because they value the momentum, professional feedback and confidence the course gives them.
Reviews of Write Your Novel
“Do the Write Your Novel course. It’s worth the time and financial commitment.The course and the feedback have left me so clear about what I need to do in my next draft, much clearer than I thought I would be. And it’s left me with the confidence that what I’ve written is good and can now be even better.”
– Rose Costa
– Tania Cox
– Emma Georgeson
“Not only did I gain a lot from the feedback I received from my peers, but I was able to learn so much about my own writing style, skills and weaknesses by reading and reviewing other people’s work. It has made me a more thoughtful reader and writer.”
– Abbie
Is Write Your Novel right for you?
Write Your Novel is an advanced creative writing course. It assumes a solid knowledge of fiction techniques, workshopping experience and at least 20,000 words written.
- Ideally, you’ll have followed the Australian Writers’ Centre’s recommended pathway to this course starting with a foundational course like Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Children’s Novels. Most students follow this with Creative Writing Stage 2, then Novel Writing Essentials. This pathway provides the ideal foundation – in terms of knowledge and skills you should have – to complete Write Your Novel.
We may also consider writers who have completed a substantial workshop-based writing course elsewhere.
This course could be your next step if you have:
- Completed the first 20,000 words of your manuscript during Novel Writing Essentials and want to maintain your momentum.
- A promising start to your story and are ready to develop it into a complete novel.
- Been working on your manuscript for some time and would benefit from expert feedback, clear milestones and renewed confidence.
- Completed a first, second or third draft and want to make your novel significantly stronger.
- Are writing a children’s novel or series and already have strong fiction and workshopping skills.
- Completed Write Your Novel before and want the same structure and support while working on another manuscript.
Bonus: pitch to a literary agent
Students who participate fully in the course – which means submitting your writing and giving feedback to your classmates – will be rewarded with a rare opportunity.
Pitch to an agent
By completing all your own writing submitting and providing feedback to classmates, you will be invited to a group practice-pitching session with Abigail Nathan from Alex Adsett Agency.
Abigail is a leading Australian literary agent and has been working in publishing since 2001. She has edited for various Australian publishers including Allen & Unwin, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Harlequin, and Simon & Schuster, as well as UK publishers including Angry Robot, Hachette and Gollancz.
As an editor, Abigail’s work with publishers has been on commercial fiction and non-fiction, with a particular focus on genre – including speculative fiction, crime, romance and erotica – for authors such as Karly Lane, Alastair Reynolds, Dinuka McKenzie and many others.
The session takes place live on Zoom and gives you the opportunity to present your manuscript and receive valuable industry insight.
Abigail represents authors with great stories, told well – fiction in general and all things genre: sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, horror, crime, thriller, romance (and any combination of those), for adult, YA or middle grade.
We’re thrilled so many of our graduates have gone on to become published authors…
Margaret completed Write Your Novel
Joanna Nell Graduate of Australian Writers' Centre, author of four bestselling novels including The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital
Al Campbell completed Write Your Novel. She then wrote the novel The Keepers, which went on to win the Queensland Literary Awards.
Alli Parker Graduate of Australian Writers’ Centre, author of At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree’
Meet the Presenters
Pamela Freeman is the award-winning author of more than 50 books. Pamela has a Doctorate in Creative Writing and is the Director of Creative Writing at the Australian Writers’ Centre. She has developed many highly regarded writing courses that have inspired and educated thousands of writers.
Her most recent novel as Pamela Hart is An A-List for Death. This follows Digging Up Dirt, the first in the Poppy McGowan mystery series. She also publishes Regency romance novellas with Escape Publishing. Prior to this, she’s published a number of historical novels, mostly set in the first part of the 20th century (WWI and the Roaring Twenties).
Cathie Tasker is a fiction editor with more than 25 years’ experience and has also been a judge of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and the Aurealis Awards. Cathie has worked for children’s publishers such as HarperCollins Publishers, Scholastic Australia and Koala Books. She has edited books by Mem Fox, Jackie French, Bruce Whatley, Judith Rossell, Sue Whiting, Pamela Freeman, Coral Vass, Craig Smith, Dee Huxley, Hazel Edwards, Ann James, Matt Cosgrove, Meredith Costain, Rod Clement, Sally Odgers, Patricia Mullins, Rodney McRae, Pamela Lofts, Junko Morimoto and more. Many of her students end up with published deals.
Bernadette Foley is one of the most connected people in the publishing industry, working as an editor and publisher for over 30 years. She was publisher of fiction and non-fiction for international publishing house Hachette Australia for 10 years, working with such authors as Di Morrissey, William McInnes, Gabrielle Lord, Graeme Blundell, Kate Ceberano, Bronwyn Parry, Lian Hearn, Pamela Freeman, Troy Cassar-Daley and many more. In 2015, Bernadette received the George Robertson Award for Service to the Australian Publishing Industry.
