Becoming a writer involves so much more than just having a talent for telling stories. There are so many aspects you must consider before stepping into a career as a writer (especially as a freelancer), that you may not be prepared for. In this listicle, I’m going to be suggesting some books that will not…
Underground Turns 10
We’re turning 10 and we want to celebrate with you! Our editor-in-chief is flying in from Melbourne to help us get the party started at this special birthday celebration. We’ll be launching our 28th issue ‘Invitation’ and we’ll have hard copies of previous issues available too. If that wasn’t enough, Underground Books will have a…
Freelance Writing Series Part 15: A word from the professionals
Article by Jess GatelyImage from Canva Free Stock Images Everyone works differently. The way we manage our time, our admin, our marketing and our work is a matter of personal taste. While the Freelance Writing Series aims to give you a starting point, let’s check in with our resident professional freelancers Ruth Dawkins, Lindy Alexander and…
Review: On The Sunday, She Created God by Gerii Pleitez, by Shelley Carter
Title: On The Sunday, She Created God Author: Gerii Pleitez Publisher: Kara Sevda Press (2019) Genre: Literary Fiction Novella THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS On The Sunday, She Created God is a gritty, unapologetic glimpse into the lives of urban outcasts. It paints a picture of life in the underbelly of the city, fuelled by…
Writing Opportunities for October 2019
Image from Canva free stock images The Correspondent is currently accepting pitches ‘As conversation leaders, our expectation is that a freelancer who works with us will not just deliver exceptional journalism, but will also join the discussion their journalism sparks. For journalists who produce multiple pieces for us, we will also talk about how we can make…
Review: Alt-Ctrl by Rebecca Freeman, by Jemimah Brewster
Title: Alt-Ctrl Author: Rebecca Freeman Publisher: Thea Press Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction Alt-Ctrl is a YA dystopian novella by West Australian freelance writer and editor Rebecca Freeman. It is set in a not-too-distant future Australia in which climate collapse has forced most citizens into domed cities run by the international corporation PlanetRescue. Governments are at…
7 Journaling Activities to Improve Your Writing by Jess Gately
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Journaling is a popular way for writers to improve their skills and practise their craft on a daily or regular basis. The concept is simple enough; it’s like writing a diary—you write in it every day (or near enough), and you only write as much or as little as you want….
5 Books You Can Read in One Sitting by Shelley Carter
Life gets pretty hectic sometimes. There isn’t always time to dedicate to our hobbies or to relaxation. According to studies, reading can reduce stress up to 68%! That’s why events such as the Australian Reading Hour are so important; to remind us to take a step back from our busy schedules and indulge in some…
Visualisation Tools for Planning Your Story by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Let’s say you have an idea for a story but you don’t know where to begin with planning the nitty gritty of character profiles, thematic influences, subplots, and so on. This is very common, particularly when starting out on a novel-writing journey, but can also apply to short stories and…
Freelance Writing Series Part 14: Marketing Yourself and Your Business
Article by Jess GatelyImage from Canva Free Stock Images To make money, you need clients who are willing to pay you for your work. In freelance writing this is often done by pitching yourself to potential clients—pitching story ideas to publications, approaching businesses you’d like to write for, replying to callouts—but there are also things you can do…
Review: Not Bad People by Brandy Scott, by Jess Rae
Title: Not Bad People Author: Brandy Scott Publisher: HarperCollins Genre: Thriller/mystery Isn’t it funny that the books we’re drawn to read reflect a little in what’s going on in our own life? This book came to me when I was trying to figure out some of my own friend-related troubles; mind you mine don’t involve…
TBR: Train-Bound Reading by Kate Lomas Glendenning
A listicle by Kate Lomas Glendenning As a student, I spend countless hours commuting on the train. Over the years, the view of the slowly changing houses and indifferent passengers became boring, so lately I’ve decided to change things up! Despite a bag full of textbooks and folders, I am still able to squeeze a…
Writing Opportunities for September 2019
Image from Canva free stock images 2019 Deborah Cass Prize “Early career writers of migrant background are invited to apply for the 2019 Deborah Cass prize. The winner receives a cash prize of $3,000 plus a three-month mentorship with an established writer. The winning manuscript is presented to Black Inc. publishers for consideration, with the winning excerpt…
Review: Half Moon Lake by Kirsten Alexander, by Shelley Carter
