What’s it like to learn with AWC?

Pamela was insightful and helpful. Her experience within the industry and into the writing process was invaluable.

I enjoyed getting feedback on my work.

I am encouraged to write and keep on writing. I realise how much more there is to know, and how much further I have to go.

In writing a YA novel, I shifted from writing in third person to first person and changed to shorter paragraphs and more white space on the paper. I am thinking more about the audience and the specifics of the genre.

It'll help you finish your novel, learn how to give and take feedback, and change your thinking on the process.

I loved it, really loved it, but it was hard work!

I think I received more information than I was expecting! And I learnt a lot more about giving feedback. And it's helped figure out how to tackle problems I was having with my story.

Pamela's feedback was fabulous! So, so encouraging! Because of her I feel inspired to keep going with this story. She understood what I was trying to do, when so many others didn't.

I found the teaching satisfying. Actually, I was encouraged because so I often I learnt I wasn't completely off-track! I enjoyed getting to know some of the other writers better. (I hope we can keep in touch.) The most enjoyable, of course, was Pamela's feedback.

I managed a mangled first draft!!!! Which was better than where I'd been before.

One of the things I've loved most about AWC is that you give a very structured outline. I have never wanted to be a pantser. I love the idea of knowing what is happening in each chapter before I write, even if I don't stick to it. (Even my friends, who claim to be pantsers, are beginning to talk about the benefits of plotting!) It's going to take some practise figuring out how to do that, but AWC has given me a lot of clues and I will always appreciate that.

The courses I have done with AWC have been really fun. I have enjoyed getting to know other students, and reading their stories. And now I have a plan to finish my story. (Although I might do another couple of AWC courses before committing this one to the rest if the world...)

I didn't think I would enjoy the writing community as much as I did. It was so much better than doing it alone. I have formed some writing relationships that will extend well beyond the course.

Pamela is genuine, personal, knowledgeable, interested and invested. The perfect writing tutor.

I enjoyed the discussions, feedback and being part of a community.

It has shaped my writing journey to be one of community and connection, rather than isolation.

After receiving feedback on my conclusion from Pamela, I realised that my writing can have an impact and that my first draft style and structure seems to be working.

AWC know what they are doing. Enrol, now!

Really enjoyed the feedback (both giving and receiving) as well as the chat. It was so exciting to read what other people thought of my work!

The tutor was experienced and realistic, but very encouraging.

I feel like it's been a step in the right direction. I would definitely like to continue with the editing course.

A great, encouraging course and community with the added effectiveness of clear deadlines.

Very much enjoyed it, thanks!

I learned as much from analysing the writing of my colleagues (fellow writers) and trying to make my comments as insightful as possible, as I did from the course materials. It was, however, vital to have engaged with the course materials to be able to do this. I felt the course materials gave me the metalanguage and conceptual framework to do this as well as to apply it all to my own work objectively and metacognitively.

I enjoyed the accountability---having to get those words off the handwritten page, typed in and submitted. I found by the end that I didn't need to handwrite everything first. There was joy in that.

I feel like a real writer. I have confidence.

WYN is a fantastic course. It is a great way to finally finish the manuscript you have always wanted to write with the support of your tutor and fellow classmates. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to write a novel.

Pamela was great and gave feedback that was detailed and actionable.

I now have confidence that it is possible to write a novel and continue working towards my dream of being published.

Worth every cent!

Pamela Freeman is fabulously enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She knows when to praise and when a thorough (and necessary) critique is called for.

Fantastic and assorted feedback. Pamela's was the most useful but everyone contributed in some way. A good, hard critique is jarring, but it is enjoyable in the long run when your novel improves.

If you're serious about writing, do Australian Writers' Centre courses.

Thanks for everything! I'll be doing more courses!

Pamela is wonderful. The feedback she gave me nearly always hit the nail right on the head for what needed to be addressed in that submission. The zoom sessions with her were also brilliant - being able to ask questions and bounce things off her is fantastic, given her incredible experience and depth of knowledge both of writing and the industry as a whole.

I love the Discord chat! Also the zoom sessions.

