And though writing may seem solitary, one
of my greatest joys is being part of the larger
kidlit community and bonding with other
authors, illustrators, librarians, educators
and children’s book fans. The best group of
folks you’ll meet!
When did you first realize you
wanted to be an author?
I never really considered it as a
possibility when I was growing up,
although I’ve loved writing since I
was pretty young. It wasn’t until I
was in my late twenties and a friend
asked me to work with her on some
books for Scholastic Book Clubs that
I realized I could write for kids—and
that I could actually be published.

And that made me start thinking
about the types of stories I didn’t
have when I was growing up, that
I wanted to see in the world. I had
written a number of books for
Scholastic for different series,
and still couldn’t call myself an
“author” for many years.

with others. I often have a fleeting thought
of “that could be a book,” and if it stays with
me, I start to see if it shapes into something
that I can develop into a story.

Where do you get your ideas for
your books?
Most of my ideas originate from
something that has happened
to me or someone in my family,
something fascinating I have heard about
or read and from conversations that I have
What does your writing process look like?
It’s honestly kind of agonizing! When
working on a novel, once I feel like an idea
has merit, I’ll flesh it out into a synopsis
and then work on a loose outline. And then
I start to write from the outline, adding
things and changing details along the
What do you love about writing
children’s books?
I love so many things about it! But my
favorite is getting to connect with readers
of my books and hearing feedback from
kids and adults who share what my books
have meant to them or have impacted them
in some way. It’s always amazing to have
people pick out details or make connections
that allow them to feel seen or understood.

And it’s incredible to meet young readers
who are so thoughtful and smart and to
be able to engage with them in schools, at
events and online.

What does your writing process look like?
Even with graphic novels, I always start
with the words. I have the most fun with
dialogue. I rework beginnings many, many
times, because I find that without a solid
foundation, my stories start to crumble. But
then I rework the rest of it too. Writing is
mostly re-writing!
What advice do you have for kids who
want to improve their own writing?
The same advice I have for pursuers
of all things: practice! Practice more!
Take a break. Then keep on practicing!
Sorry, kids, there are no short cuts for
true improvement. Also read. Read a lot,
whatever you like! Books teach you how
they’re written if you pay attention. Hang in
there, you can do it!
HENAKHAN Hena Khan is the author of 14 titles, including
picture books, novels and choose-your-adventure
stories. She’s also written one eight-page comic
for DC Comics. Her newest middle grade novel,
“Amina’s Song,” a sequel to “Amina’s Voice,” is
out March 9. Khan lives in Rockville with her
husband and two sons.

WashingtonFAMILY.com 21