Let’s write.

Caitlin is a writer from Naarm (Melbourne) whose fiction blends comedy and pathos to explore themes of female subjectivity, identity, and subversion; while her articles and reviews focus on current events, the arts, and pop-culture.

Her love for storytelling began while undertaking a Bachelor of Film and Television, where she wrote and directed several short films. After graduating, she spent some time in Los Angeles producing independent films and writing screenplays. In 2019, her 60-minute T.V. pilot, ‘Welcome to Willows Creek’, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Hollywood C&F Screenwriting Competition.

Her writing has been published in Australia’s Style Magazine, ArtsHub, Lip Mag, The Blue Nib Literary Magazine, Intrepid Times, among others. Her stand-up comedy reviews were highly praised at the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, taking home the Funny Tonne Award.

Currently, Caitlin is undertaking a PhD at the University of Sydney. This research focuses on the lived experiences of women in cults and new religious movements through autoethnographic practices.

She is an ongoing editor for Louder and has also worked for Deakin University’s Wordly Magazine and contributed as a poetry guest editor for The University of Newcastle's postgrad journal SWAMP.

Caitlin Burns smiling

Please find a selection of my writing below

Short Fiction

Mettle published in The Blue Nib Literary Magazine (2020)

‘The Colour of Hunger’ published in Word Express Anthology (2010)

Articles & Essays

Sex-crazed or sexually free: can a feminist wear Playboy?’ published in Lip Magazine

'Box office flop, “Coronavirus” causes the Australian screen industry to crumble’ published in LOUDER Magazine

Saved by Study During Syrian Warfare’ published in WORDLY Magazine

Beyond Bollywood’ published in Intrepid Times

What it’s really like moving to LA from Australia’ published in Style Magazine Australia

Best things to see in Death Valley National Park’ published in Go World Travel

How to best explore Yosemite National Park over a long weekend’ published in Wanderful

Reviews

Osher Günsberg, ‘NTNNNNN' at Melbourne International Comedy Festival – LOUDER Magazine (2024)

Elouise Eftos, ‘Australia’s First Attractive Comedian’ at Melbourne International Comedy Festival – LOUDER Magazine (2024)

Annie Boyle, ‘Annie Are You Ok?’ at Melbourne International Comedy Festival – LOUDER Magazine (2024)

Lizzy Hoo, ‘Hoo’s That Girl’ at Melbourne International Comedy Festival – LOUDER Magazine (2024)

Tight Mums, Loose Units’ at Melbourne Fringe Festival – ArtsHub (2023)

Christina Aguilera, Live in ConcertArtsHub (2023)

Mushroom 50 Live Concert at Rod Laver ArenaArtsHub (2023)

Future. Joy. Club.ArtsHub (2023)

Anthony Locascio, ‘Don’t Call Me a Wog!’ at Melbourne International Comedy Festival – ArtsHub (2022)

Damian Callinan, ‘Double Feature’ at Melbourne International Comedy Festival – ArtsHub (2022)

'A Postmodern Metamorphosis: ‘Look Who’s Morphing’ by Tom ChoLOUDER Magazine

Woman at War (2018), film review – LOUDER Magazine (2021)

The Lighthouse (2019), film review – MQM (2019)

Screenplays

Steal, Kill, and Destroy’ (2022), 20-Min Short Film, Story Editor

The Zenosyne Hotel’ (2021), 20-Min Short Film, Story Editor

  • Official Selection Cannes Indie Shorts Awards

  • Official Selection New York Indie Shorts Awards

Welcome to Willows Creek’ (2019) (Unpublished), 60-Min T.V Pilot, Writer

  • Grand Jury Prize Winner, HCF Screenplay Competition

  • Official Selection Oaxaca FilmFest Global Script Challenge

Fallen Angel’ (2019), 10-Min Short Film, Co-Writer

Grey Area’ by TeePee Studios (2018), Animated T.V Series, Story Editor

‘Turn To’ (2018), Short Film, Writer

  • Official Selection Ipswich Youth Film Festival

Death’s a Drag’ (2016), 7-Min Short Film, Writer

  • Official Selection La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival, 2017

  • Official Selection Sarajevo Fashion Film Festival, 2017