I finished a first draft of a novel. Even if it is never published, I wrote a book, and I think that is pretty profound. I have hopefully found a writing group (thank you for setting up Discord!) that will help me moving forward also.

I have recommended it, many times! The AWC courses are worth the investment. Getting feedback from experienced industry professionals is invaluable, especially if you are writing commercial and genre fiction - what we learned in school doesn't begin to help us with this type of writing.

Just thank you to Pamela. She's amazing. I learnt so much and had so much fun.

I enjoyed having an expert help me to improve my manuscript through their guidance and suggestions, especially when I'm not experienced enough to work out how.

The tutor was excellent. Fabulous. Knowledgeable. Knows what works and what doesn't.

I like seeing how other writers have grown through the process of feedback by others and tutor. I like seeing everyone on Zoom. It makes it real. I like the diverse questions, which I hadn't considered. I like the diverse suggestions to improve my manuscript when I was at a loss, but then after tutor feedback especially small changes make a difference in giving me confidence in myself.

Seeing me improving over numerous courses, helps me believe in myself.

The AWC courses are back by a truckload of experts in their field.

I had completed Novel Writing Essentials and I wanted to get a complete first draft of my novel. I work well with deadlines etc. I was also attracted by the tutor feedback as well as workshopping.

The tutor was very experienced and helpful. Her feedback seemed spot on and direct which I really appreciated. Her expertise shone through.

The most enjoyable part was typing The End and submitting a rough, but done, first draft. I can't believe that! I loved the course - everything about it - the participants were great and supportive and I really, really appreciated Pamela's feedback.

The fact that I have a first draft has shown me that I can do it and I think I can get my novel to publishable standard. That is gold.

Huge thanks. The course was fabulous and very worthwhile.

I was excited about having a deadline, a community of writers to work with and the expertise of an instructor.

Pamela did a great job. Very helpful. She delivered exactly what the course promised.

I most enjoyed collaborating with the other writers, most especially The Sapphires in our final group.

My two biggest takeaways were the idea of the "head, heart, body" and keeping the scene focused on the visible action.

I'm glad I did this course.

It was enjoyable to learn in this environment with so many lovely people and a helpful tutor.

Bernadette was a lovely tutor who had very helpful advice in the zooms. Her feedback was useful and gave me a different perspective.

Critiquing others' manuscripts has made me see errors in my own. The modules have helped me improve my writing. The feedback I have received is invaluable.

It's been a pleasure and I hope to return! Definitely do it! It is worth the time and money.

Bernadette was amazing.

I enjoyed the camaraderie formed amongst the group as we move on to the next stage. I now have support and I have guidelines to use to get work done.

You will never regret it. The course was so inspiring and helpful. It's better than those Masterclasses you see ads for on Instagram.

I needed something to motivate me to actually complete my manuscript and this seemed like the right way to go about it.

The entire course was so helpful. The tutor was fantastic. I enjoyed giving and receiving feedback.

I've learnt so much and found a community of people to help and be helped by.

I thrived on Cathie Tasker's encouragement, support, advice, and nudging in the direction of my dreams. Cathie provided the right mix of all of the above to challenge me to take feedback on board and to take big risks with my writing. When I started this course, I had no concept of the book I would end up writing. Where I tiptoed, Cathie urged me to charge; where I was timid, Cathie said, 'Be bold', and where I held back, Cathie said, 'Let go'. The growth and change in how I approach my writing now fuels me with energy, enthusiasm, courage and the self-belief that I will eventually become a published author. It's been such a wonderful journey, and Cathie has been a fabulous influence, tutor and guide.

Our group became very close over the twelve months as we read and provided feedback on each other's writing. We are vested in each other's stories, and we know each other's protagonists and antagonists and care about what happens in the plot. It was great to catch up with each other in ZOOM meetings with Cathie, where we could ask questions about the craft of writing. AWC hosted a Discord chat room, which was an open conversation and a great sounding board. We got to know each other on this informal channel and could drop in and let our peers know if we were having a moment of self-doubt or if our protagonist was being difficult to wrangle into a scene. The learning videos and support materials are next level - professional and such great resources for our writing now and into the future.

