Cassy Polimeni always wanted to become an author and even studied creative writing at university. She followed this with a career in magazines and publishing, while putting her own creative pursuits on the back burner. But while he was on maternity leave, she took the opportunity to enrol in a course at the Australian Writers' Centre, which came highly recommended from writer friends. That investment and commitment to her craft paid off: Cassy has now published two books for children with another on the way.
“Being published was the dream since I was about seven years old, and is something I have always been slowly working towards – although it took me a lot longer than I imagined it would back then!” Cassy told us.
The course that changed everything
Cassy was working from home as a freelance editor and proofreader when the Australian Writers' Centre course caught her eye.
“Going on maternity leave gave me a chance to do a hard reset on work and life and figure out what I really wanted to devote my time to. Online courses were an easy, focussed way to dip back into that while I was at home with my little one.”
She particularly liked that the course offered flexibility, but also had deadlines to meet and feedback on the finished story.
“Without restrictions and external pressure I tend to flounder a bit. I liked that it was designed to be done in weekly sessions over a few months, and the fact that you were working towards submitting a finished short story. The opportunity for personalised feedback from the course tutor was probably the biggest incentive of all. Feedback from writers at all levels can be really helpful, even if you don’t take it all on board it can help you interrogate your own writing and work out what you’re prepared to defend and what you might need to work on, and shine a lot on any blindspots,” Cassy says.
Establishing an author career
Making time for her craft has led to publishing success for Cassy, whose debut picture book, The Garden at the End of the World, came out in 2023. Published by UQP and illustrated by Briony Stewart, it is a fairytale adventure to the real-life Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway.
She has recently published a chapter book for five to eight year olds, Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra.
“It’s particularly for fans of books like What Zola Did, Violet Mackerel and Lemonade Jones. It’s the first in a four-book series all about friendship, conservation and frogs,” Cassy says. “I like to call it the story of a girl, a frog and a rescue mission without a prince or princess in sight. It’s about a girl, Ella, who moves house and isn’t happy about it. She misses her old home and school and her best friend who lived next door. But then she discovers a secret frog pond in the neighbours’ backyard filled with an orchestra of frogs and starts to think her new home might not be so bad after all. At her new school she befriends Mai and learns about the school frog bog, and when renovations threaten the frogs’ habitat at home, she and Mai have to come up with a plan to save it.”
Cassy also has a narrative nonfiction picture book coming out next year with CSIRO Publishing, focused on science and wonder.
“I guess there is a bit of an accidental theme emerging. Science and wonder and nature are magic!”
Embracing the creative process
Now that her daughter is at school, Cassy can find time to write during the day, but her previous manuscripts were written in whatever snatches of time she could find.
“My best writing hours would be after bedtime, as it was the only time I knew I could get a solid block of uninterrupted writing time and build up some momentum. I learned to write in the cracks too, of course, but sometimes you need a longer stretch. My daughter is at school now, which means I have more time during the day, and I’m trying to set boundaries about when I take on freelance work or do household chores to make the most of that time. I find writing the first thing after drop off works best, that way it’s done before I have time to overthink it or waste time waiting for the perfect conditions. When I get stuck I try to write in a different location, like a library or a different room of the house. I’d love to be a cafe writer, and have attempted it, but I’m far too self conscious and easily distracted!”
Having achieved her publishing dreams, Cassy recommends the Australian Writers' Centre to anyone looking to pursue their own creative writing journey.
“Courses are a great way to keep you on track, and add to your writing toolbox. They can help you kickstart (or get back into) a writing habit, get unstuck or fill a gap in your writing knowledge. Enrolling in a course can also be a sign to yourself that you’re taking your writing seriously, and that alone can open up all sorts of possibilities. The flexibility of AWC’s online courses make them very easy to slot into your life, so really, why wouldn’t you?”
Cassy Polimeni always wanted to become an author and even studied creative writing at university. She followed this with a career in magazines and publishing, while putting her own creative pursuits on the back burner. But while he was on maternity leave, she took the opportunity to enrol in a course at the Australian Writers' Centre, which came highly recommended from writer friends. That investment and commitment to her craft paid off: Cassy has now published two books for children with another on the way.
Making time for her craft has led to publishing success for Cassy, whose debut picture book, The Garden at the End of the World, came out in 2023. Published by UQP and illustrated by Briony Stewart, it is a fairytale adventure to the real-life Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway.
“It’s particularly for fans of books like What Zola Did, Violet Mackerel and Lemonade Jones. It’s the first in a four-book series all about friendship, conservation and frogs,” Cassy says. “I like to call it the story of a girl, a frog and a rescue mission without a prince or princess in sight. It’s about a girl, Ella, who moves house and isn’t happy about it. She misses her old home and school and her best friend who lived next door. But then she discovers a secret frog pond in the neighbours’ backyard filled with an orchestra of frogs and starts to think her new home might not be so bad after all. At her new school she befriends Mai and learns about the school frog bog, and when renovations threaten the frogs’ habitat at home, she and Mai have to come up with a plan to save it.”
