Captivating Tales with Teen Author Shanti Hershenson

Outro: 0:36

Welcome to Story and Horse, a podcast where we hear stories from creative lives. Meet new people, hear about their challenges and triumphs, and get inspired to move forward with your creativity. Now, here's your host, Hilary Adams.

Hilary Adams: 0:59

Hi, thanks for joining me here on the Story and Horse Podcast. Glad to have you listening. I'm your host, Hilary Adams. I'm a creative coach, theater director and founder of Story and Horse. I work with creatively spirited people to help get their creativity out into the world. Here on the podcast. We need people living creative lives to hear their stories and gather inspiration for our own creativeness. Today, we are joined by Shanti Hershenson. Shanti is a teen author who has written and published multiple books. A shout out to them so much for joining me here today.

Shanti Hershenson: 1:32

Thank you so much for having me.

Hilary Adams: 1:34

It's wonderful. can you start us off with the introduction, tell us who you are and what you're up to.

Shanti Hershenson: 1:39

So for starters, everyone probably knows this already. But my name is Shanti Hershenson and I'm 14 years old, I have written more books than I can count. That's why just because I'm not very good at math. Um, I've 17 completed manuscripts, and I've published 11 of my books. And I started writing like, honestly, I've been writing for as long as I can remember. However, I think my writing journey really took off in the middle of the pandemic, when I wrote my first novel biome block. And then honestly, from there, I just never stopped. And now I'm here. Now I've written a bunch of books, I've published a bunch of books. And it's honestly, it's very surprising to me, because I never saw this coming. No one in my family saw this coming. However, if you kind of look back at how I was the kid, I used to make these little books. It's a little like, kind of predictable, like, Oh, she was gonna write something at some point, or try to write a book. I don't really think anyone guessed she was gonna write 17 books.

Hilary Adams: 2:39

Where did the ideas come from?

Shanti Hershenson: 2:42

I don't know. Um, so Biomark, my first novel, I can really explain in depth where the idea came from, because it started from this, like, Minecraft, my sister and I were playing Minecraft. And we had this like, storyline idea. And we wanted to record it or something. And it was basically the plot of biome lock, without aliens. And without all the characters where there are these biomes and you can only stay in one and they're very small. And then, you know, you're kind of like, the good escape. Um, and then that was months before I started writing, like that had to have been before the pandemic. So then, you know, the months kind of passed, and I was going on a walk on the beach with my sister, and we were talking and I was like, you know, I kind of want to write a book, like, I have nothing to do, I'm bored. And whenever I'm walking on the beach and have nothing to do, I always want to do something. And yeah, so I thought of like, I want to write a book. And originally, my sister was gonna write it with me, but then I kind of decided, and she kind of decided, like, it would be better if we didn't, because usually, two siblings writing a book together, would not go very well. Um, so that I started writing it. And I added the aliens like part after it was originally going to be just this weird, oppressive government that took over this small country, but I didn't really like that. So then I decided to add an aliens and make it actually take place on earth. And from then on, biome Locke was born. And I wrote that first draft took me around six months. And the first draft was very, very, very long. And I mean, it was really longer than anything I've written. It was like, 250,000 words and like 800 pages. And thankfully, my books are a little shorter now. Like, I've contained them a little better.

Hilary Adams: 4:28

So when you sit down to write, obviously, you have a lot of ideas, and you have a lot of generated manuscripts as well as published. Do you do at a certain time? Is there a process that you follow?

Shanti Hershenson: 4:43

Early on, when I was still doing time lock in some of my other books I would write I would start writing promptly at 11. And I would finish writing it around one, I believe, and then if I had any more writing to do, I do it later. I kind of have stopped doing that. I have to admit, it just kind of become this thing where now I have school. And then on the weekends I have stuff so I usually write as soon as like I have nothing to do. And usually that is around like three o'clock ish every day except for school when I read it like five or six. And I sit down I try to do all my writing in one sitting. However, usually I don't. I'm not the same person I was in summer of 2021. When I would do 2000 words in one sitting like in the morning than two dozen words in the evening. And now it's like it Try to do 500 words. And then I take a break and I read another 500. Because every day I try to do 1000 words. However, I've actually been doing a little more lately. Maybe that's because I like a few weeks ago, I was doing like a little less. And I was skipping some days, just because I was like traveling a lot. So yeah, 1000 words a day is what I do, usually. And that usually gets all the manuscripts done in like two to three months.

