Career | My Advice
‘Which Excuses Are Holding You Back?’ (Allison Tait’s Starting Out series)
‘Excuses – I’ve always been full of them, especially when it comes to creative writing. I’m too tired. Too full. Too enthralled in this episode of Girls (and consequently, too crippled by Lena Dunham’s writing prowess to put pen to paper). Sound familiar?’ Click here to read more.
‘5 Ways To Nail Your Internship’ (My Interning Life)
‘Pinpoint your drive: why do you want to work in the media? Knowing this will help you to stay focused and hardworking during your internship, especially during those times when it feels like an impossible industry to crack (which is a lot – but if you work hard then it pays off, I promise.)’ Click here to read more.
On what inspires my writing (Doorways: inspiration for aspiring writers and journalists): “The ridiculous. Walking. Eavesdropping. Fish-out-of-water scenarios. People in my life inspire snippets of stories every day… they just don’t know it yet. I adore meeting new people and finding what makes them tick. Brilliant writing also motivates – and terrifies – me (think: The Book Thief, Arrested Development, Breaking Bad, just to name a few).” Keen to read more? Click here.
On the importance of work experience (Monitor Online)
A former Monitor intern, Ms McMillan says ‘getting your name in print’ is extremely important for pursuing a career in the media. “While I spent three years studying at the University of Canberra, I also spent three years writing for any publication that would publish me. Complete as much work experience as you can,” she said. “A journalist told me if I wanted to get a job in the media, I needed to do work experience – she was correct.”
Keen to read more? Click here.
On how to start your writing career (Wordsmith Lane):
“Write – even on the days you don’t want to; never give up; build up your portfolio; create a strong, professional website that shows your personality; work on your writers’ voice; and ask yourself why you want it so badly and keep this answer somewhere visible so you stay inspired. Once you start getting freelance offers, my advice is: say yes to everything; edit, edit, edit your work; never submit a story in late; and aim to hand your feature in early if possible. When I was a deputy editor, I had to commission writers every month and the ones who handed their clean, tight copy in before the deadline won gold stars every time (and they were often the ones I’d re-commission the following month).”
Keen to read more? Click here.
On breaking into the industry (Wordsmith Lane):
“The hardest part when starting out is getting your first break. Many editors won’t look twice at your pitches until you have ‘experience’, but you need someone to take a chance on you to nab your first byline. That’s why work experience, internships, writing for free and entering competitions are so important. I am the queen of mentors. During high school, it was my English Extension 2 teacher Cathy Edwards. During university, it was my Scriptwriting tutor Felicity Packard (who’s now one of the brains behind the Underbelly series). Now, it’s every writer I meet. I also make an effort to go to authors’ chats and ask them at least one question about their writing process.”
Keen to read more? Click here.