Claudia Riiff Finseth

Writers are a quirky lot. When I first began writing seriously, the only other writers I knew were my college poetry professor and children’s literature teacher.

Writing is in many way a solitary endeavor. But at some point our writing will meet our Readers, and before that, after the rough draft, it needs to be critiqued by and discussed with other writers, even before it’s submitted to agents and editors.

Over the years most writers I know have slowly created a community around them.  In that community is a wealth of stimulating ideas, support and aid.  People who think symbolically and poetically.

I’ve found my community many places, but especially through the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and The Highlights Foundation.

Now I have a bunch of friends as quirky as I am. It’s a lovely thing.