Hilary Adams: 5:52

And you enjoy it, I can just tell by like, when you're talking about it, like, you know how you feel, what does it feel like when you write?

Shanti Hershenson: 5:59

No, it just feels like this whole story is like, on the good days, at least, like this whole story is like kind of writing itself. And I just have to sit there and tap the keys, and then things are happening. That's how I felt a bit yesterday, because I kind of forgot, like, there are a bunch of plot holes in the manuscript I'm writing, I just kind of forgot about them, I just started writing. So now I'm pretty sure I have more plot holes to fix. But like on the good days, like it just feels like I'm just typing. And then the story is just like playing in my head. And then I'm gonna look it's like, I wrote a follow on a page. Um, there are some days though, when it feels a bit like a chore. Usually, that's when I don't like when I have to write but like I have it all outlined to have it planned. And usually, you know, there are some filler scenes after right to get to the really good stuff. I really like writing those. So those days are a little harder to do. Those days, it honestly takes me a little longer to write even if the scenes are shorter. However, there have been some books where I've literally just felt like they're running there themselves. Like every single scene is fun. Like I enjoy writing it. I can only think of this really with two books where I've loved like every single part of it. And I haven't wanted to cut anything. And that was the accidental insurgent and never die. And I just I really hope to have like more books like

Hilary Adams: 7:10

and are you seeing it? Like in your mind's eye as as you're writing?

Shanti Hershenson: 7:15

100% like, I'm like, picturing it all happen. And it's like a movie. And sometimes I forget I'm writing. I'm just like thinking and I'm actually typing it. Those are literally the best days.

Hilary Adams: 7:29

Yeah, so it's just kind of coming through you. Yeah. Do you hear characters voices in your head?

Shanti Hershenson: 7:35

I try to I try to picture what they sound like. Because usually that helps with the dialogue. The book I'm reading right now, I think has a bit of a dialogue problem where I don't really like how the dialogue is playing out. Um, but there have been some books are like, each character has a really distinct voice that's prominent with never dying, which is my next release, I talk a lot about never dying, because it's like the best book I've ever written. I feel like the characters had like prominent voices, especially because it's told the perspective of two characters. So I really tried to figure out like how they talked make it so you don't forget, like who's narrating for that I really had like strong ideas of what the characters both sounded like. And that was super helpful. There have been other books though, where I haven't, and I feel like everyone sounded the same. I had a moment with biome lock, where I was panicking because I was reading different characters dialogue in different characters voices to see if it fit, and a lot of it did. And that hasn't changed.

Hilary Adams: 8:27

Are you writing in first or third person primarily.

Shanti Hershenson: 8:30

Honestly, now it's primarily first I like prefer first for like, because it helps I feel like with making things go quicker, because third person, I get caught in these really long descriptions of things. And then I have to like, go back and change it. So like my first you know, like biome lock was in third. And I kind of just trance like, transferred your first for most of my other books. However, the current run I'm writing will be my third book in third person. And I'm not a big fan of it, honestly, like mainly because of the writing. So I think it'd be better if it was told in first however, there are so many characters, that would be hard. But usually I think my best writing is in first person.

Hilary Adams: 9:13

How did you learn your craft?

Shanti Hershenson: 9:14

I told myself most of the things I know about writing, honestly. Um, first schools, some of the schools I went to haven't been so great. So the first school ever went to they didn't really teach us much like it was a quote unquote, college preparatory school, but we literally we had no homework, no tests, so you can imagine how that one and then the next school I went to was actually really good. The third one was really, really good to have I don't know how but the education is in my current school. I have a lot of problems with regards to how they teach. But it's like it's a better No, I have a lot of problems with my current school. Just because, yeah, there's a whole story about that whole book about that. Um, but I don't think anything I really learned about writing is because of school, it's more of like I've read books and I've kind of taught myself this but definitely story structure now is very kind of just by memory like I just write it has a pretty good structure that sometimes I have to go back and be like, this is like really bad on the pacing after fix it but usually it's really good.

Hilary Adams: 10:24

Um, let's talk about the publishing How are you getting your books published?

