Andrea Barton 4 months ago

Candice Fox presented a wealth of information in an accessible and interesting way.

There was so much information that I feel I need to listen to all the modules again to take it in. But I think from a writing sense, what helped most was the way Candice encouraged viewing everything from the murder to the court case to jail from multiple points of view.

I do recommend AWC courses whenever writers ask about useful courses. I say the information is well researched and presented professionally in ways that can be applied to your writing.

Dana Lee 8 months ago

I felt this course was jam-packed with information, and I will have to go back and process all of it. I thought it was well put together!

I loved all the pieces and how they were broken down into different categories.

I loved the exercises, placing myself in jail and writing about my observations. This is not easy to do.

I have taken several courses with the AWC and learned something new every time. It is well worth it to take the class and see what happens. Just give it a shot.

James Inglis 8 months ago

I enjoyed the focus on both true crime and crime fiction. The writing exercises and some of the links were fascinating (and disturbing too!)

Go for it! You never know what you might find.

Leonie Crewther 9 months ago

Going through the entire process, from pre-meditation to prison life, gave me ideas for future stories. I enjoyed the resources, having access to so much information, and examples.

Julie Randolph-Davis 9 months ago

I loved the course. I enjoyed hearing stories of true crime as well as fictionalised examples. Candice and Valerie were great presenters.

I am starting my writing career after other careers:) It confirmed some information but also made me think of other aspects of writing especially to engage my readers.

There were many a-ha moments and particularly the aspects of premeditation and intent. I thought what most resonated was the discussion about character dialogue as well as interrogation methods. I am writing a character who is a forensic specialist, and the forensics information helped a lot too.

Great courses, easy to enrol and reasonably priced.

Ariel Stephenson 1 year ago

I liked the breakdown of crime using true crime and fictional crime examples. The tips of writing crime fiction are really useful.

I am now confident to begin writing crime fiction and how to access the resources needed to make it believable, whereas before I was not sure where to start.

AWC's online courses are very easy to navigate. They are easy to work through around any other commitments you have.

Lorraine Horsley 1 year ago

I really enjoyed this course. The additional resources and exercises were great. Candace sure knows her stuff!

I liked the fact it was self-paced and I could pause to reflect on certain points. That the whole thing doesn't have to be 'perfect' - in that the cops aren't perfect, the murderers aren't perfect. And the shades of grey in characters - I'll have a lot of fun with that!

Get involved! If you want to improve your craft sign up, commit, and see where it takes you!

Kerri Flanigan 1 year ago

The amount of resources and the generosity of Candice was phenomenal.

I enjoyed the exact detail on real arrests, real prisons, and the dispelling of myths. The course is interesting even if you are not a writer but just a reader.

Jen Sorenson 1 year ago

I love AWC and I love crime fiction and true crime. I am writing a murder mystery and I wanted some solid skills and activities and advice. This course exceeded my expectations because of all the links and exercises and extra material that rounded out the course experience.

Since this course runs from beginning to end of a murder, it has helped me to think about what aspects of the murder I would want to focus on writing. Then, within that aspect, how to create full sensory descriptions.

The crime scene module was a big one. Looking at the logs, autopsy reports, and other materials made me realize just how thorough the crime scene investigation is.

This is a course that takes you from premeditation to prison, providing you with details, materials from true crime and fiction, writing exercises, and ways to think about and approach your own writing. Plus, you can access the materials on your own time frame, re-listen to sections, and take your time with the course for the year you have it.

Carol 1 year ago

I am interested in writing a crime novel. I have finished a few other courses with AWC, so knew this was the best place to start.

I found Candice's approach very inspiring. I hung on her every word.

When Candice said, "Not all dead bodies look the same or decompose the same" (or something similar and along the same lines as that). I had never really thought about that and it was an 'aha' moment for me for sure!

I have and always will recommend the Australian Writers' Centre. I have invaluable knowledge and confidence because of AWC.

Louise Bassett 1 year ago

The course was extremely helpful with my current novel-in-progress as it gave me a lot of pointers for writing about murder. In particular, it made me more rigorous about research and thinking deeply about the extent to which the murderer pre-meditated his crimes.

Gillian 1 year ago

I was interested in learning more about how to write about crime realistically and thoroughly.

The course is so well set out! I enjoyed delving into the details of what research was needed for each step of the crime from beginning to end.

I have a much better idea of how much research is needed to make for a good novel, and where to start to find out what I need to know.

Whatever you want to write about, there is a course for you at the AWC.

Rebecca 1 year ago

I was fascinated by the techniques used to examine crime scenes and the types of forensic analysts that could be called upon.