Title: Half Moon Lake Author: Kirsten Alexander Publisher: Bantam (Penguin Random House); 2019 Genre: Historical Fiction/Crime When Sonny disappears without a trace in the summer of 1913, his family is thrust into the media spotlight and his case stays in the public eye for years. What is different about this case, however, is that the…
Freelance Writing Series Part 13: Admin and Time Management
Article by Jess Gately Time management is one of the most important factors of freelance work. There’s a lot to consider when you’ve got to juggle the endless need to pitch your work, find new clients, follow up, invoice, update your portfolio, produce content for your website and social media, interviews, meetings, researching, along with all…
Growing up: A tale of books read, by Dylan Dartnell
Once upon a time, in an age few can recall, lived a boy who read books upside down sitting on his Nanna’s recliner chair; his feet dangling well above the carpet floor. The couch was warm and the house still. The midday movie had just finished and Gameboys had not yet been registered into existence…
How To Create a Compelling Villain, by Jess Rae
Image from the Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive I recently re-watched all the Harry Potter films and whilst doing so found myself rolling my eyes at “he-who-shall-not-be-named.” I found Voldemort to be, quite frankly, rather boring, with boring motives; his followers were far more interesting. It got me thinking about villains I do enjoy in series…
Review: If I Tell You by Alicia Tuckerman, by Shelley Carter
Title: If I Tell You Author: Alicia Tuckerman Publisher: Pantera Press (2018) Genre: YA Contemporary If I Tell You follows the story of small-town teenager Alex Summers as she navigates her final year of high school and a budding relationship with her first love, Phoenix Stone. When Phoenix moves to the farming community of Two…
Interview: Australian YA author Lisa Walker
Interview by Shelley Carter Lisa Walker is an established Australian author with a range of works under her belt, ranging from young adult fiction to radio plays. Her latest novel, Paris Syndrome, has been likened to author John Green and features a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Paris. Editor Shelley Carter spoke to…
The Right Way to Organise a Bookshelf by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Part One of my 2019 TBR shelf, alphabetised by author’s first name One of the greatest joys in life is organising and re-organising one’s book collection. The heady rush of excitement when you think of a new system that you can spend a whole weekend applying to every book; the joy as you take each…
Review: My Name is Revenge by Ashley Kalagian Blunt, by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Issue 27’s Review Review by Jemimah Halbert Brewster (this review can also be read in the Underground zine, issue 27: Case) Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s work My Name is Revenge is a novella just over fifty pages in length followed by three essays: Writing Violence, Arousing Curiosity; The Crime of Crimes; and Life After Genocide. The…
Issue 27: Case
Cover by Jess Gately Issue 27: Case is here On page 6 you’ll find this issue’s book review by yours truly, then our fabulous fiction begins on page 8, continuing with our Case theme until you reach the bumper selection of opportunities for writers down on pages 22-25. We hope that this issue will help…
What to do when you receive feedback on your writing, by Jess Gately
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Receiving feedback can be a painful process. As writers, we should actively seek it, but there’s no taking away that sting when your feedback says something isn’t working. And it’s ok to feel that sting. It’s only natural when you’ve shared a project you’ve worked hard on and feel passionate about…
7 Indigenous Books that changed the way we think about Australian History, by Jess Gately
NAIDOC Week and Black History Month are a time for us to reflect on the achievements, contributions and history of the Australian Indigenous People and to consider how we move forward towards reconciliation. This year’s NAIDOC theme of Voice. Treaty. Truth. ties in with the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages and asks us…
Freelance Writing Series Part 12: Creative Briefs
Article by Jess Gately Image from Canva Free Stock Images In our last post, we discussed pitching for those of you who are looking at article writing but this post is more useful for those of you who are looking at copywriting, real estate writing, advertising, social media management or other such roles. Jobs like these often…
Interview: Elizabeth Kuiper, author of ‘Little Stones’
An interview by Jess Gately Elizabeth Kuiper grew up in Zimbabwe before emigrating to Perth with her mother. In 2016 she graduated from the University of Melbourne with a degree in politics and philosophy and she is now a writer and law student living in Melbourne. Her debut novel Little Stones was released 1 June…
Review: My Father’s Shadow by Jannali Jones, by Jess Gately
Title: My Father’s Shadow Author: Jannali Jones Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller Favourite Part: Just when you think you’ve figured it out, Jones throws a curve ball at you! The Black&Write! Fellowship has produced some cracking reads so of course I couldn’t wait to dig into Jannali Jones’s debut. The blurb for My Father’s Shadow doesn’t give…
