Personal Storytelling
for Veterans and First Responders
Find Your Voice. Own Your Story
An innovative program for current and former veterans and first responders. Developed and delivered by the Australian Writers’ Centre, the country’s leading provider of writing courses.
Personal Storytelling for Veterans and First Responders is a powerful program designed for current and former veterans, first responders and their families.
It provides participants with lifelong skills in writing and communication, and encourages them to tell their stories. The program is designed to help participants articulate their experiences both during service and in the transition to civilian life. It empowers participants with skills on how to write clearly, tell engaging stories and communicate using valuable writing techniques.
“This is one of the best things I have done in my life. This has been an amazing experience. I am grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to do this course. Thank you, thank you, thank you”
Linda Bone
Program participant and former serving military
The aim of the course is to:
- Empower individuals to tap into the stories they want to tell
- Give participants a framework to follow so that they can do so with confidence
- Equip participants with new writing/communication skills that can be used in work and personal situations
- Equip participants with practical frameworks for writing and storytelling
- Give people encouragement, motivation and feedback on their writing
- Provide an outlet for expression, healing and creativity
Method of delivery
- Online via the Australian Writers’ Centre’s learning portal.
- Personal Storytelling is delivered over a 6-week period.
- Each week, a new module will be released consisting of engaging video lessons, handouts and materials.
- There are weekly exercises/assignments and participants are encouraged to share their work within the learning portal. Depending on how many exercises the participant completes, it is expected that the participant may dedicate about two hours per week during the course.
More about the program
Each module will focus on a different aspect of telling stories from their own life experiences. The modules in the course build on the ones that come before, giving participants a strong foundation where they ultimately feel confident in telling their own stories and writing about their experiences.
The course aims to not only equip participants with foundational skills in writing about their truth, but also the confidence to do so. Ultimately, the aim of the course is to empower them with self belief, and also an understanding of the power and benefits of self-expression.
“I couldn’t fault the teaching or feedback we all received. Every module was well explained and guided.”
Dean Field
Program participant and former serving military
Participants receive:
- Instructional videos
- Personalised feedback from a dedicated writing tutor from the Australian Writers’ Centre
- Practical templates and handouts
- Interviews from veterans and first responders who have harnessed the power of writing
- Give people encouragement, motivation and feedback on their writing
- Private online community to communicate and share experiences
- Engaging exercises
- Dedicated course coordinator available throughout the entire course
- And more
The modules will include:
- Writing the senses
- Understanding the structure of a good story
- How to write an engaging scene
- Writing about other people (characters)
- How much to bare on the page and how much to keep to yourself
- What to write about
- The healing power of words
- How to be a good storyteller
- and more
Engaging course videos, including interviews with several veterans and first responders
Writing exercises and personalised feedback from a writing mentor
A powerful part of the course is the actual practice of writing and sharing of stories. The online learning portal provides space where participants can share their stories and gain feedback from their buddies. They will be allocated to groups.
Individuals can participate in:
- Weekly writing exercises they can share with and gain feedback from their peers
- An Australian Writers’ Centre mentor will also provide feedback on these writing exercises
- This will culminate in a writing exercise at the end of the course designed to help them tell a 1000 to 2500 word story (suitable for an anthology). An Australian Writers’ Centre mentor will provide personalised feedback if participants submit by the due date.
3 x Group ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions on Zoom
This is ideal for those who want to connect with an Australian Writers’ Centre mentor face-to-face. They will be recorded for those unable to attend.
- The first will be an initial session to introduce them to the course and what they can expect.
- The second will be approximately midway through the course once they have had a chance to delve into the course materials.
- The third session will be towards the end of the course to help them with their final story.
“I am going to get right onto starting a memoir… if it helps others great, but at the very least it will help me.”
Cath Hopgood
Program participant and family member of current serving military
How does it work?
The Australian Writers’ Centre partners with organisations who want to provide this program to members. Typically, there is a minimum of 50 participants undertaking the program concurrently.
The program includes course delivery, materials, personalised feedback on exercises/stories, access to learning platform, and access to a dedicated AWC team member for queries during the course.
“A heartfelt thank you. If you love writing but don’t know where to start or you are struggling to find the right place to start – you need to do this course. It changes everything.”
Eleanor Chappell
CEO of Buddy Up Australia
About Australian Writers’ Centre
The Australian Writers’ Centre is the country’s leading centre for writing programs. Founded in 2005, the Centre has spearheaded some of the most innovative writing programs in the world. It has helped more than 100,000 students in fields such as creative writing, copywriting, freelance writing, business writing and much more.
We are passionate about the benefits of the program Personal Storytelling for Veterans and First Responders. For many participants, it has been a transformative experience. Often, this has been described as “life-changing”. At minimum, participants will learn lifelong writing and communication skills they can apply to any professional and personal situations.
It is also a wonderful creative outlet where participants can explore new skills in a supportive environment. For others, we are sensitive to the fact that it will be a process of healing and catharsis. Our writing mentors believe in the power of words on a person’s life and work with compassion, competence and care.