I understand a lot more about the types of evidence that can be collected, and what I could potentially incorporate in my writing.

Great insights into how to structure different types of novels.

Ashleigh Meikle 2 years ago

I wanted to learn more about writing crime, and work it into my current work in progress successfully. I have been so keen to do this course, and I am glad I did because it has given me some great resources to explore in my own time to use in my own writing.

I loved it! I've found myself thinking about it as I watch Blue Heelers and read crime fiction, and knowing the ins and outs, and the stuff that doesn't always make it in - for whatever reason - such as story, time, I know what is likely to have happened in between what we see on the screen and read on the page.

I was able to use some of what I learnt in the first 4-5 modules to give more colour to my own crime story. Hopefully the additional links can help bolster this some more in edits, but for now, I have added as much of what I learnt as possible at the stage I am at with my writing.

DO IT! DO IT! Whatever course you feel you need, it is totally worth it!

Sue Oliver 2 years ago

I really enjoyed this and found it gave some great ideas for plots for the future as well as being so very interesting.

I enjoyed learning about it all, even the areas I didn't think initially would be of much interest to me - the trial and prison life. Really educational.

The section on prison life was something I had no experience of other than TV and I thought it was fascinating.

So worthwhile for anyone interested in this genre. Great content.

Cathy Jones 2 years ago

I have read some of Candice Fox's crime books. I love watching British crime drama on TV and wanted to get tips on writing crime fiction.

The material and information provided in this course is current, well-researched and gives lots of details about writing about murder crimes. Advice on research, web links and checking the laws in the country or state you are writing about are very helpful.

I am an emerging writer. I like the structure of the course breaking down the crime into modules. It can be very daunting undertaking research. Information on how to find it was given. I liked being shown the whole picture, the criminal, the crime, gathering forensic evidence, the hunt, the arrest, the trial and finally prison. How the justice system works.

Do this course if you like murder crime writing and solving puzzles. This course is very detailed. A good idea to undertake and get a wide coverage of the legal system, police operations and the criminal mind. Lots of comprehensive information and suggestions are provided for websites for further research.

Helen Kelly 3 years ago

I love crime fiction and just wanted to gain an insight into how successful writers structure and pace their stories.

I liked the variety of resources and the wormholes they sent me down. There really is a wealth of information out there!

Just realising that you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you put pen to paper. Inspiration can be found in any of a million places. Even the most mundane little snippet can become the foundation for something really unique and new.

Give it a go!

Shannon Meyerkort 3 years ago

Comprehensive and fascinating course for anyone interested in writing a modern-day murder. Not for the faint-hearted.

Naomi Shippen 3 years ago

I have written the first draft of a domestic suspense novel and I wanted to check that I have written about police procedures in a convincing way.

I always think carefully before spending money on courses but because this one was so specialised, I knew it was right for me.

This course was very comprehensive and dealt with the full range of the crime experience from motivation to prison life. The links to real life crimes and resources were very enlightening.

This was a truly fascinating course. The material was presented in a matter-of-fact way, making it easy to deal with sensitive subjects. I was so engrossed, I completed the course over the weekend and now feel confident to tackle writing my next crime fiction novel!

Anatomy of a Crime: How to Write about Murder is an intriguing course that covered all aspects of this difficult subject. Being new to crime writing, it has given me a thorough grounding in police procedures, court processes and the emotional impact of all involved when a murder is committed. The course has helped me clarify the area of crime writing I want to concentrate on and given me the confidence to pursue my interest in this fascinating genre.

In learning about true crime, I have realised that this is not the area I want to concentrate on. Rather, it has reinforced my desire to write crime fiction. This realisation came when I read the real-life accounts, and listened to the tutorials on how to write true crime.

Australian Writers' Centre courses are easy to follow and full of common-sense advice. The Centre can help you with all aspects of your writing journey, from starting out to refining your well-established skills.

Leanne Fry 3 years ago

I had written a rural crime manuscript without much thought to the more technical aspects for police investigations or trial processes. I had heard nothing but good things about the courses offered by AWC and thought this one might be able to fill some gaps for me.

The most enjoyable part of the course was the true crime examples and the resources linked throughout. i.e. transcripts, video confessions, etc. I have a better understanding of procedures and processes that I will take forward and I'm sure will be reflected in future writing projects.

I particularly loved the police interview transcripts for the back and forward between law enforcement and the accused. This is something I have used to good effect in my current manuscript which has just been shortlisted for a Debut Dagger - so it's already working!

There's no better way to learn the fundamentals of crime writing than deep diving into real life police investigations/trial documents/autopsy reports. It puts you on the fast track to sounding like you know what you're talking about!!

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