Who is Katie McDonald?
Katie graduated from the University of Western Australia in 2015, after completing a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing and English. Soon after, Katie joined the WA Business News team and at the 2017 WA State Media Awards Katie was named a finalist for the Best Cadet/New Journalist award, and took home the top prize for the Best Culture and Arts Report, an award she also won in 2018. Shifting into the world of marketing, copywriting and ghostwriting, Katie was nominated for the 2019 AC&E/ADMA Australia Young Creative of the Year and was one of five national finalists. In 2021 Katie decided the pandemic would no longer hamper her London dream and she now works as a content producer in central London.
Storytelling is universal and unifying
I’ve been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. I grew up telling tales of fictional worlds to a willing scribe (thanks mum!) before I could write. More than 20 years later that passion for storytelling has only grown stronger. Not everyone has a way with words - I use my knack for crafting stories to help others tell their own stories. Storytelling is universal and unifying. I hope to continue to tap into this storytelling power in the future, whether through words or film.
The many formats of storytelling
The most interesting aspect of my career is the versatility. I’m only just beginning to explore the many formats of storytelling. During my 20s I’ve been a journalist, a creative copywriter, a ghostwriter and now, a content producer, learning how visual and musical aspects can make a story come to life in new ways across different platforms, like social media. London is one of the world's storytelling capitals. I plan to take advantage of the city's resources and its creative scene to soon take the plunge into the world of screenwriting. I'd also like to fulfil my childhood dream of publishing a book. That's the beauty of a storytelling career - the diversity.
The ‘real’ world
My English degree introduced me to books and films I would never have otherwise considered. And that made all the difference, truly broadening my understanding of storytelling beyond personal taste. In tutorials I felt like I was surrounded by ‘my people’, aka fellow literary lovers. I was also taught by English tutors who were truly passionate about their field. Another aspect of my time at UWA that was important for my development was grasping any opportunities, like internships, that came my way (usually through Marketing lecturers), things that I knew would enable me to experience storytelling in the ‘real’ world.
Show up for yourself
My UWA degree nurtured diligence, which is particularly important for a writer. Especially on those days when your creative brain has run away and you’re left with writer’s block. It also helped strengthen my sense of self-motivation and commitment. Most importantly my degree helped me actually understand what it means to ‘show up for yourself’ (a favourite phrase of one of my tutors) because in the real world, career or otherwise, you’ve got to be accountable for yourself.