Shanti Hershenson: 10:27

So I self published through through Kindle Direct Publishing deals, yep, no publishers would really take me seriously. However, I think once I'm 16, I will. And my goal as right now is to have some successful books through self publishing and to build this platform to have all these interviews and everything, and to have like a lot of readers. So then when I'm like 16, or 17, or 18, I can go to a traditional publisher and say, Hey, so I'm an established author, but I'm looking to kind of expand my career and look for new opportunities. So I am, you know, going to self publish, I'll probably click query for an agent and everything.

Hilary Adams: 11:01

So when, when you were little, and you started to write, you started to make small books and things like that was there a, I know what happened really, during the pandemic, you said, when you really started to apply this, but was there a time when you just thought to yourself, this feels right, like I'm going to do something with words,

Shanti Hershenson: 11:20

there was there were several times the two biggest ones I can think of were third and fourth grade. In third grade, I still have it. It's about 30 or 40 pages long. And it's this, you know, quote, unquote, book I made has illustrations, it has chapters, I think it even has a dedication. And it was really cute. All of the little books I wrote had dedications about the author pages, and on the back I list like all the other little books I'd written, it was very, very cute. Um, but that one in particular, I remember, because my problem was I wasn't, I didn't feel like I was really taking it slow with this, these books, like everything towards the end felt rushed, because I just want to complete it. So this one, I kind of tried to take it a little slow. And it went really well. And I was really, really excited about it. So I tried to type it up. And I wanted to get it published, however, kind of thankful I didn't because oh, it was not so great. But it was actually pretty good for eight year old. And then go again, fourth grade, I did one and my one in fourth grade was 100 pages, I thought it was very long. And I don't remember anything about it. Other than I didn't show anyone it. Because I was scared what people would think about it. And I kind of wish I would have I think I showed my parents at some point. But those two I can remember because they were longer than all the other ones I've done. And I was genuinely very, very excited about them. And I really liked.

Hilary Adams: 12:48

I asked about your publicity about how you promote, can you tell us about your promotion.

Shanti Hershenson: 12:53

So I have a very insane promotion strategy, because it changes so much. I will say that I use, I feel like it's like three different main things. First one is podcast interviews, of course, in which I wrote, I have that pitch email, and I keep having to edit it broadcasts, I keep having to change how many books it's very, um, I don't like it, I need to write a new one. It's like I basically I rewrite it every time I pitch a podcast. And at some point, I just have to I don't know. So there's like podcast interviews, and like traditional publicity and press, which I'm not good at news. Because I have to admit, I really want to try to get on the news did not succeed, I have to actually figure out how to do that. I'm in like, basically traditional price, then there's of course tick tock and tick tock is my very big one. I have 24,000 followers on Tik Tok, where I just basically promote my books. And I like share writing tips share things about my story. And that is especially helpful. And then my third one is like kind of newsletter promotions and like free promotions. So those are a little difficult to explain. Basically, I discount the book either to like discounted or free. And then I get in contact with this website and I pay them more money. And then they'll basically promote the book to like a newsletter of people who want like discounted or free books. And it's very, very helpful for getting some sales and getting like people to read your book and review it. And I've been using that for a little little less than a year. Now. You can find me on Tik Tok at Shanti Who Writes that's my big one. If you DM me on there, I'll probably respond. My Instagram is at Shanti Hershenson and on my website, which is another very big one. Because my website has all these all my links. It has basically everything and my website is Shanti Hershenson.com That's that's SHA en ti H ER sh en esto en.com. And if you look me up, you'll probably find me in other places like I have a Twitter account but I don't really use it I just repost things.

Hilary Adams: 14:50

I'm gonna ask you something, which is a little annoying, because it's like one of these adult asking a kid questions and I'm really sorry, because it's, that's not why I'm doing it. I'm actually doing it because I'm so incredibly curious. So with great respect, I asked this to a fellow creative person, when you look forward a number of years. What do you imagine yourself doing in the future?

Shanti Hershenson: 15:13

First, that's a good question. Um, say around for years I imagined myself if you're getting into college or going to college depending on like what time of the year it is. I imagine myself exactly what Right now, just at a more amplified state, more books, more publicity, maybe even a traditional puppet book or two, maybe a movie, a lot more book signings, and just basically a lot more fun.

Hilary Adams: 15:42

Do you have a book that you'd really love to write?