I tiptoed into the course with concerns about being a fish out of the water, and twelve months later, I emerged with a first draft of a novel I could not have written before the course. I am now confident I will be a published author at some stage in the future, and I confidently refer to myself as an emerging writer.

Enrol today! The 12-month WYN and any of the short courses will propel you toward your desire to become an author. In WYN, you become part of a writing community; you have access to writing peers and many resources, including live ZOOMs with past students of AWC who are now published authors.

The entire AWC team was amazing, supportive, accessible, and helpful throughout the WYN Course, and I give a particular shout-out to Valerie Khoo, CEO, and Nicole Beaton, Customer Support & Systems Manager.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and found it inspirational and motivating.

I love Pamela's vibrant personality and her enthusiasm. She was extremely helpful with her feedback.

The course itself helped develop a good routine for writing my m/s. I really enjoyed “meeting” fellow students and hearing their ideas and feedback on my m/s as well.

I have now finished my debut novel ( well, maybe I still have a few drafts to go) and am determined to be a published author!

If you've been thinking about writing at all, just do it! AWC has so many courses to choose from there is something to suit everyone, and it's affordable. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Just want to add a huge “thank you”. The worst part of finishing any of your courses is that I miss it all - the audio lessons, the submissions, the feedback. So I'll probably have to enrol in another course, won't I?

I have learned a huge amount doing this course. It has inspired me to not only finish the novel I'm writing but seek out more about the whole industry and learning much more.

Pamela provided useful feedback throughout the course, where to focus and what might be some potential stumbling blocks. She is an experienced author with lots of knowledge and an amazing resource.

I enjoyed workshopping with other aspiring writers, and the fabulous information that helped me to learn an enormous amount about what goes into writing a novel.

I knew very little about writing a novel before doing this course. I can't tell you how much the learning has helped me to understand so much more. Writing a novel has got technique, skill, craft, and so much more than just having an idea about a story. It is about entertainment, the reader, their experience and connection. I knew this as a reader but not as a writer.

Do the AWC courses - you can't go wrong. You will learn so much.

I think this is the third time I've done the course and I always gain more insights and pick up new tips.

The group this time around was fantastic. So many interesting stories and a variety of life experiences that made the group feel like we were all working together to get to the same place.

Pamela was great. She always had answers to any questions we had, and she had an eye for a plot hole like no one else.

Reading the other people's work was a highlight. I also liked getting to know everyone. The most enjoyable thing, though, was probably the increased confidence I got.

The feedback and insights have made me more confident about my writing ability. I know when I hit on the right idea, it will all be able to be worked out.

I've recommended the AWC to several people over the years. I told them if they're serious about writing well they may as well learn from the best.

Thanks for having me back. It was a blast.

It was exactly what my manuscript and I needed!

I enjoy Pamela's forthrightness. Her honesty. Her curiosity. Her knowledge (seemingly endless!) and the interest she took in everyone's story, including mine.

Understanding structure and full scenes after the modules in this course has been a game changer. I will approach my next manuscript in a wildly different way!

Do it. It's an investment for yourself that you won't regret.

The materials provided through the course did offer genuine value beyond what I had from a full bachelor's degree in creative writing.

I liked Pamela's attitude and approach right from the start. Throughout the course, she spoke to us like peers - there was no difference in talent between any of us, the only thing that set her apart was her experience.

I enjoyed discovering more about my writing habits - I'd never really committed to an extended project like this before, so I hadn't had the opportunity to find out what kinds of writing work for me. This course provided the opportunity to experiment, with guidance and suggestions for techniques I might want to try.

I think my manuscript would still be a handful of notes buried in an old hard drive if I hadn't taken a leap of faith and started this course. Now, whenever I get that little voice in my head saying, "you're not REALLY a writer", I can remind it that I'm 100,000 words closer to creating an actual book and have the tools I need to take it the rest of the way.

The information is valuable, the structure is practical, the explanations are clear, and the people are delightful. Two character-specific notes I received fundamentally changed the shape and direction of my novel, probably saving me two whole drafts of work.