What’s it like to learn with AWC?
Each year, thousands of students just like you achieve their writing goals through our courses and world-class presenters. Here they share how their new-found skills and confidence enriched their life.
I enjoyed Pamela's friendly manner and the content which has helped me with my writing.
I'm now on the lookout for filter words when I am editing my work. I didn't realise I'd used so many!
Don't hesitate - do this course.
This course covered a wide range of topics; all were useful. I enjoyed the easy to follow, bite sized sessions which allowed me to stop and start with ease.
If you want to be fully informed about publishing your book, you must do this course.
Petronella was fabulous. She was supportive of everybody. Her feedback was constructive and insightful. She highlighted things I hadn't considered especially about family dynamics. It was inspiring to be tutored by someone who has written four books.
I enjoyed the interaction with Petronella and the quality of the content in the modules. I particularly liked the frameworks you provided that I could apply to my writing. The overall structure worked well and gave me the impetus I needed to get my word count up. One of the best pieces of advice I took out was the comment 'don't be too writerly' - just get the story on the page.
I thought it was great and worked well for me. I went from about 15k before I started to over 60k. That was way beyond my expectations when I started. Of course, the million-dollar question is - is it any good!! but I feel motivated to get it down on the page and trust the process.
The course gives you an easily accessible structured approach designed to help you take your idea and turn it into a story people will want to read.
I was worried that I might not keep up with all the videos and assignments. I was relieved that the course was do-able in bite-sized chunks!
I enjoyed being part of an online group for the first time. Bernadette always seemed cheerful and provided feedback in a constructive way.
I loved the explanation of the seven steps from the beginning. There's so much "smoke and mirrors" about what marketing is and how to write punchy copy. I appreciated the word-count suggestions for each section.
Give it a go! It's not hard and you don't have to be an academic to succeed. Why wait? Just give it a go!
I needed to know more about plotting. I'm someone who finds my story writing, and I can write great scenes and invent great characters. Sometimes, I write 100,000 words, but nothing happens.
The course had a profound impact on my writing. I love the formula; it's just what I needed, so finally, a lot is happening in my story. Thanks, Kate.
Charlotte was lovely and her feedback on the assignments and course chat was helpful. I enjoyed the video delivery of feedback and seeing her reactions to all the pieces.
I wish I discovered this course sooner! I've spent weeks of my life researching online and reading craft books to grasp concepts that AWC have distilled into an engaging and digestible course that you can devour in a matter of hours. So if you're looking to accelerate your skills, look no further.
Thank you so much, really enjoyed the course material and sad it's over :)
Having done a Professional Writing degree many years ago, I wasn't sure whether this course would be too basic, but I actually found it really helpful and gained a lot of inspiration (and it was a bit of a refresher course for things I'd forgotten, or hadn't considered in years). I was also a little concerned about meeting the assignment requirements, having not done any study in a number of years. But everything was explained really well and I actually entered the assignment phase of each module knowing what was required and with some excitement about producing something and meeting the brief.
Pamela gave great and useful feedback in a really respectful way. I'm definitely keen to put her advice into practice and keep writing. I might even do another of the AWC courses down the track.
I enjoyed that each module was doable in the time frame, with extra exercises, handouts and a short assignment. I was actually really looking forward to each week's offering being 'dropped' and I didn't lose momentum at all. I also liked that, through the exercises, I got an idea that I intend to run with and see where it leads.
I'm raring to go - with some semblance of a plan to go forwards (I've had a lot of ideas in the past, but feel I now have 'direction' with which to shape my ideas).
It's enjoyable and worth the time and money. It's a good springboard for more writing. Five weeks goes too fast!
Nat is knowledgeable. Her feedback was meaningful and helpful. She highlighted writing conventions and tips for better writing within participants' writing assignments. She was also always kind and encouraging.
Writing doesn't need to be a lonely pursuit; there are tools and community one can reach out to.
This was a really great course.
I needed to get out of a rut with my writing. I enjoyed knowing that I was working towards the completion of a written short story, towards feedback.
If I had not been enrolled, I would not have completed this story. I was already battling with issues of confidence but I got my story done. That's a big thing for me.
I thought the course was extremely comprehensive and, even though I've written real estate copy before, I learnt a lot and realised what I need to know now if I get back into it.
I enjoyed the practical walk throughs of a house, and the way different words and sentences can be built - useful for copywriting in general! The course creator and narrator was excellent.
