38 Books Before Graduation: A Teen Author's Journey with Shanti Hershenson

Shanti Hershenson has been creating stories since she could hold a crayon, and published her first two novellas back in the sixth grade. Now eighteen and a senior in high school, she's written 38 books, with 22 published, across science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary genres, and she's built a following of over 50,000 on TikTok while also advocating against bullying in schools.In this episode, Shanti shares how her writing has evolved since she first started as a young child, why she chose to write her novel-in-poetry, You Won't Know Her Name, about middle school bullying, and how she genuinely balances school, an enormous body of published work, and a growing social media following. She also shares advice for other teenagers who feel like they don't have time to create.What We Talked About:Writing stories since she could hold a crayonHow her writing has evolved since sixth gradeWhy she told her bullying story through poetryUsing TikTok to build a 50,000+ following as a teen authorBalancing school, writing, and advocacy workConnect with Shanti Hershenson:Website: shantihershenson.comAmazon Author Page: linked on her profileTwitter/X, Pinterest, Instagram & TikTok: linked on her profile