Writing and Productivity Tips With 16-year-old Prolific Author Shanti Hershenson

Seeds of Sunshine - A mother-daughter podcast

Season 2, Episode 91

Join your hosts Carmen and Sophia Micsa to learn from our guest Shanti Hershenson what it means to be passionate about life, writing, and achieving goals.

Ever since Shanti Hershenson could hold a pencil, marker, or crayon, she created stories. Shanti’s first two novellas were published when she was in the sixth grade.

Shanti lives in California with her parents, sister, and furry friends. Besides writing, she enjoys skateboarding, Beyblading, free-running, falconry, and, of course, reading.

Shanti writes in a variety of genres, including Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Historical Fiction, although she mostly sticks to Sci-Fi. She advocates for anti-bullying, and you may find her at open mic nights, performing her spoken word poem Needles & Thorns, which is about the struggle of bullying in middle schools.

On this Seeds of Sunshine episode:

• Our 16-year-old author Shanti recounts how much she loved to read from a young age, which is why she wished to become an author herself to create books and stories.
• Shanti shares her greatest tip for becoming a prolific author, which is to write every single day 1000 words no matter what. Shanti writes whether she has something going on that day or not feeling well.
• Shanti published her first book when she was 12! It was a novella that she had written with a friend of hers.
• Shanti discusses the pros and cons of traditional vs. self-publishing. She prefers self-publishing because it’s a great way to get into the business and learn how everything works.
• Writing has made Shanti a much more confident person and a better speaker.
• Shanti has written stories about bullies and has empowered others.
• Shanti shares a few of her favorite books for teenagers, such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

To buy Shanti’s books, go to her website:

Author | Shanti Hershenson

To connect with Shanti:

Shanti Hershenson (@shantihershenson) • Instagram photos and videos

Shanti Hershenson (@shantiwhowrites) | TikTok

Shanti Hershenson (shantihershenson) - Profile | Pinterest

Support the show

Full editing credit & art design to my daughter Sophia Micsa.
There are three ways to support our podcast:
1. You can become a monthly subscriber to our podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1999885/support to help us continue our journey of sprinkling as many seeds of sunshine your way. When you become a subscriber, we will also give you a shout-out on our next episode and promote your business! No strings attached and you can cancel at any time.
2. Please donate any amount at https://ko-fi.com/carmenmicsa.
3. To follow me on social media, buy my books, or contact me about real estate, please visit https://linktr.ee/carmenmicsa, or email me at [e-mail]