Shanti Hershenson: 15:45

Oh, definitely. If you want to ask me this, I'm about a year ago, there are two books, I would have said. And I've already written them. So I'm not very good about waiting on these ideas. There have been a few really, really good ones. I really wanted to write that I haven't. So I've never seen Twilight. I've never, I've never seen the movies, or I never read the books. It just sounds like an alien version of Twilight. So that sounds a little, I don't know how that's gonna be. But that was one that I kind of thought of. That's like this kind of like Alien kind of investigation book with a bunch of plot twists. I'm thinking, I don't know if I'm really ready to write that one. Because I haven't gone back to aliens since firewalk. However, knowing me, I'm probably going to do it next.

Hilary Adams: 16:28

Because you can't stop writing. Yeah. For people who are listening, who perhaps might be feeling a little bit envious, no part manuscripts you have and the number of books and, and your writing discipline and the fact you outline and you're very clear sort of path forward. In your creativity. Do you have suggestions, tips, thoughts, for people about how to sort of get their creativity going or sustain it?

Shanti Hershenson: 16:58

This is one of the biggest things I get asked is like, Okay, I have a really good idea for a book, I can't start it, I don't know what kind of first line to do. I'm just like, a lot of people stress overly about their first line. And I think that's something that's like, you don't need to do that. Usually, when I do my first lines, I kind of have to change them a few times, and stuff like that. So if you're struggling with your first line, skip it, start with the description of what's going on, start just writing your scene. And then you know, go back what as soon as you think of the first line and add it and edit it, so it fits your scene. Another thing is a lot of people say like, oh, I don't have time to write, I could never do that. I think everyone has at least 30 minutes of free time in their day. You know, either it's when it's between something, or just at the end of your day. And in that case, try to sit down. And you know, maybe you can only write like 100 200 words, but it's still something and it's still a good start. I don't think 1000 words a day can be a lot for a lot of people, sometimes it feels like a lot to me. Other times, it really feels like I could do more. But most times it feels like goats, it's so much. I think just start out by writing in try to write a little each day, I recommend doing the same amount because it helps build, like you said discipline. And it helps kind of get your brain in the zone of like writing. And it's honestly really helpful. Like, I feel like also the same amount kind of gives you like a goal to look forwards. And it's not like you're just writing and reading and writing until you stop because that can lead to very kind of like one day you're writing 1000 words, one day you're writing like 10. And that's not as good as if you're writing 1000 words continuously.

Hilary Adams: 18:36

Thank you. That's very helpful. I have to wrap this up by asking you like, What's the best thing about writing?

Shanti Hershenson: 18:43

Hmm. Kind of like I said earlier, one of the best things I think I can think of three is first, like when the story feels like it's spreading itself, and you just feel like you can't stop and there's just so much more to just write. I just love that feeling. It doesn't happen very much. But when it does, it's like incredible. And it makes me feel like I've heard just right forever, I could stay writing like all day and not do anything else. Otherwise, I think the best feeling is when you get like the printed copy of your book for the first time and you actually get to see it, you get to read it. For me, that usually happens not as soon as I finished the manuscript, but in the weeks after, because I usually like to get printed copies of like my drafts. However, you know, usually I need a cover for that. So especially once I get the covers, and the third thing is more of I don't know how to explain it, but like when people kind of DM me on Instagram and Tik Tok and say how like my videos kind of inspired them, and how my stories inspired them and how they like want to write to. And I just I like encouraging people I like you know, sharing with people like it's not something that's incredibly difficult, like you can do it too. You just kind of need to like know the steps and you need to figure out like what works for you.

Hilary Adams: 19:55

can tell us one more time the best ways to reach you.

Shanti Hershenson: 19:59

Number one best way to reach me is probably through tick tock and of course you can like watch my videos and get some tips and everything. My tick tock is at Shanti who writes SHA NTI who w r i tes and then my website is of course like another really great way to reach me My website is Shanti Hershenson.com That's SHA en ti H ER sh yet sol.com You can follow me on Instagram at Shanti Hershenson and if you look me up you'll probably be able to find all my books in a store that fits for you.

Hilary Adams: 20:32

Well Shanti what a joy, it is talking with you. I wish you all the very best and your many publications. And I look forward to following your career as it continues to grow. And all I just, I'm so excited about all the wonderful stories that you're going to bring to this world.

Shanti Hershenson: 20:48

Thank you.

Hilary Adams: 20:49

Thank you so much for joining me.

Outro: 20:52

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