SE Witschorke

A cricket in Times Square, sisters becoming women, and a family surviving on the prairie, these stories opened worlds SE got lost in. Her thirst for books was quenched by the local library and during one summer she read over one hundred books! This love of reading led to working in the school library, reshelving books, bonding with fellow bibliophiles, and enjoying the occasional pizza party.

In high school, SE dipped her toes into writing her own words. She won second place in The Great American Smokeout contest for her short story portraying a dying lung. But it wasn’t until one Valentines Day while attending a teacher training that SE fell in love with writing. She was enamored listening to Anne Bustard share her recently published book, Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly. Afterwards, she asked the author for some advice. Anne suggested joining SCBWI, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

The following month, SE attended her first meeting. She’s been a member ever since, attending conferences in central Texas, where she lives, the winter SCBWI conference in New York City, and Andrea Brown’s Big Sur Children’s Writing Workshop. SE is also a member of The Writing Barn’s The Verge program.

SE writes stories for teens with characters who are often society’s most misunderstood. Writing is a way to take opportunities she never took and explore what-ifs.

When SE was eight, she joined 4-H and entered her first cooking competition. She continued honing her skills through 4-H, watching The Food Network, and learning from chefs in MasterClass. When she’s not writing, you can find her in the kitchen, cooking up recipes old and new. SE is also an avid traveler. Favorites so far include New York City, Vermont, Maine, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Italy. Her goal is to visit all fifty states, tasting local cuisine from each. She has nine more to go. Check out the photo gallery for a sampling of states she’s visited.