Nat Newman is an experienced creative writing tutor and a sought-after manuscript editor. Her mastery of structure and story editing has helped countless students transform the way they write. Nat is also an award-winning writer and playwright who won the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize for the Pacific Region with her story “The Death of Margaret Roe”. Her play The Understudies (cowritten with Liz Vassilacos) won the Sydney Guest award at the Newcastle Fringe Festival and also features at the Sydney Fringe Festival, and her play A Very New Chrissy has been selected as part of Newcastle City Council’s UpStage program, where it will debut at the Civic Theatre. Her debut play The Library was also an award-winner at the Lake Macquarie One Act Play Festival. She has written the novella The Office of Dead Letters and her short stories have appeared in Granta, Structo, Brittle Star, Overland and Shoreline of Infinity. Born and raised in Australia, Nat has walked across two countries, lived and worked in six, and now calls the universe her home.
The AWC creative writing pathway:
If your goal is to write a novel, AWC offers four stages of creative support and guidance to help you get there. Creative Writing Stage 1 kicks things off – giving you a solid understanding of how to build your story. In Novel Writing Essentials and Write Your Novel, you will workshop your actual manuscript and take it from its beginnings to completion. And in Edit Your Novel, you will edit your manuscript to get it ready for publication.
AWC Creative Writing Program
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: I haven’t done a writing course before. Is this course for me?A: This course is for writers who already have advanced fiction knowledge and at least 20,000 words written of a manuscript (see the creative path section above). Ideally, you’ve already completed a foundational course like Creative Writing Stage 1 or Writing Children’s Novels. Most students follow this with Creative Writing Stage 2, then Novel Writing Essentials. And you are now serious about writing your novel.
Q: Does this course suit memoir writers?A: Yes, although if your memoir is more emotional in nature, then we recommend having a first draft of your memoir completed prior to applying for Write Your Novel. This course allows you to then approach the material analytically through workshopping. For specific assistance initially, our Creative Non-fiction course is excellent. If you are a complete beginner in memoir writing, you should enrol in Personal Storytelling and Memoir Writing
Q: I’ve already written a draft of my novel. Can I do this course?
A: Yes! If you have a first draft, or even a second or a third, we’ll help you to look at it objectively and improve it significantly. You’ll learn how to identify any problems in your manuscript, ensure your structure is working, and deepen your connection to your reader.
Q: I’ve completed Write Your Novel before. Can I do it again?
A: Of course! We have many students who choose to return due to the valuable workshopping process (difficult to replicate in the ‘real world’), especially those who are writing a new book. We also offer our Edit Your Novel course exclusively to those who have completed Write Your Novel and wish to refine their manuscript draft in a more experienced and supportive environment.
Q: How many people are in the course?
A: Due to the workshopping nature of the course and to ensure you receive adequate access to your tutor and value out of the course, we limit class sizes to a maximum of 16 students.
Q: How much time is needed each week?
A: This will depend on a few factors, including your reading and writing speed. But, as a rough guide, you’ll want to allow approximately 5-6 hours per week.
You’ll also enjoy 6 to 7 Zoom sessions with your classmates and tutor – a chance to ask your burning questions and connect with your writers’ circle. It’s a great blend of flexible learning and writing time, peppered with interactive sessions to keep you motivated.
Q: I’m writing books for children. Can I do this course?
A: Absolutely! In fact, you may use the course to complete a series of books. We have many students in the course who are writing middle grade novels or YA. (Note: The course is not suitable for picture books however – for this, you’ll want our Writing Picture Books foundation course and Masterclass.)
Q: Okay, I think I’m ready. How do I apply?
A: Fantastic! Simply click the “Apply Now” button at the top of this page. For the application, you’ll answer a few questions about yourself, your writing experience and your novel, and you’ll provide a 3000-word writing sample (from your Work In Progress is fine) – as it’s important to ensure everyone is at a similar level to make workshopping worthwhile. The course tutor reviews all applications to ensure this course is going to best suit your goals.
By the end of this course, you will have:
| MOTIVATION: | and discipline to take your novel to the next level, no matter what state it is in at the beginning of the course. |
| CONFIDENCE: | in your writing abilities, in the quality of your manuscript and in your skills in structural editing. |
| DIRECTION: | from your online tutor and classmates, through the valuable feedback process. |
| MOMENTUM: | from the practical and theory components that deal with preparing your story for publication. |
Write your novel with the support that helps you finish
Alongside the course, you’ll join a private online group with your fellow classmates. It becomes a hub for encouragement, idea-sharing and motivation – a place where writers support each other, stay accountable and keep the momentum going. Many participants say this community makes all the difference in helping them finish, and those connections often continue long after the course ends.
The number one reason your book may never be published is, quite simply, that you haven’t written it. Don’t let that be true of you… Apply today!
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Duration 1
This is an online course
Opens: Wednesday 13 January 2027
Duration:
9 months Allow min. 5–6 hours per week
Feedback on your writing:
Yes
With: Margaret Whiskin $395 per month | |||||
