Six Questions with Suhasini Gupta

Suhasini Gupta is a children's book author, an engineer, and a devoted mom of two energetic kids. She was born and raised in India and currently lives in Texas with her husband and kids. She is the author of her debut picture book, Kai Po Che: Mini's Perfect Kite, published by Gnome Road, and has two additional projects currently under contract. Suhasini enjoys writing fun and imaginative stories that celebrate her Indian heritage, spark interest in STEM, and bring joy and wonder to young readers. When she's not crafting stories, she can be found tending her garden, experimenting with new recipes, enjoying movies, playing piano, and exploring nature with her family.

Connect with her at www.thesusankam.com or follow her on X or IG or FB or Bluesky @thesusankam

1. How did you begin your journey as an author?

While trying to spark my son’s interest as a reluctant reader when he was four year old, I unexpectedly discovered a deep passion for writing picture books with diverse characters. That’s how my writing journey began in 2021. Over the next few years, I wrote and revised multiple stories and faced several rejections along the way. In January 2023, after missing the Indian kite festival Makar Sankranti, which we had planned to attend as a family outing, I was inspired to write a kite story rooted in my childhood memories and sibling banter. That manuscript caught an editor’s attention and led to my first publishing contract, Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite.

2. What’s bringing you joy in your creative life right now?

Publishing my first book coming from a non-writing background has been both a challenging and exciting journey. It gives me immense pleasure and an adrenaline rush to keep trying new things and pushing myself with every project. When I first began writing, I thought I’d focus only on diverse stories with strong SEL themes. But I soon challenged myself to explore new genres and formats, which led to my two upcoming books—a rhyming humor and a cumulative fiction. I currently love to experiment across themes including horror, retellings, nonfiction, lyrical writing, and graphic novels. I’ve learned that not limiting myself is the most fun part of my creative life right now.

3. When you begin creating a book, do you always know where the story is going?

Most of the time, when I begin a story, I start with an idea, a title or sometimes even a fun character. But I don’t fully pursue it until I know the why and what behind it. Once my why is clear, I can map out the route for the story. And how do I find that why? By writing the pitch, asking questions about the characters’ wants and their goals, and why it’s important for me to tell this story. It’s basically like putting the puzzle pieces together until the full picture finally makes sense.

4. What did you learn while making this book that you’ll carry into your next project?

This book taught me not only about the creative process but also about the business side of publishing from the book deal to seeing it in print. The biggest lesson I’ll carry forward is to dream big and hustle. With two more titles already on the way, I’m excited to keep learning, growing, and discovering more about myself as a writer while continuing to connect with the wonderful kidlit community and young readers.

5. Where do you get inspiration for your characters? Are you influenced by people you know?

I mostly write stories and characters inspired by my own experiences. But I also draw inspiration from everywhere—movies, songs, books, and people I meet. For Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite, the main character, Mini, is based on my own childhood. When I was little, my uncles and other grown-ups often told me I was too small to fly a kite. The supporting character, Bhai, comes from my imagination. I actually have an amazing younger brother, but I always wished for an older one too, someone who I could share my secrets with. So, I created him in my stories.

6. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with?

* Don’t give up on your dreams. Stay curious and open to ideas.

* It’s okay to fail. No one is perfect.

* Don’t forget to listen to the kite rap song.