Interview: Nova Weetman, middle-grade and YA author
An interview by Shelley Carter Nova Weetman has been writing since she was a preteen and has not stopped since! True to the Underground Writers’ aesthetic, her writing career began with an old, black typewriter. I spoke to Nova about her writing career and what it’s like to write for a middle grade and young…
Freelance Writing Series Part 11: A word from the professionals
Article by Jess Gately Image from Canva Free Stock Images The last few posts have been a whirlwind of information! While it may feel daunting and overwhelming, our resident professional freelancers Ruth Dawkins, Lindy Alexander and Abby Alexander are here to help you break it all down. So, what do they have to say about portfolios, pitching, and…
Writing Opportunities July 2019
Overland speculative alternatives issue ‘Overland is seeking fiction submissions for a special online edition themed around the future(s) you would manifest, to be guest edited by Eda Gunaydin.’ Maximum length is 4,000 words. Closing 15th July KSP Little Black Dress Spooky Story Competition Free to enter, youth (8-18) short stories should be no longer than…
Writing Advice from 7 Contemporary Australian Authors, by Jess Gately
Image from Canva Free Stock Images We’ve all seen those lists of lovely quotes from classic writers telling us all we need to know about writing. But what about writing in the modern world? What about the dangers of submitting too quickly and dealing with instant feedback? What about marketing yourself and building an author platform? What…
Writing a Story Cycle, by Kate Lomas Glendenning
As an admirer and writer of short stories, I decided to challenge myself by writing a different genre. After a bit of research, I discovered I did not have to stray far from my beloved short stories! Enter: the short-story cycle (also called short-story sequence, short-story composite, composite novel and novel of interlinked stories). A…
Freelance Writing Series Part 10: Pitching
Article by Jess Gately Image from Canva Free Stock Images In our last post we discussed finding your first clients and getting your first paid gig. If you’re looking to write for magazines, blogs or newspapers, a large portion of your career is going to be spent pitching. So, what is pitching? Pitching is when you put…
Kate & Jess Rae on Aussie Women Authors
Kate Lomas Glendenning and Jess Rae recently appeared on Six Minutes For Me’s #ReadingWomenMonth Camera Flip series to help viewers fill in the ‘Aussie Author’ section of their bingo cards. You can watch the full video below. The bingo board (pictured below) was provided by the Reading Women Podcast. You can play along on your…
Interview: Poppy Nwosu, YA author
Poppy Nwosu is an Adelaide-based, young adult author. Growing up in central North Queensland, she enjoyed a thoroughly wild childhood surrounded by rainforest and cane fields. Her debut novel, Making Friends with Alice Dyson, was published in March this year and has just been shortlisted for the prestigious Readings Young Adult Book Prize 2019. Editor…
Review: The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean, by Shelley Carter
Title: The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone Author: Felicity McLean Genre: Fiction Thriller/Mystery Favourite Part: When a young Tikka re-enacts (unsuccessfully) the Lindy Chamberlain saga as her talent show act — it was a great juxtaposition to the seriousness that was happening regarding the Van Apfel sisters during the climax of the story, and also…
Freelance Writing series part 9: Getting your first paid gigs
Article by Jess Gately Image from Canva Free Stock Images In the last post we discussed ways that you can start a portfolio of your writing by incorporating articles you may have written for university, for your personal blog or things you’ve written for former employers, or by listing previous ‘clients’ you’ve worked with for free. In this…
Writing Opportunities for June 2019
Image from Canva free stock images BREW: Bush Retreats for Eco-Writers residencies The Bush Retreats for Eco-Writers (BREW) network offers free 10-day residencies for writers, poets, students and artists exploring ecological themes. There are five properties across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. More information at their website. Wombat Books accepting unsolicited children’s book manuscripts ‘We are looking for…
Review: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, by Jess Gately
Title: Four Dead Queens Author: Astrid Scholte Publisher: Allen & Unwin (2019) Genre: YA Fantasy Every so often a book comes along where the pacing is so perfect—the tension rises steadily and the plot races forward—that you find yourself turning the last pages at two o’clock in the morning wondering how ‘just one more chapter’…
Writing Your Author Bio, by Jemimah Halbert Brewster
Image from Canva Free Stock Images Whether you enjoy or loathe writing them, an appropriate author bio is essential when presenting yourself to your audience as it orients you within the writing canon, and educates others on your particulars. Some authors use their bio to denote what genre or format they work in (e.g. poetry, essays, etc….