At just 17 years old, Shanti Hershenson has written and published over 30 books — before even graduating high school. In this inspiring and deeply honest conversation with Rich Wright, Shanti opens up about her creative journey, her daily writing habit, and how she turned isolation during the pandemic into a powerful force of imagination.

In This Episode:
~ Discovering writing at age 4, falling in love with storytelling before she could even spell her name.
~ The role of her magician mom and software engineer dad in shaping her creativity.
~ How fencing, Star Wars, and fantasy worlds influenced her writing style and imagination.
~ The creation of her first 240,000-word novel, “Biome Lock”, and how she taught herself self-publishing at 12.
~ The viral explosion of “Never Dying” on TikTok that changed her career overnight.
~How Shanti uses Patreon to share her latest work, Good Kids, Bad Choices — a 1,000+ page contemporary novel written and edited entirely before college.

Why This Interview Matters:
Shanti’s story is a blueprint for the next generation of creators.She’s proof that age doesn’t define ability — discipline and imagination do. From her first sci-fi saga to her poetry novel You Won’t Know Her Name (inspired by her real experiences with bullying), Shanti blends authenticity with artistry in a way that connects deeply with readers and creators of all ages.

About Shanti Hershenson:
~ Author of 30+ published books across sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary genres
~ Advocate for anti-bullying and environmental awareness
~ Viral BookTok creator with millions of views on #NeverDying
~ Founder of her own creative community through Patreon
~ Shanti’s latest works include Good Kids, Bad Choices and Pontus and Electra to the Depths of the Sea — poetic, thought-provoking novels that merge activism with imagination.

Connect with Shanti Hershenson:
Website: shantihershenson.com
TikTok: @shantihershenson
Patreon: patreon.com/shantihershenson
Instagram: @shantihershenson
Twitter: @shantihwrites

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Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

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