It's given me the confidence to go out there and start pitching to some local agents - I would like to make it part of my overall freelance writing pie.
AWC courses are comprehensive, friendly, practical and will help you!
I love travel and lived overseas for 26 years! I want to write about travel and share experiences so this course seemed perfect.
Valerie explained everything so well and the course detail is comprehensive with the handouts and videos. You have more than enough to get started.
The interviews with Katrina Lobb were really useful. It was really helpful to see so many examples of the different types of travel articles.
It got me started! I got the confidence to send my first pitches, and the tools to plan some possible article ideas for an upcoming trip to Malaysia.
Do it! It's a practical course with something for everyone.
The breadth of the course was delightfully unexpected.
It was perfectly delivered. I really enjoyed casting the net back into the depths of history of how we tell stories, as well as the scientific exploration of how stories affect us and change us.
It's helped me regain focus on my writing, as well as feel better about not having a "perfect" writing schedule or being able to write the "perfect" chapters.
Writing down my fears is as important as writing down my dreams. I can't begin to chase my dreams if I haven't faced my fears, and I can't face my fears until I name them first.
Do it! Best investment in yourself and your writing you could do.
I found I needed help in planning my novel, so I thought this course may help me get some groundwork done, which it has.
I was very impressed with this course. I feel that I am now on track to coming up with the basics for a novel that will actually work. I enjoyed the artwork in the slides and the positivity of the presenter. I feel I can actually achieve my writing goals.
I always thought that plotting would inhibit my creativity, but now I see that the only thing that truly inhibits me is my own self-doubt and the dreaded inner critic.
Go for it as it will change your life.
I enjoyed having a set structure to follow through the editing process and through the course. Gave me structure and targets to meet when editing. It gave me motivation to get the job done.
I wanted to write more clearly on topics that I get excited about. This course was short, well-priced and right on target.
I found Vivienne's clear, logical and well-paced style of presenting - and her carefully prepared handouts - very easy to follow. She made the whole experience very enjoyable with her calmness and totally positive feedback.
I hadn't expected such comprehensive feedback for such a short course. And it was great to be able to learn not only from my own work but to see what others were doing and learn from their feedback too - a very helpful bonus.
My major take-away was that there is actually a serious genre of opinion writing. I thought it was more fringe to want to put out a well-crafted opinion. I'm excited that there's more opportunity than expected and that there's a bit of money in too.
It's great. The content is excellent. Being involved with a small cohort of fellow aspiring writers is very helpful. The instructors are professional and plug into the industry. You can work at your own pace and actually get feedback. In addition, it's really well priced.
I am doing the final edits of my manuscript, but after multiple drafts I wished I had this earlier!
It seemed to address the exact things I was struggling with and made issues that I thought were complex, like tense, very easy to digest. It has made me confident to move through a final copy edit knowing exactly what I am looking for.
These highly focussed courses are perfect because each person struggles with something different and it allows you to get amongst the weeds of what it is you need to understand more.
The course was easy to understand and the relevant links will come in handy. There are practical steps to advance through and it is relevant to the Australian market. It feels more doable.
I appreciated Pamela's breadth of knowledge across genres and her book references. I also appreciated being able to slow down or speed up the videos.
It was encouraging to hear from Pamela that there are a variety of ways to approach character development. Being a 'pantser' I have often felt daunted by the way some people have copious notes for their characters. My main character is usually quite clear but I would need to be more thoughtful about other characters.
The AWC is a great way to invest in your writing passion. Courses are created to be accessible, practical and affordable. A wonderful way to grow your skills and keep your head in the game.
I was drawn to the course by the premise of it being about developing a joyous relationship to writing, and going deeper than just learning techniques. It felt like it would be almost therapeutic!
I enjoyed the way Kate brought so many down-to-earth elements into the course, things that I feel wouldn't be found in other courses. And also complex things like an overview of what's actually going on in the brain in various modes. It all just wove together just a comprehensive and somehow spiritual take on writing.
I've been wanting to bring some stories of mine to life, and this course has given me so many ideas and tools for moving forward with that! I can experience a joyous anticipation about writing when I develop that kind of relationship to it, instead of treating it like a chore or something I need to put lots of pressure on myself for.
Example texts and downloadable worksheets were great for reflection. I also loved the ability to pause and speed up the videos and work through at my own pace.
Very well organised course which was easy to follow and gave clear guidance. Wonderful course, thank you. Now I'm off to write!